ABERDEEN, S.D. – Four years ago, Aberdeen Central High School alumna Emily Magera landed a background role on a major hit television program in New York City—and a small act of kindness by one of the show’s stars provided a powerful lesson about servant leadership and the importance of being seen.
Now, Magera has brought that message back to her home state.
Magera, a 2016 Central graduate, presented her TED Talk, “From Extra to Essential” at TEDx Sioux Falls in April. Next, she will share her message with Aberdeen Public School District staff at the fall 2026 in-service event on Aug. 11 at CHS.
In 2022, Magera worked as a background character on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” One day on set, the actor Jason Ralphs, who played the character Mike Carr—and who is the real-life husband of the show’s star, Rachel Brosnahan—shook hands with Magera and other background actors and asked them questions about themselves.
It was a small moment that made a big difference.
“If you are someone in a leadership position, the actions you do that you think are so small they don’t really matter, make a huge impact to those background players,” Magera said. “From those actions, the background players or the people who have less status can see themselves as essential.”
When Magera moved back to South Dakota, she realized she was now in the one in a leadership role with the ability to make others feel seen. She did just that with students she worked with at her college alma mater, the University of Sioux Falls—and in turn saw those students do the same for younger students.
“You’re just planting seeds, and then those trees grow and drop their own seeds,” she said.
It’s also what she hopes to do with the middle school and high school show choir students she works with at Aberdeen Public Schools.
Magera, a substitute teacher at the school district, has been working as a show choir choreographer for Simmons Middle School since her junior year of high school in 2014. That expanded over the years, and she now helps with show choir choreography at Simmons, Holgate Middle School and Central High School.
Love of Fine Arts Started in Childhood
Magera’s love for fine arts started at a very young age.
“We were always very involved in the arts growing up,” she explained.
She started dance classes at age 4 and participated in Aberdeen Community Theatre’s Young People’s Theatre program as a child. Her family attended Northern State University Theater productions and CHS fine arts performances, and her father performs with the Aberdeen University-Civic Symphony.
“I appreciate all the fine arts opportunities, to not only be involved the arts, but to see arts in Aberdeen,” she said.
When she went to college at USF, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to major in, but she knew she wanted to continue involvement with fine arts. She got cast in “Godspell” her freshman year and loved it, and she ultimately decided on a combined major in theater and communication studies. She later obtained a master’s degree in communication and leadership.
Moved to New York City in 2022
A lot of her undergraduate classmates wanted to go to New York to perform, which influenced her post-graduation plans. Despite the pandemic curbing those initial plans, Magera moved to New York in February 2022.
She had saved up enough money that even if she never worked a day, she could still pay rent for three months and just experience New York. But only two weeks after arriving, she booked her first job as a background actor on “Maisel.”
That initial one-off job turned into a core ensemble position as “TV office worker,” which lasted several months. Working that consistent role allowed her to build relationships and form friendships she has kept until this day. Magera still visits those friends in New York and will occasionally work a day as a background actor when she does.
She has also worked a couple of days on “Gossip Girl,” “Bull,” and some Food Network programs. She also did some stand-in work for “Maisel,” which is the next step up from background work, and is now eligible to join the Screen Actors Guild.
Back in the Spotlight in South Dakota
Though Magera primarily works behinds the scenes these days, she has done a local commercial for Aberdeen’s McQuillen Creative Group and performed in ACT’s recent production, “Come From Away.”
On April 23, Magera presented her very first TED Talk, speaking to an audience of about 600 people at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls—and she loved it.
“Speaking on stage in a setting like that really marries what I love about communication, which is sharing information and figuring out how to share it for the audience to benefit in the most practical way, along with my love of theater, which is becoming someone else, telling a story,” she said. “I’d love to continue public speaking in some type of capacity. I really felt like that’s what I’m kind of supposed to be doing.”
Magera also loves being able to work with the fine arts program at Central and sees it as an opportunity to give back and be a role model for students.
Her favorite memories from her time as a CHS student include Mr. Hermansen’s Honors Chemistry class, rehearsal processes for spring musicals and show choir, and traveling to Los Angeles with the choir.
“So many people say, ‘you graduated high school, you have to close the yearbook, move on,’” she said. “But I had so many wonderful experiences at Central and in the public schools in Aberdeen that I am happy to keep the yearbook open, and I’m so grateful that I was able to jump back in and be a part of those programs that I was a part of.”
CHS, Public Schools Helped Her Succeed
Magera’s time at Central and the Aberdeen Public School District has helped her succeed.
“The teachers at the public schools—they care about you as a human and they want you to succeed,” Magera said. “They don’t see you as just a student. They get to know you.”
Now, her former teachers—like SMS Show Choir Director Jenna Hansen and CHS Show Choir Director Susan Appl—have become her friends.
“The classes I took, everything was pushing me to challenge myself, to think bigger, to try new things, and now I hope that I can do that to the current students because there are so many opportunities at Aberdeen Public Schools,” she said.
Her advice to students: Try everything.
“Take advantage of all the opportunities you have,” she said. “Try new things. Be ready for anything.”
Watch her TEDx Talk
About the Aberdeen Public School District
The Aberdeen Public School District provides a comprehensive educational program to approximately 4,200 students in grades K-12, with a mission of empowering all students to succeed in a changing world. Our students receive the knowledge and skills necessary to reach their potential in a global community through high expectations of academic achievement; diverse educational opportunities; and community involvement in a safe, supportive environment. Learn more at aberdeen.k12.sd.us.