star soloist
Megan Morin shines in her debut at 2nd Race Against Racism
by Clara Schwager
Megan Morin never sang in public. She never practiced in front of a large group. In fact, her audience thus far had been a grand total of two people. But as the first note of The Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key rang out, the 12 year old Blackstone, Massachusetts native was standing tall in front of over 200 eager faces. Morin crooned through the infamously difficult national anthem with ease and finished her debut performance to an eruption of applause. Moments after the crack of a gun signaled the start of YWCA Rhode Island’s second Race Against Racism. The sunny autumn morning was perfect for a 5K though downtown Woonsocket. Morin, who had a great view of the race start and finish was eager to see who would come into sight first. She felt relieved now that her spotlight solo was completed.
Morin says she prepared for the event with “lots of practice in front of my mother and grandmother”. She explains singing the national anthem was her way of “representing the nation as well as YWCA Rhode Island”. When asked what advice she would give to a girl her age looking to tackle the challenging anthem, Morin says “Just go out there, have fun and try your best”.
Top photo: Morin participates in YWCA Rhode Island’s gymnastics program. “Its a lot of fun and has taught me a lot. I’ve learned that teamwork is important and its fun to learn new skills and be part of team,” she says. Megan Morin with Meghan Grady, YWCA COO at 2nd Race Against Racism, www.raceagainstracismri.org.
photos by Deborah L. Perry
