Bright lights, amazing singers, awesome dancers, and incredible actors are just a few of the fun things that make up the Fine Arts at Blessed Trinity. Many students have found some of their closest friends by being in different classes and clubs that fall under that category. Two of the best friends are Anna Shinholster and Maeve Doyle. 

Shinholster and Doyle first met right before their freshman year while attending a BT summer camp in 2019 and became friends after recognizing one another on the first day of school that year. They bonded over their love for the Arts. Shinholster says, “We had similar interests in theater and some overlapping taste in music. We were both ensemble in Thoroughly Modern Millie in freshman year and didn’t know how to tap dance, and (we) bonded over struggling in the choreography. We were also in choir together starting in freshman year and were both altos. I had sung before high school, but never really learned how to read music. I had learned everything by ear. Maeve was really good at reading sheet music, and I was really good at pitch. We became a dynamic duo in the class and helped each other to learn our music.” Since then, they have gotten closer and made many memories together. 

Doyle recalls one of her favorite memories with Shinholster, saying, “Freshman year, we were both in the ensemble for the winter musical and were the only girls who didn’t know how to do the tap numbers, so we would sit together in the wings and watch the upperclassmen.” 

Over the years of being friends, both Doyle and Shinholster have learned more about each other. Two of their favorite things to do together are thrift shopping and listening to music. Both girls said that their friend is there to listen and help out during stressful times. They both also said that they loved the other’s sense of humor. 

Being friends for so long has also allowed them to learn something about a long lasting friendship. Shinholster shared, “Maeve and I are really good at communicating and helping each other when we need it, whether it is just listening to each other, practicing choreography, or helping each other read sheet music in choir. We both have our individual strengths and can use them to get things done! I know I can always count on Maeve if I need something and she can do the same. Even when we were first in quarantine when COVID-19 pandemic started, we decided to send each other letters!” Doyle added, “No matter what, we are always working together. We sing together all the time and help each other when we are struggling with things.” 

It is amazing to see how much friendships can grow after recognizing one another on the first day of freshman year. Whether they are hanging out at a thrift store and listening to music, or they are performing onstage, you can bet that Anna Shinholster and Maeve Doyle are going to be right next to each other and working together through all of it.