Credit to Peyton Thies

Samantha Slunaker practices with other Bella Voces.

Some are born talented at a sport or art, but for junior Samantha Slunaker, that talent came through song. For as long as she can remember, singing was always something she did that she was good at and really enjoyed. She never knew where it would lead her, and in three weeks, she will be doing something she’s never done before.

“A lot of people were telling me that I should [join choir] and I enjoy singing,” Slunaker said. “I just hadn’t done choir since elementary school, and yeah, I was nervous, but I enjoyed it because I love singing.”

Since joining choir her sophomore year, she has gone from Aurora to Knight Sound and Bella Voces. This process involved learning a song and auditioning it in front of Jennifer Oncken, the choir teacher.

“She came in with a lot of talent and a great worth ethic and attitude from the beginning,” Oncken said. “Her range is pretty epic, so it doesn’t matter where I put her in the choir, she does amazing work.”

Singing isn’t Slunaker’s only passion though. Ever since she was little she has dreamed of performing on stage. Nerves have held her back in the past, but this year she decided to get out of her comfort zone and audition for her all-time favorite musical. The style, type of music and being able to share it with her dad were all things that created her love for “Grease.”

“I was going to audition last year and the year before, but I got really nervous,” Slunaker said. “This year, I really had to push myself. I was really scared. I have never auditioned for anything like that before and it took a lot to even just fill out the form.”

Now that she’s taken the first step, she is finally able to do what she has wanted for her whole high school career. From Nov. 14-16, anyone who goes to North’s production of “Grease” will see Slunaker up on stage playing background characters as well as performing a duet between her character, radio girl, and Sandy.

“It’s been a really special musical to me and it’s really amazing to be a part of it,” Slunaker said.