Whiz Kid: Sierra Plys

School/Grade: Home-schooled, sixth grade

Residence: Rancho Santa Margarita

Whiz Kid Achievement: A budding singer, Sierra will perform “What a Wonderful World” with the Southern California Children’s Chorus at the 84th  Academy Awards on Sunday at the Kodak Theater.

Key to Awesomeness: When she was just 2 years old, Sierra Plys began singing around the house. At age 4, she sang “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow” from the movie Annie for her homeschool talent show. In 2008, she took the next step and auditioned for the Southern California Children’s Chorus and has been singing with it ever since. The chorus is hired to sing for major Southland events such as Disneyland’s 55th Anniversary and the Congressional Medal of Honor Awards Ceremony at the Ronald Reagan Library, and this Sunday marks another exciting opportunity. Sierra and the Chorus’ Advanced Group will have the opportunity to sing the Louis Armstrong song, “What a Wonderful World,” at the Academy Awards. They will perform during the tribute segment of the program dedicated to all those performers who passed away over the past year.

Says Sierra, 11, about this exciting opportunity: “I feel blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of something where so many gifted people are rewarded for their many talents.”

Sierra’s musical talents don’t end with her singing. She also plays the piano; she has been taking lessons since she was 8 years old. She also has a passion for writing stories and poetry. Her poem “Christmastime” is being published in a poetry book, Stars in our Hearts—Signs. The book will be coming out soon in Barnes and Noble and other major retailers.

In addition to her creative talents, Sierra loves animals. She has attended the Sea and Sage Audubon Society for the past three years and is being trained to become a Junior Naturalist in Ornithology. She is currently in its advanced program and hopes to teach younger students by the summer of 2013. She also cherishes spending time with her 5-year-old sister, Cadence. Though she has years to decide what she’d like to be when she grows up, Sierra plans to attend college and is excited about what the future holds.

For her outstanding creative talent and passion for the arts, Sierra Plys is this week's Whiz Kid.