Whiz Kid of the Week: Singer Lianna Gutierrez

This week's Whiz Kid is Lianna Gutierrez. Lianna first started school at Delevan Drive Elementary School and moved on to . Her parents are Francis & Aleli Gutierrez. Lianna also has an older brother Philip, who is a USC Law School alumnus. Lianna enjoys going to Disneyland with her brother, hanging out with friends and shopping. She wants to pursue a career in the music industry.

Whiz Kid's Name: Lianna Gutierrez        

Whiz Kid's Age: 16   

Whiz Kid's School: San Marino High School, Junior

Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Lianna Gutierrez, the protégé of the great Patti Austin, is a knockout young singer of Filipino descent. Born and raised in San Marino, California, Lianna’s personality is just like her home: sunny and filled with drive. In addition to the powerful range of Lianna’s voice, she’s also dedicated and hard-working. She diligently follows her vocal work with songwriting, acting classes and dance classes (ballet, jazz, and hip-hop).

Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: The key to Lianna’s awesomeness is that despite her rising success, she remains grounded in her community – at home, and amongst her fan base. She cares deeply about remaining connected to her roots and the people who make her dreams possible. She has a place in her heart especially for mentoring young girls. She’s active in the Over My Shoulder Project, a national initiative focused on raising awareness on the importance of mentorship across cultures and generations.

Lianna had this to share about how mentoring has affected her life:

"A Mentor…something that every girl my age wants but doesn’t speak about. Why? I don’t know. Maybe they don’t want to admit it or maybe they’re embarrassed to ask for advice. Having Patti Austin as my mentor has helped me not only with my singing, but as a person. She told me to always stay humble and never change. Seeing her in the studio helped me see who she really was; funny, humble, and extremely down-to-earth.

“But the one thing that the Over My Shoulder Project taught me was that having a mentor is really important…young girls don’t know what could happen in the future, but…wiser, beautiful women have been there and know how to handle things. I’m super glad that I have such a wonderful mentor that I can ask questions...I want every girl out there to realize that they can make a difference in other girls’ lives and that we’re all sisters.  We need to help each other out. We should be there for each other.”

Above all else, Lianna's awesomeness comes not only from mentors from outside her family, but within her family as well. It is only through the support and love (and a little luck!) that she has gotten as far as she has. She certainly has a bright future ahead of her!

Lianna will be singing the National Anthem at the 32nd annual AYSO Opening Day ceremony on Sept. 17 at the San Marino High School Titian Stadium.

BONUS Whiz Kid Info:

Favorite food: “Pasta and Pizza”

Last Book Read for Pleasure: A Secret Life

If you had the power to make the world a better place, what would you do ?: “I would want everyone to be happy in both spirit and life. I would also make sure everyone was afforded equal opportunities.”

Check out Lianna and Patti Austin performing the song “Over My Shoulder" in the video attached to this article.