The quotes below have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

"Because of this school ... I was able to feel so validated in who I am as a person and who I was as an artist. It's literally because of this school that I was able to be like 'you're all wrong' -- the world, the industry is wrong."

See alumni Justin Tranter (Musical Theatre ‘98) featured in NBC Chicago's "It's OK To Ask Questions" -- a series of open conversations surrounding prominent LGBTQ+ trailblazers in pop culture, hosted by NBC Chicago Today's Matthew Rodrigues. After a year of transformative giving, Tranter speaks on topics such as songwriting, homophobia in the music industry, and finding self-confidence as an artist in a world tailored to others. In regards to their experience at The Academy, they cite the overwhelming confident approaches and support of faculty and staff as one of the core reasons for their continued success.

"They let me believe that I could be great... That's the only way that you can get to the top of whatever industry is that you're trying to get to. You have to believe in yourself so deeply that when you get a million 'no's, you're just gonna be, like, 'they're wrong.'" Check out the entire interview below!