Time to light the lights: A first-generation college student, at Saint Mary’s Bianca Langlois ’27 found the support that gave her the courage to pursue a major in Theatre. She has paired that with a major in Media Production. / Photo by Maggie San Juan
Making Family History: Bianca Langlois ’27 On Her ‘Get Working’ Mindset, Onstage and Off
Langlois credits Saint Mary’s with giving her the skills and connections to “break into the professional world of theater.” She’s certainly on her way: In Summer 2025, she landed a technical apprenticeship at the Marin Shakespeare Company.
When Saint Mary’s was established in 1863, its founder had first-generation students in mind. Joseph Alemany, San Francisco’s first archbishop, envisioned a college for the “children of Miners, Mechanics, and Agriculturists,” the working people of the fledgling state.
According to the most recent data, around one in three Saint Mary’s students today are trailblazers, the first in their family to pursue a college degree. For many first-generation students—“first-gens,” as they often refer to themselves—the journey to and through college brings unique struggles and surprises. We regularly ask first-gen Gaels to share, in their own words, their history, hopes, and advice for the next generation.
Today, we’re highlighting Bianca Langlois ’27, a Theatre and Media Production double major, recipient of the Theatre Departmental Scholarship, and President of Mariachi Club. During the summer of 2025, Langlois took part in a technical apprenticeship with the Marin Shakespeare Company, the long-running nonprofit that mounts classical and contemporary works year-round. Looking forward, Langlois hopes to ultimately pursue sound design and directing for theatre and film.
The Road to Saint Mary’s
My parents always prioritized my education. They used to tell me, “We can’t take you to Hawai‘i, we can't take you to Europe, but what we can give you—something people can never take away—is the value of a good education.”
It’s why they enrolled me in Catholic schools in San Francisco throughout my life. Entering my senior year of high school, Saint Mary’s was definitely on my radar. When I went to visit, I really got the sense that Saint Mary's wanted me here. At events, everyone was very kind. But also, in terms of financial aid, the College made the effort to make sure I could attend.
The Theatre Departmental Scholarship, in particular, sealed the deal for me. It’s the reason that I'm here at SMC and still pursuing theater. My mom and I were out getting boba together in Hercules, a city on the bay not far from Saint Mary’s, when I got the call. We were so excited that we celebrated right there in the parking lot!
The scholarship covered the remaining tuition. It was a beautiful experience.
Stepping into the spotlight
My love of theater can be traced back to a single pivotal moment in my childhood. In seventh grade, we read the book Tuck Everlasting for class. After we finished, my teacher told us to listen to the Broadway musical version of Tuck Everlasting for homework. So I went home and pulled it up on Spotify. I’d never listened to a musical before, but from the very first track, I thought, “Man, I love this!” It sent me on this deep dive, researching the world of theater. I knew this was something I needed to pursue.
All throughout high school, I took part in every show I could. Coming to Saint Mary’s, though, I was only a theater minor; Marketing was my original major. If I’m honest, majoring in Theatre felt too risky. Sometimes, in Hispanic communities like mine, it’s frowned upon to go into creative fields. The expectation is that you're going to go into more “realistic fields” like becoming a doctor or an engineer. One day, after a hard bout of accounting homework, I attended an event at the Intercultural Center about women of color in creative fields. I heard from so many other Latina women who wished they could be doing something more creative.
Recognizing that desire in myself, I knew I needed to make a change. At that moment, I decided to throw my hat in the ring. I switched my major over to Theatre, and I haven’t looked back.
“Right away, the Saint Mary’s theater community was so inviting, so lovely, so uplifting. I felt immediately valued and uplifted walking into the program. As time went on, too, I saw how they’re preparing us for our future careers.”
An artist and a professional
Right away, the Saint Mary's theater community was so inviting, so lovely, so uplifting. I felt immediately valued and uplifted walking into the program. As time went on, too, I saw how they’re preparing us for our future careers.
For instance, the department gives out lots of free tickets to go see regional shows, with the goal of immersing students in Bay Area theater and giving us a chance to network with that community. Also, about 90 percent of what we do in theater is simply getting up in front of people and performing or presenting. As a result, I’ve really built up my public speaking and communication skills. I’m definitely using these skills in my roles as the founder and the president of the Mariachi Club, and the festival coordinator of the Bay Area Student Shorts Festival, which is hosted each year at Saint Mary’s.
Our classes also help us define our creative worldview. Last semester, I took a directing and design course with Deanna Zibello, director of the Theatre program, who really encouraged us to see the world with an artist’s eye. Directors constantly make design choices on everything, from the texture of fabric to the color palette of lighting. I’m currently putting those skills to use, sound designing for our current production of The Late Wedding.
Honing your perspective is so important for anyone looking for jobs in the arts. Ultimately, I feel like Saint Mary’s is developing my skills for the job market, shaping my perspective in ways I can apply to any field.
A midsummer dream internship
The Theatre program really promotes a “get working” mindset, encouraging students of all years to get involved in off-campus productions and apply for internships. It’s inspiring to have professors who want to help you break into the professional world of theater. Last spring, Shannon R. Davis, who has been a visiting professor of Theatre, really advocated for us to try and get internships in Bay Area theater, regularly bringing them up in class. Shannon helped me get four interviews with regional theaters, which was such a blessing. She connected me with the Marin Shakespeare Company, and after applying and interviewing, I landed a technical theater apprenticeship with them.
Jumping into the internship, I did whatever they needed me to do. I cleaned dressing rooms, swept the stage, painted set pieces, hung lights for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and then draped the fabric and built the set for The Tempest.
As someone who's trying to break into the theater field, the biggest thing for me right now is making connections. Working at Marin Shakespeare Company over the summer, I totally did that. And there were so many people I already knew through Saint Mary’s, like Graham Smith, who directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream here at SMC in 2023, or Ixtlan, who was a visiting artist for our production of the Excavation of Mary Anning last fall.
I was able to strengthen bonds with people I already knew and learn from all these amazing creatives at work. It was just so much fun.
The next act
After graduation, I'm interested in pursuing my “big three” in theater or film—sound design, directing, or video editing. There’s a lot of overlap between theater and media-making, and the Media Production degree lends itself to being a wonderful double major. In particular, I’ve found that I really, really love sound design.
Whatever I end up doing, I see theater as building my skills as a person who cares for community. A huge part of theater is working with other humans and inviting other humans to put down their phones, watch the show, and be present for a moment. That’s so much of what I value about it. It asks me to be present, create something, and bring those creative leadership skills to what I need to do in the world.
Whether my future is creative or corporate, I know my Saint Mary’s education will serve me well.
Maddy Hunter ’27 is a Student Writer with the Office of Marketing and Communication at Saint Mary's College. Write her.
