Summer Sides

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Summer Sides is a storyteller, strategist, and lifelong arts lover whose path to Boston University’s Arts Administration program has been anything but traditional. After earning a BS in Exercise Science + BA in Dance, she built a two-decade career in fitness as a national presenter, professor, and coach development leader — always weaving creativity and performance into her work. From owning a yoga studio to presenting original content at BroadwayCon, Summer has consistently created spaces where people connect through movement, story, and community. She is now pursuing her MA in Arts Administration with a certificate in Commercial Theater Development to combine her entrepreneurial background with her passion for theater, with the goal of producing work that invites audiences to see themselves in new ways.

What drew me to BU was the blend of academic depth and real-world connection. The program doesn’t just prepare you to study the arts — it prepares you to shape them. I love that BU recognizes the overlap between nonprofit and commercial sectors, because I want my career to sit right in that space: helping bring bold, meaningful stories to Broadway and beyond. Coming from fitness and entrepreneurship, I know how to build programs, foster community, and lead people. BU is helping me take those skills and apply them directly to the theater industry, which feels like coming home to my true self.