TOMBALL (July 28, 2025) – After dropping out of LSC-Tomball in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, and becoming homeless in 2023, Ari Griffith struggled with substance abuse disorder.
At her lowest point, Griffith reached out to her former LSC-Tomball drama professor, Jill Brumer, and asked to meet with her.
“When I met with Jill, I basically had an emotional meltdown. I told her everything that was going on in my life,” said Griffith. “Jill told me the life I was living wasn’t for me. She knew I could do better, and she helped me get back into school.”
Griffith said that was the moment her mindset began to shift. “She’s right. I can do better,” she thought. Shortly after their conversation, Griffith admitted herself to rehab, and in time, she returned to LSC-Tomball as a student.
“I couldn’t believe the welcome I received when I returned,” said Griffith. “Teachers I hadn’t seen in months greeted me warmly, telling me they missed me. They welcomed me with such enthusiasm and said they were glad I was back. It felt like a giant hug I didn’t even know I needed.”
Griffith built strong relationships with her professors, actively seeking their support and guidance. In turn, the LSC-Tomball faculty took her under their wings.
“Dr. Filoteo, Dr. Jelinek Lewis, Cory Colby, and Jill, there are so many professors who invested in me,” said Griffith. “They saw me. They believed in me. They told me I was good at acting, that I was smart. Those were things I had never believed about myself.”
With her newfound confidence and support, Griffith took advantage of nearly every opportunity available. While pursuing her Performance Track Associate of Arts in the Drama Program and participating in the Honors College, she also assumed multiple leadership roles on campus. She served as president of the drama club, interim finance secretary for the student government, and a representative for the Gay-Straight Alliance. She also assisted Brumer with the founding of LSC-Tomball’s first chapter of Delta Psi Omega. In addition, she worked as a Performing Arts Center technician, building sets and running lights.
“Theater is a dying art, especially with technology taking over,” said Griffith. “If we don’t have people like me who are passionate and determined to keep it alive, it will disappear. We saw that during COVID, the theater world started to dwindle. When I came back to LSC-Tomball, I was determined to help restore it to what it once was. New people joined in to help, and Jill is also motivated to save the theater. No one is more motivated than Jill.”
In the fall of 2024, the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), a private performing arts conservatory with campuses in New York City and Los Angeles, sent a Broadway representative to LSC-Tomball to lead a workshop focused on scene work. It was during this workshop that Griffith began to develop a clear vision for her future. “I was picking up what she was putting down,” said Griffith,” and I thought, okay, this is for me.”
Griffith auditioned for admission to AMDA and was not only accepted but also awarded a full-ride in-state scholarship.
Through the AMDA’s online education option, Griffith will complete her bachelor's degree. She is proud of herself and her accomplishments and expresses gratitude for the challenges she overcame, as well as the pivotal role Lone Star College played in her journey.
“As someone who dropped out, I never thought these doors would open for me,” said Griffith. “LSC gave me the boost I needed. Without the challenges I faced and overcame, I don’t think I would have the opportunities I have now.
Griffith is most looking forward to learning about her craft and herself. She wants to expand her circle of connections and learn from professionals who work on Broadway and is excited to challenge herself by stepping into the unknown.
“I moved a lot as a kid, 32 times. It was hard. Growing up, I didn’t know who I was,” said Griffith. “Along the way, I realized it was easier to betray someone else on stage. That’s how I got into acting, and I’ve always wanted to teach it. But it wasn’t until I played a character in Boeing Boeing that I truly connected with a role on a deeper level. That’s when I realized I wanted to keep acting actively. It was a spark. Being on stage, with the lights hitting me and dust particles floating in the air, all the stress from working on the show just faded away. In that moment, I thought, this is why I do it.”
When Griffith completes her education, her goal is to return to LSC and teach theater. She says there are millions of theater kids just like her “who need a collective ‘we see you, we believe in you, and we’re here for you’ hug, just like I needed and found at LSC-Tomball.”
“Jill was the best mentor anyone could ask for. She saw me, and I’ll forever be grateful for all she’s done,” said Griffith. “LSC saved me and shaped who I am. I want to come back and teach at LSC to give others what I’ve been given and continue that legacy.”
More information about the LSC- Tomball Drama Department is available at lonestar.edu/tomball-drama.
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