As the lights came up in the auditorium for intermission during the 2015 Miss PGHS Pageant, Mariah Rogers was getting ready to perform in front of parents, students, and faculty.

On November 7th, the senior class held their annual Miss PGHS pageant to raise money for the senior bash, as well as provide a scholarship for one lucky senior girl participating in the pageant. This year, there was a special musical performance by Rogers.

Senior class co-sponsor Karen Webb went to choir teacher Jessica Hoople, to find any willing choir members to perform for the night. Choir members have been performing for the previous six years during intermissions of Miss PGHS pageants.

“Mrs. Hoople sent Mariah to see me and discuss her performance. I knew Mariah already, but I was unaware that she knew how to sing and play guitar,” Webb said.

Rogers has been singing all of her life and started learning guitar in middle school.

“The first day of practice, Mariah began to sing and I was blown away. Not only is she talented, but she performs from the heart,” Webb said.

Rogers performed two songs that Saturday night, “The Only Exception” by Paramore and “Try” by P!nk.  She uses those songs to practice her guitar and she actually learned “Try” the week of the Miss PGHS pageant.

“I was really nervous,” Rogers said. “I always get nervous performing songs of other people, because I don’t want to mess up the message they were trying to convey at the time of making it.”

After Rogers’ performance the audience was estatic. There was a standing ovation to a grinning Rogers.

“The audience was drawn to her because she is such a genuine performer. I am so grateful that she was able to be there to perform. Everyone enjoyed her performance. She is a very talented young lady,” Webb said.

When the time comes to hold the 2016 Miss PGHS pageant next year, sponsors will be looking for another talented student to perform during the intermission of the pageant.

“It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase some of the talented students to attend PGHS,” Webb said.

As for Rogers, going to college for her musical talent may be an option as the time to decide on colleges draws near.

“There are so many guitarists that I look up to that are still learning the works of playing and they’ve been playing for 20+ years and have gone to college for it,” said Rogers. “It’s a journey that I’ve just started to be truthful.”