Project Proposal
To bring Zahn McClarnon, CHS 1986, back to the Nest to speak with Central drama students, Freshman Academy students, and Native and Indigenous Centered Education (NICE) Program students about his time at Central, which launched a passion for film and a three-decade career in Hollywood!
“Zahn McClarnon credits his love of theatre and film to his longtime Central Drama Teacher, Peggy Stommes. He was inducted into the 2019 Central High School Hall of Fame for his distinguished roles, all of which center on his Native American heritage. McClarnon has played Running Fox in the Golden Globe-nominated ‘Into the West.’ He played Chief Matthias in the long-running Netflix Western crime drama ‘Longmire,’ and earned acclaim from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal in 2015 for his scene-stealing role as Hanzee Dent in FX’s ‘Fargo.’ He also had a lead role in the 2017 AMC Western series ‘The Son,’ where he played a Comanche chief, and in 2018 he played a recurring role on the critically acclaimed HBO series, ‘West World.’ He spoke to Central students about their time at Central and encouraged them to work hard and follow their passions!”
Students Impacted
More than 100 students from the CHS Drama Department, the CHS Freshman Academy students, and students from the Native and Indigenous Centered Education (NICE) Program attended McClarnon’s speech.
Commitment to Closing the Opportunity Gap
Students were given the opportunity to engage with an industry professional about his career as an actor, as well as engage with a Central alumnus about his academic achievements. This activity helps students realize their passions, and helps them visualize how they too can forge a path to achieve their own professional goals.
Translation to College and Career Readiness
Activities such as this encourage students to think beyond high school to their future careers. Such visualizing of their futures helps them best utilize the time they have in high school and helps them plan ahead toward college.