But Cosico, who is a senior double majoring in Theater and the Digital Cinema, Media, and Journalism track of the Communications and Media program, is what people in the performing arts call a “triple threat”—she sings, dances, and acts. 

“Performing allows me to express myself through my mind, body, and soul,” says Cosico.

Back to the Beginning

Cosico’s stage journey started at the age of three years old when she began learning how to sing. Her mom later had her join their church choir in the Philippines. They were often invited to perform at other events like Christmas shows, and they incorporated dancing into their routines, which opened the door to a new art form for Cosico.

But it wasn’t until she and her family moved to Guam that she decided to take dancing more seriously. During her sophomore year, she joined the dance team at John F. Kennedy High School. Around the same time, Cosico took a chance and auditioned for GATE Theatre’s production of “Cinderella.” Without any prior acting experience, she didn’t expect to land a part but was surprised when she did. 

“I remember my audition just being a train wreck because I was super nervous,” Cosico shares. “But then I ended up getting a call back, and ever since then, I've been doing theater.” 

Cosico credits her older sister Camille for being one of her biggest role models and inspiring her to try out different performing arts. “Every time I saw my sister get into something, I’d think to myself, ‘I want to do that too!’”

Putting in the Work

While it gets hectic juggling studies in two majors and all her extracurricular activities, Cosico makes sure to dedicate time to honing her skills in each craft and isn’t afraid to dabble in different genres. 

As a soprano, Cosico has a voice training foundation in classical opera but is currently enjoying R&B songs. She also helps out with the music ministry at her church and sings in the choir.

While she has danced everything from hip hop to ballet, Cosico is always open to learning something new, regularly participating in workshops where she gets to try out more niche styles like jazz funk and voguing. At UOG, she was a member of the student dance organization, Tritons Collective.

Cosico is active in productions both within and outside of the university’s Theater program. If she isn’t onstage portraying a troubled cheerleader, a sassy street urchin, or an enchanted feather duster (all roles she has played in the past), she can often be found working behind the scenes. With experience in stage managing, lighting, and even directing, Cosico has a robust cast and crew resume of over a dozen shows.

When asked which of the three performing arts is her favorite, Cosico says it’s tough to choose but settles on singing. “It feels the most natural to me, and it's something that I've been doing since before I could even read.”

Stage Fright? It’s Alright—Just Do It!

Despite having almost two decades of experience under her belt, Cosico admits that she still gets nervous before every performance, whether she is singing in a recital, dancing for an event, or acting in the season’s latest play. 

 

“One of the things that I learned from performing is that the fear never goes away. The amount of times that I've been shaken up by overthinking before literally going on stage is just diabolical,” she laughs.

But Cosico has learned to adapt by embracing the nerves and turning them into something positive. “Instead of letting the fear control me, I control the fear and harness that energy for the performance.” 

She encourages anyone who is interested in performing but is hesitant to do so to just take the leap. 

“Don't be afraid to make mistakes, and don't let your mistakes get to your head. The more you allow yourself to make mistakes, the more you're going to grow. You just got to get on that stage and do it!” she says.

Following her own advice, it’s clear Monica Cosico isn’t slowing down in the spotlight any time soon.