Ward

Her everyday job is human resource specialist, but her dream is to make it big in Los Angeles as an actress. And thanks to events this summer, Converse resident LaToya Ward is heading to LA with a chance to fulfill that goal.

Ward’s big break came in August when she competed against other hopefuls in the San Antonio tryouts for a spot in “I Wanna Be A Soap Star.” She effortlessly won the contest judged by several actors, including two stars from different soap operas. This week, she arrived in LA to make the most of her golden opportunity.

“It was quite intense,” Ward said. “We were initially given a scene to improvise. How well we improvised determined whether we’d move onto the next level. Six of us made it through to the second round.”

The six were given a short monologue to memorize and perform. “I was excited, and gave it my best shot. I received a very favorable response from the judges,” she said, “and then I discovered I had won!”

The audition and eventual outcome are a real shot in the arm for her, and have boosted her confidence as well.

The next step — travel to Los Angeles for the contest.

“The competition occurs between Oct. 15-17 and the person who wins will immediately be given a part,” she said — a walk-on role on “Days of our Lives.”

Ward, who loves to watch soap operas, said she could quite easily see herself making this her future. She doesn’t kid herself though. She knows the competition is stiff. Hopeful contestants nationwide have been selected and are just waiting to strut their stuff in front of the cameras and the live studio audience.

But Ward is confident in her abilities because acting is a natural extension of who she is. She acted in “Grindhouse,” an independent movie directed by Robert Rodriquez (of “Shark Boy and Lava Girl” fame) and she has also been involved in some local theater productions.

If she wins the contest, and is “discovered,” she really believes her life will change.

“I would move in a heartbeat,” she claims. Her fiancé is in agreement with that, and is encouraging about her passion to be in the limelight. She understands it is hard to break into show business, but she is ready to give it her best shot.