b'Association InformationWPMA Scholarship Recipientsshow, and Tameraperformed in the LittleWHERE ARE THEYMermaid show at theDisney MGM Grand Studios. After their time in NOW? Orlando, Ryan and Tamera by Kathy Michaelis, moved back to the West,1992former WPMA In this edition we are spotlighting Ryanwhere Ryan performed the leadNew Mexico RecipientScholarship Shepherd,the very first scholarship recipient fromrole of Curly in the AlbuquerqueRyan ShepherdCoordinator the new WPMA member state of New Mexico in 1992.Civic Light Opera production of Ryan applied for the WPMA scholarship through RogerOklahoma, and later performed in the cast ofCox Petroleum in Albuquerque, where his father Utah at the Tuacahn theater in St. George, UT. Robert and mother Luanne were both employed. Ryan had theater in his blood from a very young age. In his original scholarship application, he wrote: As a child I always dreamed of performing. I was that kid on the block who organized the talent shows and lemonade sales. I wrote plays and music and built club houses. Ryan began his theater experience early in life. At age 15, Ryan was the youngest person to ever be hired by the Albuquerque cast of Show Biz International, an international theater company. Ryan performed in school, community and profes-sional theater, and also participated in his high school choirs, dance, gymnastics and track teams. He lettered in Student Council, theatre, choir, gymnastics, and academics while at Sandia High School, and was a very worthy recipient of theWPMA scholarship for 1992.His love of performing continuedRyan Shepherdand Familywhen he went on to attend BrighamRyan and Tamera spent the next five years perform-Young University in Utah, whereing in professional Broadway and National Touring he was accepted as a member of thecompanies, in shows including CATS, West Side Story, BYU Young Ambassadors, BYUsand Beauty and the Beast. They then decided it was premier, world-recognized touringtime for a career change, something that would be performance group. While with themore conducive to raising a family. After a lot of soul Young Ambassadors, Ryan was ablesearching, Ryan decided dentistry was the right career to tour the United States, Russia andtrack. He returned to BYU in the Fall of 2002 and the Balkan States.finished his degree in Musical Theatre while simul-Ryan took some time off from academics and per- taneously taking all the dental school prerequisites. forming to serve a two-year mission for his church inHe did well on the dental school entrance exam and Uruguay, and then was right back into the spotlightthought it would be fun to apply to Harvard - just to when he returned to BYU and again performed withsee if he would be accepted. He had no intention of the Young Ambassadors, serving as their president,going there, thinking that Harvard would be rather and going on tour to such countries as Spain, stuffy for his taste. But his intentions changed the day Morocco, and Egypt.he interviewed at Harvard - he knew it was where he wanted to study. Ryan met his talented wife Tamera on a blind date.Ryan was accepted to Harvard, and began as one of She was performing in the Sundance Summer Theater35 students in the dental program. He, Tamera and Ryan in Kids of theat the Sundance Resort near Provo, Utah. Their simi-Kingdom, CATS, lar love for the theater was a uniting force for them,their nine-month old daughter moved to Boston in and Hans Christian and they were soon married. They moved to Orlando,2004. The Harvard School of Dental Medicine is af-Andersen in Florida the day after their wedding, where they wentfiliated with the Harvard Medical School, so Ryans New York to work in the Walt Disney World Resort. Ryan per- education began as a medical student. During the formed in the Kids of the Kingdom Magic Kingdomthird year, the dental students paths diverged from the 18 www.wpma.com / Fall 2023'