Vastly talented senior has passion for entertaining
Senior Melissa Valencia plans to take her talents far beyond Marlow High School.
Although Valencia has numerous talents, her heart lies completely in music.
“At the end of my freshman year, I auditioned for Entertainers and got in. Mr. Logan was encouraging and pushed me to further my vocal adventure,” Valencia said.
Junior Brooke Morriston said Valencia is one of the most amazing singers she knows.
“When she perform, you can hear people in awe and the crowd goes wild,” Morriston said.
Valencia had taken her journey in vocal music a step further acting and singing in two school musicals, Annie and Cinderella, and played Babette in Duncan Little Theatre’s production of Beauty and the Beast.
Senior Kirstyn Elroy said music and performing has drawn Valencia far out of her shell.
“I’ve been able to witness her grow as a person, so this is the best thing that could have happened to her because she is amazing at it,” Elroy said.
Valencia not only took on new challenges with vocal music, but has recently stepped completely out of her comfort zone with competing in pageants.
Melissa’s pageant journey began when she won the title of Miss Marlow 2015 last May, and has since won Miss Lawton’s Most Outstanding Teen 2015 and competed at the state level.
“I just wanted to try something new,” Valencia said. “To be able to go out and do what I’ve done is definitely something I like to point back to God. I wouldn’t have done it without Him.”
Valencia said that pageants have changed who she is, and had given her an entirely new perspective on pageantry.
“Pageants have helped me get over my anxiety disorder and have confidence in myself,” Valencia said. “It is rare to get over any type of disorder, and I pushed myself further and further every day to get over that.”
Junior Blair Brantley said Valencia pushes herself beyond her limits to be successful.
“I feel her pageants have made her much more confident in herself by engaging with new people and knowing that she can succeed,” Brantley said.
Even though Valencia has proven her talents in music and pageantry to Marlow, she is ready to let the world hear her sing.
“I’ll miss the community and having all of the support so readily at hand, but I’m definitely ready to stand on my own feet,” Valencia said.
No matter where her life takes her, everyone will surely hear her singing her way to the top.
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