From the lab to the stage: How sophomore Madison Nolen found engineering inspiration through acting and modeling
(Herff College of Engineering sophomore Madison Nolen poses for a professional photo shoot, left, and is seen playing the role of a cashier in "House of the Broken," right.)
July 1, 2026
It’s easy for engineering students to get consumed by research and spend all their time in study rooms or labs. But during the summer of 2026, Herff College of Engineering sophomore Madison Nolen found inspiration in a different environment: the stage.
“With engineering, my mindset is more calculative. You have to be methodical about what you do. It’s a serious process and it can be a little pressuring at times. But, with acting and modeling, I have to kind of switch that brain off for a little bit and remind myself not to overthink every little thing,” Nolen said.
Nolen appeared in her first TV show during the summer. She played a cashier in “House of the Broken,” a show premiering on Tubi on July 25 about people grappling with past decisions as they explore faith, redemption, and second chances while seeking refuge at a pastor's church.
Her on-air debut was a family affair, with her taking the stage alongside her mother and experienced actress Sherika Woodard.
“It felt very natural for me,” Nolen said. “During high school, my family and I always went to plays or Broadway shows during the holidays. Those were really bonding moments for my family and me.”
Woodard told her daughter about an opening in the cast and encouraged her daughter to join. After years behind the camera and exploring her interest by participating in Indie Bartlett, Nolen decided to try out for the part.
“Normally, when I help her with her acting, I’m the one behind the camera, either taking pictures, helping her with her portfolio, recording the audition or reading different characters in a script. I guess since I had some experience, I kind of knew what I was doing. The director was like, ‘Have you done this before?’ and said it seemed really natural,” Nolen said.
While it was her first time reading lines, it wasn’t Nolen’s first time in front of the camera. Four years ago, an employee at Dillard's in the Wolfchase Galleria spotted Nolen shopping with her grandmother and gauged her interest in modeling their seasonal children’s clothes. Nolen later had her first professional photoshoot as an adult in New York City with photographer Daniel Mantelli.
“For my 18th birthday, I went to New York, and my mother hired a photographer to take some professional pictures for me so that I could begin putting myself out there for big companies, corporations and agencies,” Nolen said. “That was definitely an experience. That first time in front of the camera felt different, a little scary. But the atmosphere was amazing. I felt more like myself. It was a different version of me that I hadn’t experienced before.”
Nolen said that her experience with the arts has helped her keep an open mind in the lab.
“They both give you the opportunity to be creative, not only creative but to see the different paths that you can go on or different things that you can try out,” Nolen said. “If you’re trying to learn new things, that’s the creative mindset behind engineering.”
Between photoshoots and rehearsals, Nolen spent her summer working alongside Dr. Eddie Jacobs to create a device that would tell you whether plants are over- or under-hydrated.
While she’s learning lines and data analysis, she’s also learning time management.
“That’s something I’m continuously working on: time management,” Nolen said. “Finding days, mainly on the weekends, to relax from work. But it’s important to me to schedule time for my different interests, because I know I won’t get this time back. I won’t get the opportunity to be where I am now and have all of these doors and opportunities open to me.”
Nolen plans to continue acting and modeling when classes resume and she begins serving as a peer mentor in Herff’s Redshirt Program, tutoring freshmen in math.
It all adds up to a busy schedule for Nolen. Still, she encouraged all her fellow students to load up their plates with varied interests.
“Engineering requires creativity and people should be able to dive more into their creative sides,” Nolen said. “I think it’s important to venture down different paths, because we’re given different paths. I think students, at Herff at least, should try new things without feeling pressured to choose one.”