Sally Shirin Story, assistant professor of theater, started this fall. She sits in her office of walls decorated with memorabilia collected through the years, the large bookshelf behind her chock full of plays, scripts and classic works of literature.

Born in Tiran, Iran, Story was adopted by an American oil economist and an orphanage volunteer when she was four days old. The family moved to McClain, Virginia, a suburb of Washington D.C., when she was a year and a half. Story said she was lucky she grew up amidst cities thriving with diversity.

“You get spoiled living in a city or outside a city. I just like growing up in that diversity because nothing really surprised me getting older,” Story said.

Story received her bachelor’s degree from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia and her master’s from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She worked in other universities around Pennsylvania before her most recent engagement at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota for three years.

“It was a culture shock for me coming from the diversity of the city,” Story said. “[Of some of these universities] it’s a very conservative area.”

Her first experience with the stage was at a theater camp in Maryland when she was 11. She got the role of Ko-Ko in the camp production of ‘The Mikado’ by Arthur Sullivan and she loved it. This lead her to acting in her middle school and high school productions.

“When I got to college, I was like a little fish in a huge bowl. It was competitive which was awesome – that’s when I got into directing. I just enjoyed that more. I don’t know if it’s the control freak in me or what,” Story said.

She said it was the diversity that drew her to Wichita Falls.

“I loved meeting people from different cultures. I’ve worked in the private school sector but I feel like I can relate to public school students more,” Story said.

When she first came to the campus in March, Story admits that meeting the students impacted her decision to take the job.

“They challenged me,” Story said. “They got me thinking.”

Story said her time here so far has been wonderful.

“We all get along so well and I think we have different things to offer each other,” Story said.

Story is directing the production of ‘God of Hell’ by Sam Shepard this Octomber.

“It makes a strong statement about politics. I think the students are going to have a fun time doing it,” Story said.

Christie Maturo, assistant professor of theater and Story’s co-worker, said that meeting Story for the first time was like meeting someone she already knew.

” I’m just excited that she’s here.” Maturo said.

Ronny Medina, theater senior, said Story is a lovely new addition to the theater department.

“She brings a fresh perspective on things,” Medina said.