Biography

Kalyssa holds a B.A. with Honors in Design for Performance (with a specailty in costume making) from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama located in Cardiff, Wales. She is a costume maker with a passion for fine detail and elaborate costumes utilizing both hard and soft construction.

Due to her recruitment at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Kalyssa has lived abroad in Wales within the United Kingdom. While at the College, she was a costume assistant and maker for three Richard Burton Company theatre productions; a specialty costume maker for the 2023 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo; worked in a placement for Bad Wolf Studios Wales as a costume maker; and exhibited her work at the 2024 Balance Exhibition in Cardiff, Wales and London, England. Furthermore Kalyssa has taken on various roles which include costume assistant, costume maker, costume shop manager, and dresser over a variety of theatrical productions. Aside from theatre, she also holds eight individual crasftsmanship awards from cosplay competitions in the United States and the United Kingdom, including one award in Best Master's Category and two Best in Show awards.

Kalyssa understands firsthand the experience of being an outsider in a diverse university and how intimidating it can be; however, she also knows just how big the impact a kind mentor can be in providing an inclusive and supportive environment. She hopes to be a light to students who may be in the same position she was in and wants to give a voice to those who feel like they don't fit in while also celebrating their passion in the arts.

When she isn't working on costumes for work or for fun, Kalyssa enjoys playing video games and creating digital art.