On March 16, 2019, the men of Psi Alpha Alpha (PsiAA) Chapter, Third District, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. held an extraordinary Talent Hunt program in the beautiful auditorium of Lee High School in Springfield, VA. The program began when the curtains opened at 10am in front of a supportive audience of fraternity brothers, family, friends, and other residents of the community eager to support a great group of enthusiastic youths eager to display their talents in the performing arts. Thanks to the Men of Psi Alpha Alpha, assisted by student civic organizations, Beautiful and Progressive Educated Sisters (BAPES) and Powerful African American Males about Success (PAAMAS), the collective efforts resulted in another magnificent Talent Hunt Competition.
Nine talented performers participated this year and displayed their talents ranging from vocalists, percussionist, cellist, saxophonist, and a dance performance to instrumental music. All student participants displayed their special skills extremely well, pleasing the crowd of newly minted fans and “wowing” the event judges.
The Master of Ceremony, a graduate of Hampton University, was Brother Adimu Colón, who is an accomplished content producer, television host, radio personality, executive, philanthropist and entrepreneur. Brother Colón has been a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity for more than 25 years. As a personality, he has hosted his own #1 rated radio show in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and New York. He is the former host of the Emmy Award-winning TV show Teen Summit on BET and the recipient of two NAACP Image Awards. In his role as MC, Brother Colón, the WPGC weekly music radio host, informed the audience of the many community activities in which the chapter participates throughout the year. He also shared with the audience general facts about Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and specific information about the local chapter, Psi Alpha Alpha. More important, MC Colón did an outstanding job encouraging the performers to continue perfecting their talents and pursuing their dreams.
The high level of talent displayed by all competitors made this year’s competition extremely close, giving the judges had an arduous task selecting a winner. As with every talent competition, only one winner can be selected. Out of this year’s talented group of young performers, the judges selected Ms. Sydney Pollard as first place winner.
Sydney hails from Dumfries, VA and is a junior at Charles J. Colgan High School. Her hobbies include cooking, traveling, and, of course, her passion for dancing. Dancing since she was only 8 years old, her moves have caught the attention of many famous dancers including Debbie Allen, Eartha Kitt, and Darrell Moultrie. She attended the Debbie Allen Summer Intensive Program in Atlanta, GA and has been recently invited to attend the Summer Intensive Program again this year in Los Angeles, CA. After graduating from high school, she hopes to attend Virginia Commonwealth University to study Dance. While enjoying her hobbies, Sydney also a high academic achiever, maintaining a 3.5 GPA as an ‘A’ Honor Roll student. She gracefully captivated the judges and this year’s audience with her classical dance to the music of Andra Day’s song "Rise Up”.
Sydney will represent Psi Alpha Alpha in the District Talent Hunt during the 86th Annual 3rd District Meeting on Saturday, April 13th in Herndon, VA.
Other talent hunt participants were:
Nicholas MaCatty – Soloist (2nd place)
Jordyn Strange – Soloist (3rd place)
Jonathan Canamaso – Bassist
Caleb Wallace – Saxophonist
Elaine Ramson – Soloist
Jada Appiah – Dance
Chris Love – Soloist
Cameron Jackson – Drummer