On October 14, 2021, students participating in The Origin Project were treated to the first of three virtual author events in our fall series with author, actor and singer/songwriter Val Emmich. Emmich’s young adult novels Dear Evan Hansen and Maybe We’re Electric continue to garner critical acclaim. The author told students to write about events, ideas and experiences important to them. Emmich shared he was one of those kids who appeared to lead a charmed life on the surface, but that was far from his experience. He emphasized that most people have anxiety about something in their lives, but one has to rise above it and put it in the proper perspective. Students were invited to ask questions of Emmich and our very own Adriana Trigiani. Emmich encouraged student creativity saying that writing, creating music or any other art form are all branches on the same tree.