‘When she puts her mind to anything, she’ll do it’: Miami senior takes on one-woman show, MUF&D presidency

When senior Sara Rose Detwiler decided to try out to play Heidi Schreck in “What the Constitution Means to Me,” she knew no other acting role would push her limits more.

“I thought, ‘This is probably the hardest role I will ever have to play,’” she said. “And I was like, ‘You know what, let's go out with a bang senior year.’”

The Pulitzer Prize finalist play follows an adult Schreck on her journey back to her 15-year-old self, using the United States Constitution and her personal experience to trace the impacts of the document on women’s rights.

“I've always been attracted to feminist art and taking things from a feminist lens, and it's just interesting to me,” Detwiler said.

Detwiler originally attended Belmont University before transferring to Miami in the spring of her first year. She had planned to pursue musical theater, but quickly realized her passions lie elsewhere.

She said she decided to pursue a major in strategic communication, with a minor in digital marketing and graphic design, with a focus on public relations.

“I'd always been interested in PR and social media, so I decided to go that route,” Detwiler said. “I thought I would find my way back to acting and do it separately if I decided I still loved it.”

Detwiler said immediately after she received her acceptance letter to Miami, she jumped right on the HUB and began applying to any clubs she found interesting.

“I don’t even know where I found out [about the HUB],” Detwiler said, chuckling. “The thing that stood out to me the most was MUF&D.”

She had discovered the PR and Marketing director of Miami University Fashion and Design (MUF&D) and immediately emailed her, essentially pitching herself in an attempt to be accepted as a member.

As the current president, Detwiler laughed at her past self.

“First years totally don’t need to do that,” she said. Membership needs no application; just showing up to meetings is enough to grant acceptance.

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As the years of college progressed, Detwiler slowly worked her way up the MUF&D chain. She began as a general member, then jumped to PR and marketing assistant, then climbed to an executive role as graphic design director and finally finished her ascent to club president.

“I just absolutely love our organization,” Detwiler said. “I’m so proud of everyone who’s involved. It runs so professionally.”

Detwiler said she remembered pausing during the past fashion show, “Mosaic,” to soak in her environment. As she gazed up at the stage, the show’s graphics shone down upon her. Each had been designed and created by her, and seeing her work shining behind the stage fulfilled her.

The president’s experience with MUF&D spilled into her other passions. She said anything requiring her imagination or artistry intrigues her.

“I will always have a project, always doing something creative, because it fulfills me,” she said, “whether I am just hosting a party for my friends, or I’m doing my website portfolio.”

Audrey Fitzgerald, a senior emerging technology and business design major and vice president of MUF&D, worked with the Detwiler all summer and throughout the fall semester, structuring and planning out the club’s events.

The two students work collaboratively with a 14-member executive board to bring the club’s fashion show to life. Each week, these members contribute anywhere from 15 to 20 hours to plan how they’ll host one of the largest student-run fashion shows in the nation, along with a plethora of other events and workshops.

“Having all of the ideas, basically being ours, is crazy,” Fitzgerald said. “And when we see things coming to life, it’s so magical.”

Fitzgerald said Detwiler carries herself professionally and maturely, and she doesn’t believe anyone would guess the MUF&D president is only 21 years old.

“She’s gonna do something so incredible,” Fitzgerald said. “She’s a diva. It can mean so many things, but to me, if you’re a diva, you’re just powerful.”

Brooklyn Chrisman, a senior marketing and entrepreneurship double major, bonded with Detwiler in an entrepreneurial class last spring. The two worked together on a project in which they redesigned the very course they were taking. They placed first out of the entire class.

Chrisman said she went to the same high school as Detwiler, but their paths never crossed.

“We told each other that the world wasn’t ready for us to be friends,” Chrisman said.

Over the summer, she once helped Detwiler run lines for the “What the Constitution Means to Me.” Both girls had been living in New York City, working at separate internships. She said Detwiler starring in the one-woman show fit her personality perfectly.

“She has this energy with her execution,” Chrisman said. “She deeply cares about the things that are on her plate, and she’s just a motivating friend to have in my life.”

Chrisman said Detwiler has mentioned possibly pursuing Broadway shows or plays on the side when she moves to New York in the future.

“I really hope she does,” she said. “When she puts her mind to anything, she’ll do it.”

Detwiler isn’t exactly sure where her future lies, but she’s sure it’ll be in either public relations or event planning. She said she has loved planning the fashion show so far and would enjoy a career in that realm.

“If I talked to 18-year-old me, I don’t want to say, ‘It’s gonna all be OK,’” she said, “but you’re gonna find yourself and it’s not going to be what you’re gonna expect; it’s going to be better. You didn't know it was good until you found it.”

westonce@miamioh.edu