Dancing Towards Your Dreams: LSMSA Alum Balances Medicine and Movement

Nicolle Niette
NATCHITOCHES, LA – When Madeline Lorio, a 2021 LSMSA graduate, returned to the Treen Auditorium stage in the fall of 2025 as a choreographer and dancer for the Informal Fall Dance Concert, it was more than a homecoming performance. It was a moment of affirmation. She was living out a lesson she first learned at LSMSA: you don’t have to choose between your passions. 
Lorio is putting that idea into practice every day. Having graduated from Tulane University in May 2025 with dual degrees in public health and dance, she now works as a medical assistant at the Ochsner Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center while also freelancing as a dancer and instructor in the New Orleans area. She plans to start medical school in July 2026 and has already been accepted into three programs, moving steadily forward in her dream of becoming a pediatric oncologist. 
 
Lorio’s path is a testament to the power of mentorship and believing in yourself. She credits LSMSA dance instructor Crystal Lewis with helping her see she didn’t have to abandon one passion to pursue another. 
 
“Ms. Crystal furthered my passion with her fire and encouragement,” Lorio said. “She convinced me that my dreams of continuing to dance alongside my other callings in life could become reality, and I have to say that she was right.” 
 
That encouragement led Lorio to pursue both degrees at Tulane. There, she also served as captain of the Tulane Shockwave Dance Team, a student ambassador, and a peer mentor, all while staying on the pre-med track. 
 
Lorio shared that LSMSA’s rigorous curriculum and unique class format gave her an edge when she got to college. 
 
“Where lots of my peers struggled with time management and study habits, I excelled because of my experience at LSMSA,” she said. 
 
Returning to LSMSA as a guest performer felt like a full-circle moment. 
“I got to reconnect with a few professors and coaches and was able to reflect on my time at LSMSA — something I wouldn’t trade for the world,” Lorio said. “LSMSA truly did shape the trajectory of my future, and for that, I am forever grateful.” 
 
As she stood on that familiar stage, she said the late nights and challenging course load are not what define her time at LSMSA. “When I think back, I remember all of the time I spent forming relationships with my now best friends and all of the genuine interactions I had with professors and coaches who have now become mentors in my professional and postgraduate life,” said Lorio. 
 
As Lorio looks ahead, she offers simple but powerful advice for current students considering their own paths. 
“If it is your calling and your passion, go headfirst and don’t look back,” she said. “Do what you know will make you the happiest in life and don’t regret a single second of it.” 
 
She encourages students to remain fully present in every moment because it is our relationships and experiences that truly matter. And for those wondering if they can balance multiple dreams, Lorio is living proof that with the right foundation, mentorship, and determination, you can dance your way through the challenges of college and beyond with the skills learned at LSMSA. 
 
We are incredibly proud of all that Madeline has accomplished and look forward to seeing her continue to inspire others, in the oncology ward and on the dance floor. 
 
LSMSA is a tuition-free, public residential high school serving high-achieving sophomores, juniors, and seniors from across Louisiana. Financial assistance is available to ensure access to its 42-year tradition of a rigorous, college-level living and learning experience. 
 
Learn more at LSMSA.edu. 
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Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) is the preeminent state-supported residential high school with competitive admissions for Louisiana's high-achieving, highly-motivated sophomores, juniors, and seniors. As a public school, there is no tuition to attend, and assistance from the LSMSA Foundation ensures the program is available to all qualifying students regardless of family financial need.
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