So many accomplished students participated in the third annual Well-Trained Mind Academy Talent Show. Supported by nearly 100 classmates and teachers, students introduced their talents and then performed live or aired a video of their skills. This year’s talents included: violin, piano, guitar, harp, voice, an engineering experiment, invisible math, model cars, speedcubing, writing, and video production!

Our show this year was evaluated by returning judge Justin Moore, Chief Editor at Well-Trained Mind Press, and WTMA seniors Caryss Fraser and Chloe Mendoza. Caryss, a previous talent show winner, shared:

“This year’s talent show particularly moved me, as I had the privilege of learning about the new generation of Well-Trained Mind Academy students. As I watched them present their talents, I thought about all the amazing opportunities I have been given as a WTMA student these past seven years. The friendships I’ve built, the lessons I’ve gained, and the goals I’ve achieved have shaped me into who I am today. As both middle-school and high-school students cheered their classmates on, I was reminded of the kindness, curiosity, and dedication that make WTMA students so special. I pondered the unique paths that each of my closest classmates intend to follow after graduation, and how I am so grateful to have been a part of their high-school journey. WTMA is truly a special school, and I will forever be an advocate for the next generation of audacious learners.”

Middle School Winner: Jocelyn Bross, Dance

For her showcase, Jocelyn did a live introduction before showing a video from a dance competition where she performed a contemporary dance solo to “The Chairman’s Waltz.” Everyone was impressed by Jocelyn’s flexibility and graceful movements!

High School Winner: THE High Five, Engineering Design

The team was represented by Audrey Boxwell during the show. She introduced the project by first shouting out her teammates and then explaining what they were trying to achieve: “We consist of me, Jack Allen, Elliot Cornell, Colton Camholtz, and June Nonamecker. We are also a team in our Well-Trained Mind Academy Engineering class. This semester we’ve been working on an ongoing project to help real live snakes at the traveling snake exhibit at the Kansas City Zoo. Their issue is that they use UV lights to warm the snakes that get weaker over time. They need a solution to maximize the UV lights, even as they dull. This video is the presentation that we made for the zookeepers, to present our first iteration of our design to them.” Judges thought that video production and the goal of the experiment were impressive!

Middle School Runner-up: Astele Liu, Harp

Astele performed first, and she started the show off right. Astele is in 6th grade, and, in addition to the harp, she plays the violin, the piano, and she does dance. The piece she played live on the harp was “Ten Past Two,” by Pearl Chertok. Astele’s performance was lively and engaging. Not many of the audience members have gotten to hear a harp live before, so it was a real treat for everyone!

View Performance on YouTube >>

High School Runner-up: Levi Husar, Model Cars

Levi builds model cars, a very unique talent. Levi explained that his cars are extremely detailed, and that they even have engines. The cars come in pieces in a box set. Levi then takes the pieces apart, paints them, shines them, applies decals and then puts the model together so it looks exactly like the car it replicates. Levi then adds his own finishing touches, like mud on the back of a Range Rover. He’s also made static doors movable and added light systems to some cars. Each car takes about 30 hours to complete. The result is a showstopping model judges couldn’t take their eyes off of.

Thank you to all of our students for demonstrating their talents, and to our student body and instructors for showing WTMA students support and cheering their community on!

Share the love!