Brycen Witt

When it comes to Brycen Robert Witt... I don't even know where to start. Brycen is hands down one of the single most talented people I have ever met in my life. He has been dancing for six years, doing theater since the third grade, and singing since he learned how to talk. Anyone who is fortunate enough to watch Brycen perform is truly lucky. Brycen is Broadway bound and there is simply no doubt about that.

Brycen Witt hails from the suburbs of Rockford Illinois. He is a current sophomore at Augustana College majoring in Geology and Theater with a minor in Biology. He plans on pursuing Paleontology in grad school.

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Brycen and I first met in a snapchat group chat that we had created from finding people on our college's facebook page for Class of 2022. Since we were all living in the Westerlin Residence Hall, we added as many people as we could. Through that group chat, Westie Side Story, I learned Brycen was a camp counselor who loves his job.

Both my future freshman year roommate, Mary Sales, and I were in the chat and had gone to a Kesha concert together. Brycen also loved Kesha and Mary had sent this photo of us.

"My first memory was when Mary sent a picture of you two. Then, I decided we were going to be best friends. I wanted Mary to be my cute, little, asian friend, and you to be my friend with cool hair,"

said Brycen. We ended up following each other on instagram and in my head he was known as Broadway_Bry. Emma is his best friend from home and she was also in the group chat and I knew her by her instagram handle as well.

Fast forward to Week 0 Day 1. Sitting by the bonfire, a bunch of college freshman mingling and trying to find a group of friends, when all of a sudden I hear Emma scream from across the bonfire,

"Is that Oprah in Training?"

which was my bio at the time. It was dark outside so I didn't recognize @emmacolleenie until I was standing right infront of her.

"Emma Colleenie," I screamed, "and Broadway Underscore Bry?"

That's right. We are Welcome Week Friends!

Emma and Brycen had a little Rockford group of friends and their roommates, and I had seamlessly joined this great group of friends. Emma and her roommate MT, Lexi and her roommate Rose, Dejan, Bry and I. Freshman year was a blast! We went to our first college party together and we were both very involved with the theater fraternity Alpha Psi Omega. Through shows like, Elegies for Angels, Punks, and Raging Queens, High School Musical 2: Shadow Cast, and How to Succeed in Business without really Trying, Brycen and I share many memories. But the memories are off-stage as well.

Brycen would come over to watch movies and do facemasks with Mary and I. He would always leave a pile of crumbs wherever he was sitting and it used to drive me crazy. Emma, Brycen and I would often take nature walks. We had a special place on campus that we would walk to and listen to songs there. Sometimes, we danced to old Taylor Swift but mostly Earth by Lil Dicky on repeat.

Sophomore year and our friendship is stronger than ever. Brycen and I have this special bond. Whenever one of us text, it is instant. We know are making plans to hang out. We hold each other accountable and check each other when we need to. We support each other's goals, goofy habits and lifestyles. For a portion of this school year, I even hung out with Brycen every single day.

Brycen, his roommate Michael Tarchala, and I have been taking turns hosting show/movie nights. We have watched You, The Witcher, and even started a Hunger Games Marathon! Over winter break Bry and I met downtown and drove to Rockford for a sleepover! We walked around and appreciated the beautiful scenes at Rock Cut with Emma and it was just like old times.

We played super smash bros, and I got to meet his mom and cats! We laughed, and danced to Earth by Lil Dicky while my disco ball lit up his living room. I remember we were driving and a Beyonce song came on. I started singing and Brycen slyly reached out and turned the volume up. I gave him sh*t for that but it was also hilarious.

Bry is one of my very favorite people. He has never failed to make me smile. I spent the last day of Sophomore year with Brycen, Friday March 13, 2019. It was the last Friday before going home to be quarantined. We ate potatoes (iykyk) and watched the world around us. First we went on another one of our nature walks or more like lays?

Then we were vibing in my room and he introduced me to my new favorite song I Love Me by Demi Lovato. Since it was the last night, we went to a goodbye party at Station. The bonfire was huge and everywhere you looked people were just happy. Everyone was talking to someone or doing something and there were smiles all around.

But we were starving. So Hansel being a great friend, and brother to Brycen, drove us to Taco Bell. Sometime after that, Brycen and I decided to bring my disco ball outside and watch it project on the ceiling of his car, Ronda. As we were outside, listening to music and vibing, the Rock Island Police Department showed up. Now the whole time, I thought there was only one car with two officers in it. However, later I found out there were two cars pulled up in different directions talking with the windows rolled down.

