WS Student Government Association presented their annual talent show on February 10 which let students display their talents in front of their peers and faculty judges. These beautiful performances come with lots of emotions intertwined.
“During the show I was so nervous I chugged like five of my water bottles, and my mouth still felt dry, and after I just laid down in the hallway,” said junior Hayden Mall.
Mall, Olivia Han, Anthony Hillary, and Liz Garcia Di Benedetto all worked together to show off their dancing skills to the song “Jellyous” by ILLIT, tying for third place.
“They have done dances before but never really hard ones like ‘Jellyous,’ so it was a challenge for them, but we all liked to practice a lot on our own and in the end I was really proud to see that it all came together,” said senior Olivia Han.
Han is a very skilled dancer who also participates in WS’s dance team. This group also brought in a newer dancer, and she didn’t let them down one bit.
“[The talent show] was my first time ever doing a real dance— just in general for anything— so it felt like there would be pressure on me,” said junior Liz Garcia Di Benedetto.
The group of four had to come together and do a dance meant for five people, but in the end they pulled it off.
“My favorite part was how the dance brought the four of us together, and not just our dance but also seeing everybody else’s talents in the talent show is really cool,” said senior Anthony Hillary.
Also tying for third place was Colleen and Corinne Nessel’s dancing performance to “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling.
“Performing in front of a bunch of people, and watching the other performances, made me nervous, but I was definitely excited because it was a fun dance, and it was meant to be silly, so even if people were laughing, it was because they were laughing with us,” said freshman Colleen Nessel.
After every performance, it’s always good to hear some reassurance from the judges and crowds that really makes the performers know that they did a great job.
“My heart was going really fast when I got back to my seat, but everyone was so supportive and someone was even joking asking if we do birthdays, so it was a lot of fun,” said junior Corinne Nessel.
Both groups mentioned how they really enjoyed each other’s performances and how they were talking to each other in between acts, which makes it more special that these two teams tied with each other for third.
“The people who did ‘I’m Just Ken’ and our group were talking and saying it would be crazy if we formed a mega group and really be unstoppable next year,” said Mall.
With both dancing groups doing fantastic jobs, other participants chose to demonstrate their instrumental talents. Freshman Lumi Walker won second place with her piano and voice performance of “Ordinary” by Alex Warren.
“I was definitely nervous because I had to wait for a long time because of that snow week off, so the anticipation was killing me. I felt sad when it was over because I had such a fun time performing, but I felt really good afterwards because I did so well,” said Walker.
For participants, one of the best parts of performing at the talent show is knowing that the audience enjoyed their performance. When it came to the fan voted winner, junior Gregory Carrington won for his smooth vocals singing “If I Ever Fall in Love Again” by Shai.
“Winning the fan votes was my favorite part since I’ve never really performed anywhere else, and by the end I was so relieved and happy [that] I got the award,” said Carrington.
In the end, there can only be one winner. The judges decided that first place would go to sophomore Tyler Secrest for his amazing cover of “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez which took the crowd and judges by storm.
“I was terrified, I had never performed in front of that many people before, but I knew that I was going to do great because of the amount of preparation I had done,” said Secrest.
Secrest’s experience shows that practice truly does make perfect in the long run, even if that practice is small and in front of loved ones.
“I used to be in a band but never performed in front of that many people. This was also my first time performing by myself to other people who are not my family or friends,” said Secrest.
The WS talent show provides a warm and welcoming environment for anyone who wants to display or perform their talents.
“It felt like a dream come true, and I felt supported by everyone. I felt like I could be my own person on the WS stage, and I could make everyone happy! I also wanted to thank everyone for their support in coming out and showing me and everyone love and support. I love the WS community that we have!” said senior Josh Tolboe.
The 2026 show was a great success, and WS hopes that everyone had a positive experience watching and participating in the show, and is looking forward to seeing even more talent next year in the 2027 showcase.
