Experience as theater’s lighting director led BHS senior to pursue electrical engineering

Lucas Croatt prefers to stay out of the spotlight. In fact, the senior found his niche at Burnsville High School by putting the spotlight on other students - literally.

As lighting director at the school’s Mraz Center for Performing Arts, Lucas does a little bit of everything behind the scenes to make sure productions go off without a hitch. In addition to planning and setting up the lighting, he helps run the audio systems and builds sets. He’s worked on 15 plays and musical productions, the most recent being “Clue” in February, and dozens of other events over the last four years.

Lucas started in theater as a freshman because his older sister acted in plays throughout her time at BHS. He wasn’t interested in acting, so he found a different way to be involved that better suited him.

“I wasn’t going to be on that stage, so I went to the tech side and really enjoyed it, so I stuck with it,” he said.

Lucas appreciates the freedom he’s allowed in his role as lighting director. He gets to be creative in how he lights each show, which makes it that much more satisfying for him to see the final production come together. 

“We do a shot and it’s kind of up to me what I want to do for it, how I want to go about doing it,” he said. “When the show comes on, the work you put in pays off because you get to see it.”

In the classroom, Lucas has been exploring his interest in engineering by taking classes in the Design, Engineering and Manufacturing Technology Pathway throughout his time at BHS. He’s taken Intro to Engineering, Aerospace, Civil Engineering, and three woodworking classes. Lucas will attend the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering this fall and plans to major in Electrical Engineering, a decision he said was influenced by his time spent as lighting director. 

“I probably would have been a mechanical engineer if not for my experience at the Mraz. I hadn’t been around the electrical side and that experience is something I really enjoyed,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity when you get into something as a freshman and stick with it. You have more time to develop and understand what you’re doing and see where that can go for you.”

Lucas said his experiences both at the Mraz Center and in his Pathways classes have him feeling well prepared for college.

“Just having that experience in engineering classes gave me an idea of what to expect going forward and made me more confident that I’ll succeed in an engineering path,” he said. “The engineering Pathways at Burnsville High School gave me the chance to dip my feet in the water and see what was out there. It was all really fun and just gave me a variety of experiences in that field.”

Pathways in District 191

From preschool through graduation, District 191’s Pathways model provides all students with age-appropriate experiences through which they explore possibilities, develop the skills and attributes they’ll need to succeed, find their passions and prepare for their futures. 

Being a Pathways district means we:

1. Remove barriers and ensure equitable access for all students,
2. Center students as decision makers in their learning journeys,
3. Promote a future-focused mindset, ensuring students have a plan for meeting their next challenge,
4. Engage in partnerships to maximize resources and opportunities, and 
5. Provide real-world benefits, including professional certifications and college credits by graduation

Learn more at pathways.isd191.org.