Whiz Kid: A Young Performer

This week’s Whiz Kid is a gifted singer and actress.

Jenna is a senior at Mount Vernon High School (MVHS).

Upon her start at MVHS, she immediately joined the choir as a freshman. Jenna stood out from the crowd, quickly moving up the ranks to the advanced all-female Mirage singing group. During her sophomore year, she was asked to join the male and female acapella singing group, the Madrigals.

“The difficulty factor definitely went up that year, especially from a competition stand point,” said Jenna. “But it has really been an enjoyable experience.”

Last spring, Jenna received two Cappies nominations for her role as “Beth” in MVHS’s musical production of “Little Women.”

The Cappies is a program in which students are trained as critics, attend shows, write reviews and publish those reviews in local newspapers like The Washington Post. The student critics then vote for awards that are presented at a formal gala.

Jenna, along with many of the top award honorees from around the country were invited to participate in this year’s gala, where they performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

“I was so happy to just be nominated. I remember walking out on the middle of that stage, looking out into the theater and literally just tearing up,” said Jenna. “It was such an honor to be on the Kennedy Center’s stage…I felt so blessed to be in a place where so many other talented people have performed.”

Jenna puts a lot of time, energy and hard work into polishing her skills as a singer and actress. She has been taking private voice lessons since she was in seventh grade, attended workshops in New York City, and periodically performs the national anthem at various events at Fort Belvoir.

She is currently looking at colleges and would love to study theater at Virginia Commonwealth University.

At MVHS, Jenna also is a member of the National Honor Society and the PTSA, an active participant on the morning news crew, as well as a student in the leadership class. Most recently, she was elected Student Body President, a role she takes great pride in.

“Basically, I try to help in any way that I can with all that’s going on throughout the school, including classes, new freshman, events and activities.” Her current project: MVHS’s November Homecoming weekend.

When she’s not performing on stage, singing or studying, Jenna likes to play guitar and “hang out with her family and friends.”

Do you have a Whiz Kid you'd like to nominate? Email us!