[Crazy4Bosco8]

I'm transferring to a four-year school in Fall '08, and one of the schools I have been looking at is Knox College in Illinois. Recently, I was sent over this booklet of fellow alumni, and Amy Carlson was in there. How cool is that?!? I didn't even know it was her until I read the little blurb on the bottom. It's a short read, and I found it to be pretty interesting (kind of makes me want to dish out the 40 grand a year to go there, lol). Check it out.

Note: I'd scan you the really copy, but my photobucket is being a jerk right now. I'll try again later...

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I'M ONE OF THE GUYS."
—Amy Cartson '90, Actor

My sister went to Knox, and I just fell in love with her friends. They were from everywhere—India, Boston, Japan, New York—and they were all so interesting. There was no way I was going to go to the same school as my sister. But I couldn't find another school that offered all the things I was looking for—challenging, engaging, diverse, lots of academic options. I finally had it narrowed down to Knox and Boston College. Knox won, obviously.

My sister is also responsible for getting me into acting at Knox. She was auditioning for Fifth of July and dragged me along to the audition. I landed the role of my sister's daughter, and that was that

Junior year I did Repertory Theatre Term. It was the best experience I ever had because you had to make it work. We sweated together and stayed up all night together. There was romance and intrigue and I learned how to do all kinds of things. I never
would have had a power tool in my hand if it weren't for Rep Term. One of my jobs was to lower these big platforms down from the rafters—me and five guys. Those five guys taught me how to be one of the guys. Playing a firefighter on TV—it was me and the guys.

At the time, though, I still didn't know what I wanted to do after college. I was torn between acting and law school, and acting was the more intimidating of the two. Then I interned at the Geddes Agency in Chicago, and it totally demystified what it takes to be an actor. It taught me that success in acting depends not on "getting discovered" but on working hard, putting yourself out there, and honing your craft. And if you went to Knox, well, you had the "hard work" part down.

Emmy-nominated actor Amy Carlson played paramedic and firefighter
Alex Taylor on NBC's Third Watch. Along with Law & Order: Trial by Jury,
she is also working on other projects. She majored in history.