Teri Monte doesn’t hesitate when asked why she chose San Diego City College after

graduating from Mar Vista High School in Imperial Beach. “I came here because my sister came here, and she had a good experience,” she said.

That decision proved just as rewarding for Monte. She is now on track to graduate in spring 2026 with associate degrees in theatre and psychology, with a goal of joining the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and launching a backstage career in San Diego.

Even more importantly, Monte’s time at City College has strengthened a belief in herself.“The Theatre Program allows you to discover your calling and supports you in exploring your passion in a safe and comfortable environment without fear of embarrassment,” she said. “It’s shown me just how much is possible, which is incredibly meaningful because there were definitely points in my life when I didn’t think this could happen.”

Monte’s self-doubt reached its lowest point in elementary school, when she, her dad, and her sister experienced homelessness and later spent several months living in a bare-bones motel. Coupled with not always having enough to eat, these hardships made it more than difficult to keep up academically and led to discouragement from more than one teacher inattentive to her struggles outside the classroom.

Those worries are now firmly in the past.

A Star is Born

Monte’s interest in the performing arts came when she saw Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory starring Gene Wilder when she was no older than 5. “I was fascinated at how a movie could impact your emotions like that,” she said of the ending. From that point on, Monte was looking for any opportunity to act, getting her first taste of being on stage in a school production of Gotta Be Jazz, with later highlights including being nominated for an Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship as part of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for her role in Just Like Us.

Over time, her interest in stagecraft superseded acting. “It’s something that can go unnoticed, but it’s fascinating how the nuance involved with lighting and sound can impact the production’s mood, atmosphere, and audience experience.” It wasn’t while she was in high school that Monte realized she could pursue a career backstage. “I thought to myself, ‘I could see myself doing this for a living. And I won’t have to sit in an office all day. I’ll get to do what I love and get paid for it!’”

She also has developed her screenwriting skills, including “White Blood Cells,” performed at City’s New Play Festival in the spring of 2022 that focuses on a girl on the autism spectrum and an abused teenage boy who develop a bond that develops to self-discovery.

And she still has the chops as an actor. “Teri is someone you want in a cast,” said Dr. Katie Rodda, a dramatic arts professor who serves as co-chair of City’s Visual and Performing Arts Department. “She is a delight to be around, and she brings her best self to every rehearsal and performance. Her castmates will agree, she is a good soul and a solid actor.”

Looking Toward the Future

If there’s a message Monte is eager to convey, it’s this: “There are real issues that can hold people back, and what held me back for a time was my own fears and judgement of myself.”

Not anymore. Today, she’s on a path leading to a career building sets, maneuvering the stage lighting, choreographing sound, and – if possible – taking on a part or two, be it San Diego or elsewhere.

“I’m a little bit of a ‘where I end up, I end up’ type of person,” said Monte. “But City College will always be my home.”