Lights, sounds, costumes and makeup are nothing new for Jason Engström.

The senior theatre major from Seattle has been acting from a young age.

After some time on stage in high school, Engström came to Missouri Southern by way of his mother, a Kansas City resident.

“I wanted to go to college far away,” Engström said. “I knew I could get in-state [tuition] in Missouri.”

Engström chose Southern for its low cost and its small class size, while not wanting to compete with graduate students while majoring in theatre.

He came to Southern in the fall of 1995, focusing more time on the theater than his classes, resulting in inadequate grades. Engström failed out after two years.

He returned to Seattle, doing a few acting jobs, learning improv and working security.

Wanting to pursue acting further, Engström decided to go to New York City. Taking acting classes and working as an administrative assistant, he never found the stage.

“That was a pretty lonely job because I was a ‘floater,'” Engström said. “That is an assistant who fills in for assistants who are gone for the day in a building with 30 something stories. It’s like I never got to know anybody.”

After only a few months of loneliness, Engström was ready to head back to school in 2000.

“There were guys there who were doing the same pud jobs I was doing who were ‘actors,” he said.

“I didn’t want to struggle. I love my art, but I also love my creature comforts.”

After big cities with crowded streets and rude people, Engström was glad to return to Southern, this time a biology major, which lasted for three semesters.

Engström is known around the theatre department as anal, although his improv talent is legendary in the department.

“Ultimately my love for the theater won out,” he said. “I couldn’t stay away.”

Since his return, Engström has performed in numerous plays such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Diary of Anne Frank.

Although his time in the theatre department has been long, he has made a lot of friends over the years.

“He can come up with the funniest songs, ever,” said Rachel Mastin, junior theatre major.

“He’ll sit here and come up with the most random song, ever, and it will be hilarious.”

“He once had this idea to take a random picture every day for 30 days,” said David Pearson, sophomore theatre major.

From his monopoly strategies to the way he picks out his clothes in the morning, Engström’s odd quirks and all, will be missed.

“I think he’s the best male actor in the department right now,” Pearson said. “You can always trust him on stage.”

“He will not do anything he isn’t passionate about,” Mastin said.

Following his graduation from Southern, Engström plans to go to graduate school at the University of Arkansas, working toward a masters of fine arts.

Ultimately, he plans to get a Doctorate and teach at the college level.

“I’ve moved around so much that I’m kind of used to leaving things behind and starting anew,” Engström said.

“I’m starting to get older now; I’d like to settle down for a while, but I can’t. It seems like I’ve been here forever. I think this is a good time for me to be heading out.”