Heidelberg HYPE event teaches students about collaboration

Collaboration was the topic of the Heidelberg University HYPE Career Ready event Tuesday, with an accomplished actor and singer/songwriter who has performed in the Broadway hit "Hamilton." Heidelberg's HYPE Career Ready program provides students with a co-curricular learning experience that focuses on one or more of the HYPE Skills — communication, collaboration, conflict management, work styles, job search skills and values. Bryan Terrel Clark made his Broadway debut playing the iconic role of Marvin Gaye in "Motown: The Musical." In 2014 the production earned a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Musical Theater Album." "Collaboration is how I've lived my life," Clark said. "As an actor we work as a team." According to Clark, "You have to first be willing to collaborate. To let go of your ego and find out who you really are." Clark said he started to discover his passion while in his middle school gospel choir. "Following your passion the greatest collaboration can happen," Clark said. "I encourage you all to follow your passion." Growing up, Clark said his mother was the angel in his life who encouraged him to finish his education, even when Clark would skip classes to travel to auditions in New York. Clark's mother taught in inner-city schools in Baltimore where she would teach her students the importance of giving back. Clark said to be successful, you must learn to give. "Giving not only changes the recipient, but also the giver," Clark said. If Clark's mother was the angel, he said his father was the dragon. His father struggled with addiction going in and out of rehab 22 times, which finally helped him deal with a chemical imbalance. Both, according to Clark, taught him how to fly, he said. Clark has also starred opposite Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett in "Fences" at the Pasadena Playhouse. Additional theater credits include the Mark Taper Forum's production of "Immediate Family, the Alliance Theatre's "Sophisticated Ladies" and "His Girl Friday" at the Guthrie Theater. Clark has also appeared in Ava DuVernay's highly acclaimed Netflix mini series "When They See Us" and "Queen Sugar" on the OWN network. He is set to appear in "Cherish the Day" on OWN and Warner Brother's "Snowpiercer." Clark is the co-founder of InDEFINDED, an initiative that inspires and teachers young people to use their voices to erase constructive labels in our society. Clark told the students to define success for themselves and gave them three challenges to complete over the next two-weeks. First to take responsibility of their happiness by doing one thing to make themselves happy each day; list three things they are grateful for each day; and to list three things they like about themselves. "If you cannot believe in yourself that it will be hard for others to believe in you," he said. "Listen to your inner voice and become a rule breaker."