Westwood alumna and Young American to perform at home

ISHPEMING — “Once you’re a Young American, you’re always a Young American, you always come back for something,” said Miranda Roose, a Westwood Alumna and current Young American.

Miranda Roose graduated from Westwood High School in 2014 but has already toured the world, performing with a group of elite high school aged entertainers. She is a Young American.

The Young American program was founded in 1962 by a man with a vision of teaching kids about self–confidence and trust through music.

Roose first saw the Young Americans perform when she was a freshman in high school. Three years later, the group visited again, and she decided to try out. With an extensive background in the performing arts, like participating in Westwood’s Voices in Motion program, it was no shock when she received her acceptance just a few months later.

“Westwood has an amazing dramatic program and that’s when I knew I wanted to do both of them, but how would I do that? And Young Americans was all of it,” Roose said. “It’s teaching, it’s performing, it’s hanging out with kids.”

“We are really proud of Miranda Roose. We’ve always had a really great fine arts department here and we’re very proud of our students who have gone on after high school and accomplished some pretty amazing things, but this is right up there on the list,” said NICE Community School Superintendent Bryan DeAugustine. “It’s a very competitive program and quite exclusive in the terms of talent they allow into the program.”

Roose packed up and moved to Corona, California, where she spent a year at the facility taking general education courses as well as dance classes.

She has already traveled abroad on the U.K. tour, performing in Scotland, Ireland and England. And this fall, Roose will be a part of the Great Lakes tour which will make a stop at her alma mater, bringing her dreams full circle.

“It is so humbling to be able to come back and see the kids I was with and be able to show them what I was given,” said Roose.

“It’s a really great scenario to have one of our successful alumni comeback and give back to the school community,” DeAugustine said. “It’ll be great to see her work with our students who are currently here and share the experiences that she’s had since she’s left Westwood High School.”

As of now, Roose has no plans to leave the group and will continue to pursue her passions of performing and teaching. She will be back in Ishpeming in October to work with students at Westwood. Those students will perform with the Young Americans on October 4, so be sure to mark your calendars.