Marisa is a 15-year-old highest honors student at Clarkdale High School, where she is a member of the Spanish and Beta clubs and has won district and state awards in math and science, including a perfect score on the State Algebra Test. She is also a member of the Clarkdale Varsity Cheerleading Squad. She is active in the youth choir at New Hope Baptist Church as well as church and local theater productions. At the age of 8, she played the role of Pepper in "Annie," was narrator in the community production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the age of 12, and at age 13 played the "Fairy Godmother" in the Meridian Little Theatre's production of "Cinderella." She is currently working on Clarkdale High School's production of "High School Musical," in which she has a lead role, Sharpay Evans. Marisa first sang on stage in church at the age of 7 and shortly thereafter began singing in talent shows and anywhere else she could perform. She won first place in her age division at the Jimmie Rodgers Talent Competition in 2000, 2003 and 2006, and was the Overall Youth Gospel Talent winner in 2006. She won first place in her age division at the Mississippi Musician's Hall of Fame Talent Competition in 2003 and was selected to perform at Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson. She won second place last year in the Senior division of the Mississippi's Got Talent Competition at the Mississippi State Fair, and won first place in the first Peavey Afterschool (Not) Idle™ Competition in 2006. She currently holds the title of Our Little Miss Mississippi's Entertainer of the Year. Marisa attended vocal and theater training seminars in New York City in 2004 and 2006 with the Bob Westbrook Singers, where she met R&B artist Brandi, Broadway star Sutton Foster and musical composer and songwriter Frank Wildhorn, for whom she had the privilege of performing "Gold" during one of his seminars. When Marisa is not singing she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, acting and cheerleading. Marisa is a gifted singer with a unique voice who enjoys singing Christian, country, pop and Broadway tunes. Marisa accepts almost every opportunity to perform and continues to pursue her dream of singing on the big stage.