She's got talent

• The talent champion

Lake Middle School eighth grader Chloe Williams won the first ever "Lake's Got Talent," talent competition today at the school's cafetorium. Williams walked away with a $100 shopping spree to any store in Woodbury.

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Lake Middle School eighth grader Chloe Williams has talent.

Williams won Lake Middle School’s first-ever “Lake’s Got Talent,” talent competition today in the school’s cafetorium.

Williams, who performed Beyonce’s “If I Were a Boy,” walked away with a $100 shopping spree to any store in Woodbury.

“I’m not sure if I want to spend it on shoes or on electronics,” she said.

For the past three years Lake Middle School’s Student Literacy Council has held a “Lake Idol” competition, after Fox’s “American Idol” but this year the talent competition was tweeked a little bit to include all talented students, not just singers. “Lakes Got Talent” was inspired by ABC’s “America’s Got Talent.”

“We wanted to open it up to feature a broader range of talents ,” Student Literacy Council adviser Jan Buikena said. “The talent competition shows students how many different avenues there are for expression.”

The final five

Even though Williams walked away with the prize, she isn’t the only talented student at Lake Middle School.

In early January when the school held auditions for the talent competition, 40 students auditioned ranging from unicyclists, a violinists, a harpists, dancers, singers, comedians and guitarists.

For the past three weeks, the contestants have been narrowed down to five thanks to the four teachers who acted as judges.

The final five competitors in “Lake’s Got Talent” were Williams, comedian Garret Hildebrandt, dancer Va’shondre Banks, electric guitarist Colin Johnson and singer Jackson Allen.

The five contestants performed to a full house, despite some technical difficulties in terms of speakers and microphones.

During Williams’ winning performance, she received such comments as:

“That was beautiful,” said math teacher, and judge, Ashley Ruka.

“You have such a passion in your voice,” said art teacher, and judge, Molly Otte.

The four other contestants received books from the Student Literacy Council.

A life of music

Williams said she has been singing ever since she could talk.

“I’ve been singing since I was four-years-old,” she said. “My parents said when I was little I was always singing on the stairs, so they put me in singing lessons.”

Williams said she enjoys singing because it’s fun for her and she finds in relaxing.

“I wanted to audition because I wanted to show myself that I actually do have talent,” she said.

Williams said she considers Laday GaGa, Beyonce and Josh Groban as some her idols.

When Williams heard her name read as this year “Lake’s Got Talent” champion, she said she was completely surprised.

“I didn’t think I was going to win.”

Williams said she hopes to continue music in some form or another throughout her life. She is also part of the school orchestra.

“Music is pretty much my life,” she said. “It’s everything I live for.”

Tags: middle schools, education, entertainment