When Aoife Haakenson took her final bow at Singapore American School in 2019, she had no idea just how far that stage would take her. Today, she stands in the spotlight as a professional performer with international credits to her name—hundreds of performances under her belt, including a professional debut at the renowned National Theatre of Great Britain, a 16-month United Kingdom and European tour with the electrifying hit Six The Musical and a recent Disney+ pilot. 

Haakenson’s journey is no fairytale of overnight fame. It’s a powerful testament to passion, perseverance, and a fierce devotion to storytelling—first sparked in a quiet campus auditorium and fanned into a flame that now lights up stages around the world.

Haakenson joined SAS in sixth grade and quickly immersed herself in the arts. “All I really remember from my day-to-day schooling was just getting through classes so I could get to rehearsal,” she recalls with a laugh, “that’s where my joy was, where my people were”. From theater to choir, band, orchestra, and dance, Haakenson threw herself into every opportunity. She didn’t just perform—she taught middle school dance, did makeup for productions, and even assistant directed the faculty musical. “It was never just about being on stage,” she says. “It was about learning how everything comes together in the creative arts. It takes a village—there are so many more essential roles behind the scenes that make the magic happen.”

Through the Advanced Topic (AT) program, her culminating project at SAS—a self-directed interdisciplinary performance—remains a personal highlight. She created a bold, original piece examining the portrayal of gender in Shakespearean text by having male monologues performed by an ensemble of female actors, set against classical adaptations of his works . “I can’t believe I did it,” she says. “That creative process  helped me realize how much I was capable of.”

Haakenson’s love for theater was sparked in part by her teachers, though not the ones you’d expect. Dr. Betsy Hall, her eighth-grade language arts teacher, and Dr. Michael Clarke, whom she had in high school, helped her develop a deep curiosity for text and language—skills that would become foundational in her drama school training and professional career. “Actors and directors dissect scripts the same way we dissect literature in class. My connection to words, to meaning—it all started at SAS.”

After graduating high school and with the support of her parents—both educators at SAS— Haakenson moved to London to pursue a degree in musical theater at a prestigious drama school. Despite her talent, she approached the professional world with humility. “Life is full of uncertainty, regardless of profession. But I knew I had to stick it out and see what happens .” Or as her father would say: What do you have to lose? What’s the worst that could happen? She landed an agent in her final year who would help springboard her into the competitive professional industry.

It was during an audition for a pantomime that Haakenson’s career took a surprising turn. Though not right for the role, a casting director saw her potential and brought her in for Six. The rest is history. “We trained like athletes,” she says of the demanding show. “Cardio, strength training, physiotherapy, vocal training—it’s a full-body commitment.” But the mental resilience required for touring was just as intense. “Every week, eight shows a week, a new city, a new routine. Being a third culture kid really helped me adjust to constant new surroundings.”

Despite the star-studded image often associated with acting, Haakenson is clear-eyed about reality. “There’s this misconception that you ‘make it’ and everything’s glamorous; Or on the other hand, that it’s unrealistic and ‘not a real job’.” To her, it’s a career like any other, built on hard work, discipline, and navigating challenges.  “We face a lot of rejection,  we have side hustles when auditions go quiet, we practice finding work-life balance. And even when you land an exciting job, some days might be absolutely magical and others might feel like work. Some days you feel jubilant and grateful to be there, and some days you are more anxious ”

Even now, before performing onstage, she still feels some of the same nerves she did as a sixth grader singing in the drama theater at SAS, afraid to make a mistake or forget her lyrics. But Haakenson has learned to embrace that feeling and the joys unique to live performance. “The adrenaline disguises itself as nerves, but really it’s excitement about what is about to happen,” she says. She once fell flat on her face mid-show —and instead of cringing, she smiled. “How exciting was that for the audience?” she laughed. “How often can they say they saw a performer actually fall on stage?” She admits that even on a hard day, she has never once left the stage unhappy.

Haakenson credits her upbringing and her SAS experience for giving her the courage to pursue a path that brought her happiness and fulfillment . Her parents were instrumental in pushing her beyond the school stage, encouraging her to explore Singapore’s local theater scene and to seek out new perspectives. “They taught me to look outside my bubble,” she says. “To ask, what’s out there? What else can I learn? The sky’s the limit.”

As she looks ahead, Haakenson remains grounded and grateful. “So much of what I do now, I can trace back to SAS—the mentors, the opportunities, the community. It gave me the space to explore who I am.”