Michael Fowlin Returns to WHS for the SPEAK Project
Michael ‘Mykee’ Fowlin returned to Watertown High School on September 25th to perform his one-person show, “You Don’t Know Me Until You Know Me,” for an all-school assembly.
As a professional actor with a doctorate degree in clinical psychology, he combines his skills and expertise to encourage people to transform the world by turning hurt into self-reflection, healing, and then action. The performance touched on topics including bullying, xenophobia, racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, dating and sexual violence, suicide, and more. While he didn’t shy away from difficult subject matter, he was able to do so in a way that connected with the students, moving the room from thoughtful quiet to roaring laughter throughout the performance. He urged students to respect each other and to celebrate both their differences and shared experiences.
“It touched on so many topics, so everyone in the room could get something from it,” said Kaitlin Tracy, a senior at WHS.
Other students agreed that the show felt very relevant to their lives, with some expressing hope that it would help encourage more dialogue about related topics in their school.
“I liked when he talked about masks, because it’s really true. Even your best friends don’t know everything about you. It was eye opening and changed your perspective,” added Olivia Haggerty, a junior at WHS. “Some of the things he talked about, people in our school have done before. They looked uncomfortable. It was a real life call out post and they all got added.”
The assembly was part of the Watertown Youth Coalition Peer Leaders’ SPEAK Project (Sharing Personal Experiences And Knowledge). It was supported by Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, the Watertown Community Foundation, and the Watertown Education Foundation.
See this story on Watertown News.