Whiz Kid: Alexandra Rupp

School/Grade: Santa Margarita Catholic High School, Junior

Whiz Kid Achievement: A talented mezzo-soprano singer, Alexandra recently took first place at the Professional Opera Singers Competition and will advance to the next round of competition this May in Chicago.

Key to Awesomeness: Alexandra Rupp discovered her voice even before she entered kindergarten. When she turned 9, she began taking formal voice lessons with Mrs. Kathleen Martin. At the age of 10, she began entering classical singing competitions. Since then, she has won many awards, but her most recent and prestigious was the “Madam Dorothea Derrfuss Award for Mezzo-Soprano,” which she earned at the 2012 Professional Opera Singers Competition on January 28 at Chapman University Bertea Hall. The competition is sponsored by the Follman-Young Foundation for the Arts, a public charity that is committed to furthering a presence of art in Southern California. This was the sixth annual vocal competition, and students were required to learn three contrasting opera pieces for it. Alexandra will represent Rancho Santa Margarita in the second round of competition in Chicago this May.

During her spare time, Alexandra takes her singing into the community and performs at retirement homes all over Orange County. She holds concerts for senior citizens during the summer, holidays and on special occasions. During these performances, she includes arias from different operas, musicals and classical songs that bring back great memories for the retirees.

When she isn’t singing, Alexandra keeps busy with many other extra curricular activities. She is a member of the MUN, Link Crew at SMCHS, and the French Honor Society. She is a Certificate International Baccalaureate Candidate, host of Eagle TV and president of the Unite for Children Club. Most recently, she was cast as “Cosette” in the SMCHS musical Les Miserables.

For her outstanding opera performances, desire to give back to the community and involvement in her school, Alexandra is this week’s Whiz Kid.