Charna Halpern
ImprovOlympic
Chicago, IL USA
"Don't be afraid to daydream...those dreams can come true."
Career Roadmap
Charna's work combines: Acting & Theatre, Entrepreneurship, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Thought she'd have to choose one career and it'd define who she was: "I am a schoolteacher."
2.
Says don't be too worried about your first career choice; that first job might just be preparing you for something else down the line.
3.
Her dad opened the first McDonald's in her hometown; she gave an interview at the grand opening.
4.
Her interview was so engaging, the host let her interview more people; radio station ended up hiring her as a broadcaster.
5.
Moved to Chicago for radio show; was goofing around at a party when a friend told her to audition at Second City: "I always say yes."
6.
She "bombed" that audition, but she started taking improv classes and fell in love with it.
7.
Ended up literally "writing the book" on improv, becoming somewhat of an improvisational "guru."
8.
Says that people are too often focused on the money, or the "end goal"; if you want to do anything, you have to focus on the "now."