Stealing and soaking the spotlight in, senior Bubba Infante never fails to put on a show. Embracing his naturally bubbly personality, Infante is a striking figure on campus that draws people in. Born Ephraim Infante, Bubba was a nickname gifted to him by his family.

“Growing up Bubba was the name my parents thought fit me better because it was cute and fun,” Infante said. “Ever since then, that’s what I’ve gone by with admin, friends, and at activities.”

Heavily involved with the fine arts programs and other clubs around school, Infante strives to be an active role model in the Bowie community.

“I’ve always been a proactive and very involved person,” Infante said. “I’ve always been involved in theater and choir along with other programs on campus that I have taken leadership roles in.”

Being a part of a big family gave Infante the strive for independence that has propelled him to achieve it. Being co-president of the class of 2025 council, co-president of the Bowie choir, a member of the Tri-Music Honor Society, and head of the Bowie equity counsel.

“I am one of five children, and my parents are business owners,” Infante said. “We grew up being taught to have a very independent mindset, so I’ve always been pushed to learn how to lead and grow on my own.”

From a young age being drawn to the arts Infante was the outlier in his immediate family.

“All of my siblings play sports,” Infante said. “I’m very grateful that my parents gave up their hopes of me being an addition to that and let me pursue what I was passionate about.”

With a family full of sports players, Infinite gravitated toward his dad’s side of the family’s talents.

“My dad’s side of the family is very musically inclined and they have their band,” Infante said. “They play at Christmas and family gatherings, and my mom’s family wasn’t musically inclined.”

While all of Infante’s siblings were athletes, his parents saw the direction he was gravitating toward before he could voice it to them.

“My mom always says I sang before I spoke and once I could speak, I had a tendency to use big words,” Infante said. “From so young I was always an expressive person, and I was never afraid of being big and bold with my personality.”

While Infante had always had a bubbly and big personality, he didn’t discover his love for the arts until he joined a church production.

“I grew up in a mega-church and we would put on a lot of different productions there for holidays throughout the year,” Infante said. “My uncle was our stage manager, so I even ended up learning some tech stuff, along with singing with the kid’s choir at services.”

Away from his performances Infante was learning and discovering who he was, not only as a Latino, but also as a gay man.

“I sort of knew that I was trying to figure out who I was, I’ve just always grown up and had a lot of things I wanted to do that weren’t necessarily musical,” Infante said. “I’m a Mexican, gay person in Texas, who has had to deal with a lot.”

While finding himself Infante has made solid relationships, but he hasn’t figured everything out yet.

“Luckily I’ve been surrounded by understanding and very supportive people and that’s been helpful,” Infante said. “I think even now, I’m still trying to figure out where exactly I fall in society, where we are today.”

Even though Infante has been surrounded by support, it hasn’t always been that way.

“In middle school, I wouldn’t say I got bullied horribly but on a minor scale and it wasn’t the best experience,” Infante said. “Coming out to my mom was also a tough moment for me, not because she wasn’t supportive but because I was scared she wouldn’t have been.”

While Infant is figuring out who he is and where he fits into the world he prioritizes, the people in his life and makes them feel supported and as though they belong when they are with him.

“I’ve been friends with Bubba for four years and we do everything together,” senior Morgan Rademacher said. “Bubba is such a good listener and is so good at making people feel validated, heard, and appreciated.”

Even though Infante is extremely welcoming to anyone he meets, the arts aren’t always as welcoming and open-minded as Infante.

“I think sometimes it sort of sets me back in the sense that I’m being typecast,” Infante said. “It prevents me from being anything other than a gay person. But I understand why they do it that way. They want a gay person playing a gay character and not a straight person playing a gay character.”

While it’s harder for Infante to be cast as the main character in theater shows and musicals, he makes up for it, throughout his life outside of theater with his friendliness and leadership.

“Bubba is charismatic, friendly and he’s not afraid to take charge when someone needs to,” CTE teacher and class of 2025 co-sponsor Shelby Pennington said. “He’s involved in multiple things and interacts with so many people he’s great at pulling people in and making them want to be involved in various activities.”

Being a natural-born leader isn’t the only thing that makes Infante successful with his classmates and various organizations, it’s also his passion.

“He can talk to anyone and figure out who to do anything,” Pennington said. “He also makes it clear that he truly cares about what he’s doing, not only after the fact but during.”

Due to Infante’s determination, leadership, and passion for the arts, there are multiple options that he is considering after this year ends and graduation occurs.

“I’m considering quite a few schools on the East Coast for more musical theater since that’s where things like Broadway are, and a lot more musical directors are there,” Infante said. “Versus schools on the West Coast that are more for film and that side of the performance industry.”

Another option that Infante is considering is a more traditional path and one closer to home.

“I’m also considering taking an off year, but it wouldn’t be like a gap year because I would be attending ACC because it’s free for us,” Infante said. “During that time I’d be working to start saving up money and I’d be prioritizing private instructor lessons for both vocals and dance.”

Divided on what the future holds and which way to turn at the fork in the road, Infante is letting fate and college visits make his decision for him.

“I don’t care whether it’s on stage or film, I just want to be able to perform and be part of a professional production,” Infante said. “I could care less if I’m a lead character or something in the forefront, I just want to be a part of it and immerse myself in it.”

As Infante plans for the future and what’s after high school, the people in his life are excited to see which [path he chooses to take.

“He is a natural leader,” Carney said. “I can’t wait to see his accomplishments through the rest of this year and what he does in the future.”

This story was originally published on The Dispatch on November 4, 2024.