We have interviewed plenty of upperclassmen since the inception of Unsung Hero. In this issue, we feature an exceptional sophomore.  Leah Alessi is involved in many aspects of musical and stage performance, but she has her eyes on the medical field as a long term career choice.

What co-curricular activities are you involved in at AHS?

I’m in The Improvables, marching band, the spring musical and dance team. I also have a regular dance class after school.

Were you happy with the Improvables (AHS comedy improv team) performance this year? 

I felt it went really well. I thought “Let’s Make a Date” was very strong; we really got the audience laughing with both rounds of that game. I had to be two people at once (Kim Kardashian and Kanye West). Lindsey Collins was a rhino, and that got the audience hysterically laughing. No show is going to be perfect, but I think the Improvables gets stronger every year.

What do you think about the “The Addams Family,” this year’s spring musical? (At the time this interview was conducted, Leah was auditioning for a lead role.)

I am very excited; “The Addams Family” is a great musical, and seems like a lot of fun. (Leah has since been cast as Morticia. “The Addams Family” will be presented by the drama club at the Frolio Middle School, March 12-14.)

You’re very involved in music and the arts, so what have you done in past years in these programs?

I’ve been in quite a few musicals. For the last two summers I’ve participated in the Capachione School of Preforming Arts teen camp (in East Bridgewater). Last year we did “West Side Story,” and the summer before was “All Shook Up,” which was a lot of fun. When I was little I was in “Seussical The Musical”and “The Wizard of Oz.” I was a munchkin!

Last year I auditioned for, and was selected to participate in both the Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) Junior District Festival Chorus and the South Eastern Massachusetts School Bandmasters Association (SEMSBA) Junior Chorus. It was an honor to be involved in both.

What’s it like being in marching band? (Leah plays the clarinet.)

Marching band grows bigger and bigger every year. Comparing the 12 people we had last year to the 23 people we had this year, our numbers are only going up because as far as I know, every person in the marching band wants to stick around.

Are there any seniors in the marching band this year?

No, I’m actually the oldest one; it’s a young group of people.

What are your future plans?

I would really like to possibly minor in choreography in college, but I want to major in something like Biology, something in the medical field. I would like to go into physical therapy or be a physician, a physician’s assistant or a nurse. Any of those things would really be ideal jobs for me.

What is your favorite subject and why?

That would probably be chemistry because I really like math, and I really like science. And, it’s a mix of the two.

Who would your favorite teacher be and why?

It would probably be Ms. Lewis because she’s a really good teacher. (It’s) just the way she teaches; she can have a conversation about the subject instead of a lecture. She also has a close relationship with the students that some teachers can find hard to form. And I think that’s really good.

Do you have interests outside of school?

Not really, but I like to stay active. I like to tumble in my front yard and teach myself gymnastics. Sometimes I like to sew and create plush things

This is kind of a random question, but I just felt like throwing this in. How many licks do you think it would take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? Could you give a ballpark estimate?

I would say around 10,250, give or take.