Ayelet Schrek
About Me
Ayelet is a counselor, educator, and artist based in San Francisco, California. They specialize in the intersections of psychology, the arts, and socio-politics; building interconnected community in the margins; and creatively catalyzing change and accompanying transitions. Ayelet enjoys a panoply of hobbies including music, writing, crafting, and wandering San Francisco's abundance of parks.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Ayelet's affinity for the arts was evidenced at an early age; even pre-verbal, they attempted to participate in family games and storytelling. As language developed, so did a rush of stories Ayelet would dictate to their parents or act out with their friends. As they got older, they'd write musical plays and record and edit videos with their friends as a form of play. Visual arts and crafting also began to develop as interests.
When Ayelet turned seven, they started participating in theatre classes after school, and camps in the summer. This began their formalized education in theater. Every subsequent summer was spent at a variety of performing arts camps. In middle school, they chose drama as their elective, and continued to do theater and art classes after school. They also discovered their love of writing, and in eighth grade, decided they wanted to become a teacher.
Ayelet then attended The Jewish Community High School of the Bay, where they immersed themself thoroughly in theatre. They participated in every possible production as actor, director, playwright, dramaturg, and technician. They received a deep and thorough training, and participated in theatrical endeavors outside of school such as the Young Playwrights Inc 'Urban Retreat' and Playground SF's 'Young Playwrights Project.' They were their school's first Teaching Assistant, and often informally tutored their peers. They also began interning with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, which would provide Ayelet's first professional teaching artist job once they turned eighteen.
Ayelet attended Brandeis University, where they continued to pursue theater, joining a sketch comedy troupe their first week on campus, directing one full-length show per year and a smattering of shorter pieces, receiving productions of several of their plays, and acting in various projects. They also wrote as a theatre critic for two of the school's newspapers, had work published in multiple literary magazines, and co-founded a playwriting club. They worked on campus for the Theater Department as 'head usher' for productions and 'stitcher' in the costume shop. They participated in protest and social justice work, rupturing their sense of self to rebuild a anti-biased-based worldview, and infusing collective uplift into every aspect of their decision making. They graduated summa cum laude with high honors with a BA in 'English,' and minors in 'Theater Arts' and 'Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation.' They continued to teach each summer.
Post-graduation, Ayelet returned to San Francisco and found work as a sewing teacher, before landing in a position as Production Manager for the Jewish Community High School of the Bay's Theater Department. They continued to work with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, teaching camp during the summers and residencies during the school year. When the pandemic hit, they transitioned into co-founding and co-leading SF Shakes' Education Workgroup, creating, adapting, and implementing programming. They also began offering virtual coaching. They've worked with several theatre companies around the Bay Area as actor, director, and playwright, and are now transitioning into a focus on psychology, working as a certified peer counselor, and attending grad school at USF. They continue to offer coaching, and are always making art.
A Quick Overview of Identity
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Name: Ayelet Worton Schrek
Pronouns: They/them or ze/zir (or pick your favorite non-binary pronoun!)
Gender: Non-binary; genderqueer; agender
Sexual Orientation: Queer
Race: White
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jew
Religion: Secular Judaism; contentedly agnostic
Nationality: From the USA
Ability: Disabled and neuroqueer
Socioeconomic Status: Born middle class; economically marginalized but with security nets
Education: Bachelors of Arts degree; Masters degree in progress; extra-institutional learning
Languages: English (fluent); Spanish (básico); Hebrew (basic)
Politics: Progressive is probably the shorthand that comes closest
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*Please note that I decline to list the phrases that we often use as signals to each other that our politics are aligned, because it feels too performative to me personally. To know me is to know my politic. I am fighting for, creating, conjuring liberation for all in every way I can. Let's exchange methods, resources, energy.
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Questions about any aspect of my identity? Please feel free to reach out and ask!
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