The cars were directly behind Brycen's car. We had instantly shut off the disco ball and turned the music off. As we were sitting in the car, we didn't really know what to do.

"Sorry officer we were vibing,"

we joked that we would say that if they came up to the window. But the officers didn't even know we were there. After laying low and quietly talking to each other between stifled laughter, waiting for them to leave, we realized they weren't going to. The officers stayed for about an hour. But, by then, if we got out of the car it would have been weird because we were there for so long. Bry and I decided if we open and close the doors and start the car they'll move. So we went to 7-11 and got some juice and doughnuts with pink frosting. When we got back the cops were still there talking. Bry and I went inside.

As a Community Advisor (CA) on campus, I had been planning a floor program where I was going to do a Self-Care/ Wellbeing Donuts and Coffee Sunday Morning. However, since it got cancelled, Brycen and I ate our donuts and he did my floor program with me.

It's for reasons like these that Brycen is one of my very best friends. Whether it's little things like leaving a cute note and some pop-tabs on my desk, or introducing me to new music or bigger things like doing my floor program with me, Brycen loves me and I am blessed to feel this love everyday. In fact, I made it my goal to make him smile everyday of this quarantine. (The poor guy just got his tonsils removed.) We currently have a Tik Tok pact. Each day one of us picks a dance and we both learn it. Follow us on Tik Tok @michellerenee8 and @brycenrw. Brycen is an incredible human being, but don't just take my word for it. Here's what our friends have to say.

"Brycen is...

...brilliantly funny and talented. I admire his drive and dedication to everyone he loves and everything he does. He's so passionate and deserves the world." -Mary Sales

...funny, super charismatic, and fun to be around." -Gabe Vallejo

...the most engaging soul. It's true that you get drawn to people and he's someone who pulls you in with his infectious love and energy. he's someone who you can trust with your life and also trust to give you the hot tea. But most importantly, he's someone you don't want to live without." -Michael Tarchala

...Home of sexual; an extremely passionate and committed individual whose talents continue to inspire everyone around him everyday. He cares deeply for all of his friends and is always there with a hug or a way to make you laugh. His personality really shines when he's performing on stage and doing what he loves, outdoing himself in every performance. He's someone that anyone would be lucky to have as a friend." -Julia Shaw

...gay. -Bobby Christel

...really gay. -Dejan Ubiparipovic

...the best person you will ever meet. Seriously, He's always there for you and so supportive. He's hilarious and somehow never mean! He's incredibly talented and still humble about it. Truly one of the best friends you could ever ask for." -Ravyn Davis

...a spontaneous, caring, outgoing, eccentric being. I don't think one could predict anything in his life, even his eating patterns. He baffles me everyday with how accomplished he is and how much he just jumps into and performs brilliantly. He is the type of person to be involved in three shows, stressed as all heck, but when you call crying he will drop what he is doing to check on you. He is the friend you go to HyVee with at 2am in the middle of a polar vortex. He is the friend who encourages you to be the version of you that you want to be. Brycen is the spirit in all of us that we should appreciate. He glows and shines so brightly, lifting everyone's own emotions. Brycen is a light in my life that I don't want to be blown out." -MaryTherese Gehrmann

...there to be your big brother when you are in need. He is a kind, caring, passionate, lovable, a goofball, but most importantly he is there when you need a friend." -Eli Bates

...a dear friend with a big heart, vibrant presence, and BOSS B*TCH ENERGY! I love him with my whole heart." -Ariela Policastro

...an incredibly smart, energetic, and BEYOND talented individual who has the power to make someone smile with just his presence. His energy is unmatched and as much as he may complain he still manages to radiate positivity and make any dull environment vibrant." -Torian Staton

...spunky and always on the same level of bullsh*t I'm on." -Andy Baxter

...passionate about everything that he does and he's always there for you no matter what." -Lauren Clarke

...the type of friend that everyone wants and deserves in life. I have been blessed to call him my best friend for close to five years now. Not a day goes by where I don’t thank my lucky stars for him. For those of you who don’t know him like I know him, he is the most compassionate, hardworking, humorous, talented, artistic, gregarious and loyal soul I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. My life would be lacking so much light and happiness had I not met Brycen Robert Witt seven years ago. I could very easily write an entire book about him and how much I adore him, but I will end it here for now. Thank you for being you, Bry. I love you endlessly." -Emma Walker