The 12 finalists, including one MWCC student, include: Ethan Caouette, a marketing/ event planner at TechTarget, from Westminster; David DeCoff, a retired barber, from East Templeton; Fatima Elmi, a Head Start teacher in Worcester, from Holden; Angela Hwang, a student at Mount Wachusett Community College, from Hardwick; Ira Leighton, a singer, actor and dancer, from Holliston; Karissa Mahoney, a musical theatre major at Keene State College, from Salem NH; Gary Martin, a teacher at New England Center for Children, from Worcester; John McWilliams, a realtor and restaurant manager from Westminster; Julie Smith, a teacher aide and coach at Mahar Regional High School from New Salem; Joan Syriopoulos, a finance specialist at Juniper Networks and grandmother of 3, from Fitchburg; Eric Wefald, a minister at Church of the Good Shepherd in Westboro, from Boylston; and, Jonathan Wright, a team leader at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, from Leominster.
MWCC student Angela Hwang was born in Seoul, Korea and immigrated to the United States in 1998. Based on her academic qualifications and vocal audition, she was admitted to the Seoul Arts High School where students study musical performance, dance, painting and sculpture and she graduated in 1974. In her native country, Inja sang with the National Chorus under conductor Na, Young Soo. This elite 40-member chorus performed a wide range of music including early music, Korean art songs and classics. In America, she sang with the Boston Evangelical Church in Bedford, a mainly Korean congregation. Angela is enrolled in her first semester here as a Liberal Arts and Science major and enjoys walking, swimming and tennis. She lives in Hardwick with her husband who is a high school math teacher.
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