Schools
Beachwood Patch Whiz Kid of the Week Chloe Hernane
Beachwood High grad – who will sing at the Grog Shop June 26 – moved from Canada during the middle of her junior year, but quickly immersed herself in school activities
Age: 17
School:
Accomplishment: Chloe has a passion for singing and will perform June 26 at The Grog Shop.
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Key to Awesomeness: Chloe Hernane admits she was angry. She had spent her whole life in a suburb of Toronto, going to school and making friends. Then, halfway through her junior year, she moved to Beachwood when her father found another job.
“I was just very upset about my move,” the 17-year-old said. “I was almost going to be a senior and I was leaving people I had grown up with.”
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As the new kid her junior year, Chloe said she decided to immerse herself in school activities so she could think about anything else but her sadness over leaving home. She joined the lacrosse and soccer teams, took A.P. classes in biology, physics and English, and began singing in public venues like
“When I first moved here I didn’t want to be involved in anything but I realized it was pointless to just be upset and close myself off,” she said. “Something just kind of clicked in my mind and I was tired of being sad. I figured I might as well use the passion or whatever I was feeling and put it to use.”
Her plan worked, she said. She made some fast friends and even joined student council as a way to further immerse herself in the community. Her only hiccup was taking A.P. U.S. History, which was not a good idea for a Canadian, she explained.
“Before I moved here I wasn’t very involved in anything, but when I moved to Beachwood, because it was a small community and very welcoming it was just so easy for me to just like jump in and do everything,” she said.
One of the activities she was most proud of doing was her singing. Music, which includes playing the piano, has been the most important part of her life, she said, and she’s been singing almost since she learned how to talk.
“I’ve just always done it,” she said. “It’s become such a big part of me that on college tours I always ask if there’s a place I can just sit down and play. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t play piano and sing.”
Friends she made at Beachwood High School got her to sing at The Grog Shop during the school year. She’ll make another appearance there June 26, performing with local rapper Lil’ Marv.
Chloe will attend The Ohio State University in the fall, where she’ll major in biology.