What she has achieved , McDonald says , would not have been possible without her experiences at Roosevelt ’ s School of the Arts ( RSA ) and Fresno ’ s Good Company Players .

“ I am very proud to be from Fresno and to have grown up in Fresno and attended Fresno Unified schools ,” McDonald said . “ I received an incredible education and I ’ m very grateful for it .”

McDonald is also connected to the district through her father , the late Stan McDonald , a longtime teacher , principal and administrator in Fresno Unified .

McDonald returned to Roosevelt over the summer to talk with students during a Q and A session in the theater that bears her name . ( The auditorium was named for McDonald in 2018 .)

Brooke Archer , who oversees RSA , said it was “ a dream come true ” for students to see McDonald in person .

“ We were so very grateful to Ms . McDonald for making time in her busy schedule to speak to young people . She had such a great impact on the students who attended ,” Archer said .

McDonald said her time with RSA students in June was extremely fulfilling .

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