Finding Her Voice: Priyanka Shetty’s MFA Journey from UVA to the World Stage

When Priyanka Shetty arrived in Charlottesville from India in 2016, she came with a clear goal: to launch her career as an actor. She enrolled in the University of Virginia’s MFA in Acting program seeking strong foundational training that would support a life in theater, film and television. What she discovered, however, was something much bigger than that. Working alongside her peers and visiting artists and exploring a wealth of opportunities beyond the classroom, Shetty began to imagine herself not only as an actor, but as a creator of original theatrical works.