I’m Mandi Marko!

I was born and raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, or as they call it, The Christmas City! As a child, the arts were integrated into my life by my wonderful theater-loving mother and jazz-nut father. They taught me that failure and confidence are a secret little sauce in life. But as an openly queer/non-binary individual to get to where I am today took some heavy trial and error, and I emphasize HEAVY. From competition dance, soccer, cross country, Reading Olympics, video games, baking, and failed science fairs, I itched to figure out where I hit my stride. Funny enough, when we search and beg for change it somehow never finds us. Letting go of the need for a niche I then found my love for music & theater.

Having the arts so dear and near to me, it had been right in front of my face the entire time. It just took the art of meditation apps copious amounts of coffee and EXTREMLEY embarrassing Spotify Wrapped’s to understand it. While young I had the most incredible luck in being able to attend The Lehigh Valley Charter High School of the Performing Arts as a classical voice major and further on earning my B.A. at Wagner College in Theater Performance. There, through the help of my fantastic coaches, I found a love for music like no other that I carry with me today.

I just prattled on about how I love music & theater, but funny enough, my story doesn’t revolve around theater, nor do I want it to. While grateful to have experiences and the chance to make my mark through performing, it doesn’t scratch the surface of who I am.

Today, I am a combination of every soul around me, good or bad. Every person I have met has shaped me into who I am today, from my bullies in grade school to my best friends and professors. I am only as good as I treat myself and others, so I take each moment as I can and use it as a catalyst to create art in my own unique way. Being non-binary and queer is something I struggled with Life is too short not to pursue the things that spark joy, so that’s all I have ever tried and will continue to do. The idea of feeling content of where you are in your life’s journey can be summed up through the Latin phrase “Amor Fati’. (which I did learn from one of the members of BTS thank you very much LOL) It is now a phrase I kid you not think about at least once a day.

Kindness is something I endlessly preach upon. I don’t just say this to be corny in any way, but we never really know what one another is going through. In times such as these where technology seems to pull us further and further from one another it is more essential then ever to take care pf one another as well as extend kindness even at our worst. French philosopher Albert Camus has a saying that perfectly encapsulates my own feelings on the matter.

Simply said, this quote means to indulge in the joys and creations in our world until tears themselves become an expression of profound emotion. But beneath its surface I do feel Camus tells us to live through the good, bad, ugly, & everything in-between. It’s an invitation to live passionately, as well suggest the whole reason of existence itself is to create in your respective field of choice. That through creation and expression we create meaningful connection to ourselves and the world around us. Camus himself was an absurdist and urged others to remain kind and embrace the unknowns of life. His philoisphies inspire me each day and intertwine with my work and goals of just being,

But that’s a little about me, and I hope we all can love a little more and continue to build the world better and brighter :)