Practically perfect in every way, Carly Hebert is one of the school’s rising talents. From bringing Mary Poppins to life to performing beautiful pieces of music in the Advanced Choir, she shows her abilities under many different spotlights.

Hebert not only played the lead in the recent musical “Mary Poppins,” but she was also the lead in last year’s showing of “Happy Days.” Though she has much experience in the spotlight, she has gained more than just skill and recognition.

“I’ve met my best friends through doing it, and I feel like I’ve met a lot of people that I hope I have the pleasure of knowing for a long time,” Hebert said.

Hebert was not always as confident on stage as she is now. She needed a push from her biggest motivator to stand assuredly in front of an audience.

“My grandpa, he motivates me to do things and get out of my comfort zone,” Hebert said.

Chorus teacher Ramona Jenner had no doubts about Hebert’s talent and grace the first time she met her.

“My first impressions of Carly were of a student who is kind, respectful, works for the greater good of the ensemble and is humble and modest. Carly gives off her best in class without drawing attention to herself and her talent,” Jenner said.

Hebert feels her drama teacher, Marie Jones, as well as Jenner, both have shaped her into the performer she has become.

“They both don’t sugar coat things and aren’t afraid to give constructive criticism. They also give me as many opportunities as possible,” Hebert said.

Jenner believes Hebert has strengths in many different areas, apart from music.

“Musically, she has a bright future because of her talent and her outstanding work ethic. More importantly, I’ve always known Carly to be a person of integrity, one with high morals and standards. She’s an amazing model for others, both musically and as a person,” Jenner said.

Though Hebert may not be pursuing her talents professionally, she plans for this to remain a part of her life in some way or another.

“I am not 100 percent sure what I want my career to be once I get out, but I know that I want to always keep music somehow in my life, like choirs outside of schools or some performances if I can,” Hebert said.

When preparing for the musical, performers have a lot to do. Music has to be learned, choreography has to be taught and lines have to be memorized. Hebert believes the biggest struggle to be time management.

“It’s really stressful because there is a lot of pressure when it comes to getting everything prepared. It is also really fun because you get to collaborate with a lot of cool people and transform into a different person through playing your role,” Hebert said.

This year’s musical was a favorite to the cast. Performers worked hard to provide the best show possible, and Hebert believes it really did pay off.

“Mary Poppins has been my favorite performance this far because I really enjoyed playing the role that I grew up watching. I enjoyed becoming the person I looked up to as a kid,” Hebert said. “This year was really really stressful, however, because we missed a lot of rehearsals. It was such a big show, but in the end it really came together, and I loved everyone in it.”

For the 2016-17 school year, three Wake Forest students were accepted into Governor’s School, including multi-talented Carly Hebert. Governor’s School is a prestigious summer program in which very few students are accepted into, due to the rigorous audition process. This program allows talented individuals to focus on an area of interest, on a more serious level.

Though the audition process was quite extensive, it definitely payed off for Hebert, finally being accepted into the program.

“The audition process was long. Before the audition, you had to write two essays, get letters and provide your test scores. This was what got you to the district level,” Hebert said. “Once you got there, the sopranos, which is what I am, had an audition to get to the state level. Once I made it through that, I had one more audition, and then I waited very very long, from October to February, to finally find out if I made it.”

Hebert anticipates the experiences she hopes to have at Governor’s School this summer.

“I am looking forward to meeting a bunch of new people, taking some really cool classes, learning a bunch of new music and experiencing all of the things they have to offer,” Hebert said.

Jenner speaks highly of Hebert’s many achievements and believes much is in store for her in the coming years.

“Carly has already achieved quite a bit as a sophomore vocalist as she was the female lead in our musical both her freshman year and this year. In addition, she has been selected to participate in the NC Governor’s School Program this summer in Choral Music, which is an amazing honor,” Jenner said. “Carly has also been selected for All-State

Chorus multiple years. I see Carly continuing to take advantage of auditions and musical opportunities both in and outside of school.”