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Student Announcer: Hi, I'm Jamir, an actor and an OCPS student. Coming up on this episode of Mondays with Maria, our superintendent is featuring some of our district's student talent.

Student Announcer: Presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Here's our OCPS superintendent, Dr. Maria Vazquez.

Dr. Vazquez: Hi, everyone. As promised, they are back. I'd like everyone to meet the student voices behind the scenes of Mondays with Maria. This is Emma Winter from Howard Middle School and Jamir Jones from Orange County Virtual School. Welcome to you both.

Emma and Jamir, Student Announcers: Thank you for having us.

Dr. Vazquez: No, it's great to have you here. All right, so Emma, you are a sixth grader at Howard Middle School. And you attended Tildenville Elementary School before that? So, incoming sixth grader, how exciting. And you transferred into their magnet program. How did you find out that we wanted you to sing on the Mondays with Maria show?

Emma, Student Announcer: Yeah, the foundation reached out to my mom, and I was so excited to get to be able to have such a great opportunity like this. And then it was also really funny because I went and I just decided to play my guitar, the, and just practice and see what it would sound like because they have, because you gave us what it sounded like before. And I just took my guitar, and I just tried to practice and see what, like, what chords and the progressions and everything, and what I can do to make it more like my style.

Dr. Vazquez: Make it your own. It sounds fabulous. You're also a finalist from Top Talent, correct? Yeah. Yeah. How long have you been singing and playing the guitar? And I understand that you also play other instruments.

Emma, Student Announcer: Yeah. I've been singing since I was like four. I have these really funny videos of me singing these songs. There's also one- my favorite one is when I was at the salon with my mom, and I just made up this song. And my favorite line was I'm the queen, which was one of the lines from the song I made up. Oh, wow. And, and yeah, I've only focused on it and pursued it for the past couple of years. And I play the guitar, the banjo, the piano, and the ukulele, and I write my own music.

Dr. Vazquez: Oh my gosh. So talented. I struggled playing the recorder when I was in college. So, incredible. All right. So, we also have Jamir. And Jamir, you attend Orange County Virtual School, correct? As a sixth grader? You are an actor and a voice-over star, right? You've appeared on Abbott Elementary on Nickelodeon; you've done Nicaraguan songs and games; Wonder Pets. And you have a very new project in the works. Can you share?

Jamir, Student Announcer: Yes. My new project is called The Teeny Mutant Ninja Turtles. And I'm Raf.

Dr. Vazquez: That's amazing. Now, this is really going to date me, right? Because they're, you know, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are not actors or characters that are familiar to individuals at this age in time. But when my kids were little, they were huge. So they loved it. They loved all the characters. They loved the pizza themes. They pretended they were the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. So that is so exciting. If you didn't recognize his voice, Jamir voices the introduction to Mondays with Maria. We're so lucky to have you both on our show. Jamir, how did you get your start, and where did the bug to act come from?

Jamir, Student Announcer: Well, I got my, like, bug for acting when, on my third birthday, my mom put together a party for me. And I was imitating Bruno Mars, singing all his songs and wearing his clothes and everything in front of my family. And then my mom said, "Are you really going to do this?" And I did it. And then when my mom's colleagues and friends from work saw that, they said, "He is talented." So then they told my mom to send me to the Maile, and then I went to Star Catcher Studios. And then I first signed with my agent and my manager.

Dr. Vazquez: Amazing. So three years old and four years old. My gosh. So much talent at such a young age. I think we also have a very special message from someone who knows a little bit about what it's like to work behind the scenes. Let's take a look.

Kaleb Priester, Former Student Announcer: Hey, Emma and Jamir. It's Kaleb Priester, Jones High School alum and Former Voice of Mondays with Maria. When the team told me about your parts in season five, I was so excited. Emma, with your guitar and singing skills, and Jamir, with your vocal talents, are going to elevate this season even more. OCPS is all about elevating student voices and allowing them to contribute in meaningful ways. I love this school district. Emma and Jamir, you both are an amazing example of how our district operates. OCPS creates opportunities for students to grow and lead. I can't wait to see how you both represent this district. Congratulations, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season. 

Dr. Vazquez: So that's Kaleb Priester, who was an intern here. He graduated from Jones High School in 2025. And he worked with us for a couple of years. And it's so good to see him, and that he is, as you can tell, seeing the world. And it's really important for me to have students involved with our show, because after all, Orange County Public Schools is all about students. So, so excited that you are now part of that group that is Mondays with Maria. I hope you both have a phenomenal year. And we might have you back later in the year. Thanks for being here. 

Emma and Jamir, Student Announcers: Thank you for having us.

Dr. Vazquez: Coming up on our podcast, find out the top three takeaways our talented students have for other students looking to succeed at their craft. Just go to wherever you get your podcasts and search for Mondays with Maria. I want to thank you for watching. Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe. Have a great week.

Announcer: Hi, everyone. It's Emma again. Mark your calendars. April 24th, 2027: Top Talent Returns. The spectacular event showcases OCPS students in the performing and visual arts. Be prepared. Every year, there are outstanding performances and beautiful artwork created by the finalists. Proceeds from Top Talent provide arts enrichment for the students experiencing poverty and homelessness across Orange County. Remember April 24th at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. For an extended conversation on today's topic, listen to the Mondays with Maria Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. Mondays with Maria is presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Count us in for every step on your financial journey. Learn more at AdditionFi.com. For more OCPS news and information, visit TheSlice.OCPS.net. I'm your announcer, Jamir Jones, a student at OCPS. Thanks for watching, and have a great week.