Senior Gabrielah (Gabbie) Heckman is active in the high school’s art scene. She has been a participant of many musicals, plays, shows and performances.
Gabbie was in the pit for Milton’s White Christmas (2023), the ensemble for SpongeBob the Musical(2025) and The Outsiders(2024). She has been in choir for eight years and made it to district choir her junior year. According to Gabbie, she has been in select ensemble for three years as well.
Gabbie’s next role is the Grand Duchess Olga Katrina in Milton High School’s play You Can’t Take It With You on Nov. 21-23.
Milton Theater Director Mr. Steve Aguirre said he first met Gabbie in 2024 when he directed The Spongebob Musical.
“My first impression of Gabbie is that she is very optimistic, bubbly, and passionate about the arts,” Mr. Aguirre added.
According to Mr. Aguirre, Gabbie is always smiling on stage and is constantly having fun. “When students feel listened to and safe to be themselves, that’s when you get the best out of them in your activity,” he said.
Mr. Aguirre added that Gabbie is a big help with the plays and musicals, with her heightened problem solving skills. She is very passionate about the arts and sees it becoming part of her entire future, he added.
Gabbie has been in band for nine years starting in fourth grade. Her main instruments are baritone and euphonium. She has auditioned for District Band every year, but hasn’t made it yet, she added. She has also been in jazz band and has helped with middle school band throughout high school.
Gabbie said that her favorite production she was involved in was Spongebob the Musical. ”I got close to the cast and crew, and some of them I would even call my closest/ best friends,” she added. She is currently concentrating on district auditions for choir on Oct. 26 and for band on Nov. 16.
Gabbie said she balances school with many extracurriculars such as playing music, making music, drawing, choir, musicals, plays and the local princess pageant. An artist must devote many hours a week to her activities, she said. “If I could it would be 24/7, but it’s probably like 42 hours a week,” she added.
In addition to her school endeavors, Gabbie plays baritone with the Sunbury City Band, and she represented the Milton Area Music Booster Organization (MAMBO) at the Milton Harvest Festival Princess Pageant.
She said she got so involved in the arts because her family is very submerged into the arts so she was naturally influenced.
“Sometimes you feel like you have no time and sometimes you feel like you have so much time,” Gabbie said. Her passion is in music, and she is planning to work on an original piece, she added.
Milton Music Teacher Mr. Eric Bergmueller said that he met Gabbie when she joined the sixth grade chorus. “She was a standout student from the start,” he said, adding that his first impression of Gabbie was that she always had good music-focused energy and was reliable for different music parts.
Her persistence and her willingness to accept constructive criticism were her qualities that shined the most, he added.
“Gabbie has shared with me that she wants to go to college to teach music. I am very pleased to hear this, and I think she will make a wonderful music teacher. A school would be lucky to have her work with their students,” Mr. Bermueller said.
Gabbie said when she graduates, she said she plans to get her degree in music education at Millersville University.
Gabbie said her advice to people looking to learn one of her numerous talents is: “Just keep going. You may hit some issues but just keep going. It all will come out in the end.”
