Jan 25, 2018 8 min read

Teen Outreach’s ninth annual Washington’s Got Talent finale will be held at Chartiers-Houston High School from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28.

Traditionally I dedicate the columns prior to the finale to our young finalists. They respond to three questions: 1. Why do you enjoy performing? 2. What does performing in Washington’s Got Talent mean to you, and 3. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? In ABC order, here are the responses from the second half of our 32 finalists:

MyGrnz

• Christian Birkelbach:
• 1. After a successful performance, it feels good to see how good I did. 2. It means a lot to me because me and my band members have worked really hard for this. 3. I see myself ready to graduate college, and still playing music.
• Bode Dagen:
• 1. I like playing music because if feels awesome to make that person in the audience smile. I love putting on a show for people and making them happy. 2. Performing in Washington’s Got Talent means a lot to me. I think it is the start of my advanced drumming. This is also the start of performing at shows and other events. 3. In 10 years, I see myself as an independent person. I will be in college, but still will be playing the drums at things like gigs. I will probably be in a band with my friends, too.
• Caleb Eynon:
• 1. I enjoy performing because Maurice makes it fun. 2. It shows that my band and I have enough talent to compete. 3. In the Navy.
• Tucker Ferris:
• 1. I enjoy performing because it is a leisure activity. 2. It shows that my band and I have talent to perform publicly. 3. Having a job with a good pay.
• Gordon Hardy:
• 1. I enjoy performing because it gives me a chance to express myself, have time with friends, have fun, and share my talents. Performing ultimately makes me happy. 2. Performing in Washington’s Got Talent means a lot to me because is says that the skills that I have and that my group has are being recognized by others. 3. In 10 years, I see myself having graduated college, working in an established career, as well as continuing with my love and passion for music, trumpet and singing.
• Noah Smith:
• 1. I enjoy performing because I love to entertain and have fun. 2. Performing in the talent show means that I can show off my base skills and have fun. 3. I see myself as either an engineer/architect or a businessman.
• Allie West:
• 1. I enjoy performing because it allows me to show people how hard I’ve worked, and I like making my friends and family proud. 2. Performing in Washington’s Got Talent means all the practice and hard work has paid off and is an amazing way to start performing with the band. Making new friends and starting to play in a band is not what I was used to, but altogether is a great experience, and Washington’s Got Talent makes it even better. 3. In 10 years, I see myself graduated from college, still pursuing music, hopefully finding a job as a music teacher or a band director at a school. During summers, I’d like to be performing on stage with a group or band.
• Cole Woodward:
• 1. I enjoy performing because I get to learn new music and express myself through the music. I also like performing because I get to meet many new people. 2. It’s a chance for me to work together with old friends and new friends toward a big goal. 3. I will be 24 and in my second year of college. I would love to continue with music, but so far do not know what I’m going to study.

The 6Ts

• Maria Cimino:
• 1. I enjoy performing because I like to be able to tell a story with my dancing. I like to see an audience’s reaction to my performance and to the story I told. I also enjoy performing with the people I love to dance with. 2. It means I get to share my talent with a wider audience and to show what abilities I have when performing. 3. I see myself as a successful English teacher who is hopefully living in Washington still, surrounded by my loved ones.
• Margo Craig:
• 1. I enjoy performing because it gives me an escape/stress reliever. 2. Performing in WGT is an exciting new experience for me! I feel very thankful to be able to showcase my passion (dance) with some of my best friends. 3. In 10 years, I hope dance is still incorporated in my life. It’s always been a dream of mine to become a doctor, so I hope I’m still pursuing that!
• Katherine Kerrigan:
• 1. I love performing because it’s a way to express myself. Plus performing with my best friends makes it so much more fun. 2. It means that, as a group, we were able to accomplish something together. 3. Hopefully, opening up my own studio.
• Krista Lebar:
• 1. I enjoy performing because I’m with my friends. 2. It means a lot to me to be performing in front of judges, and it is an amazing opportunity. 3. I see myself hopefully doing something with dance and reuniting with my friends.
• Amanda Reilly:
• 1. It takes me out of reality for a bit, and it makes others smile. 2. It means I have a chance to brighten people’s days while giving everything I’ve got. 3. I see myself in Florida having a job related to psychology.
• Sophia Strnisha:
• 1. When I perform, I love the feeling of being on stage, becoming someone completely different than who I actually am. Telling a story through dance is something I love each time I dance. I also love how sometimes just being yourself and having fun is perfect for a performance, too. 2. It’s really special to me to get involved with all the wonderful people involved. The other girls in my group, the GTs, have really made this an event I won’t forget. I love dancing with them and am so happy we get to share this experience together. 3. Hopefully, I will have a job, still finding ways to incorporate dance into my life, and also still friends with my current dance friends that I have now.
• Nathan Weese:
• 1. I enjoy performing because it gives me an opportunity to share music and become more comfortable in front of audiences. 2. It means to have the opportunity to enjoy the performance experience and share music. I’m looking forward to meeting people with similar interests and talents. 3. I see myself with a family and a successful career.
• Hannah West:
• 1. When I perform, even if its just me and my piano, I get lost in what I’m doing. I forget my surroundings most times, and just let my music flow. I’m not the best pianist or singer – there will always be someone better – and that really drives me to be the best performer I can be. 2. It means someone heard what I was saying through my music. To someone else it may be that I had a good audition or was better than the last girl. That may be true to you, but to me it’s as if someone listened to my voice. 3. Hopefully graduated with a steady job. I want to be living completely separate from my parents (financially). I hopefully will have met a man by then.