Sensational Songstress

Johnson Senior Student Stars in School’s Musical,

Earns Joci Scholarship Award

By Amy Morgan

 

It was the role she was born to play. Johnson High School senior Kendall White could not believe her good fortune when the 2026 spring musical was announced. She had been “singing the songs from Legally Blonde since middle school” and hoped she’d be perfect for the lead character, Elle Woods. Kendall spent last summer perfecting her vocal and acting skills, and when she auditioned in October – she nailed it! You might have seen her starring in the JHS show last month, complete with a live dog playing her sidekick Bruiser. This wasn’t the first time Kendall had earned a coveted spot in a JHS production. She also won the headlining role of Sophie in Mamma Mia when she was just a freshman. Performing in musicals allows Kendall to combine her love for acting and singing.  

 

This year Kendall sings Soprano One in both the Varsity Mixed Choir, Cantare, and the Encore show choir. One of her highlights was performing at elementary schools and retirement homes on Encore’s Christmas Tour. “I’ve wanted to be in Encore since Elementary School because they always came to sing (at Bulverde Creek),” she said. She also serves as president of the JHS Choir Council, where she assists the directors and plans monthly social events to connect choir members across grades. Events have included a potluck dessert and gingerbread house decorating contest. They also fundraise to defray costs for annual group trips. Kendall is looking forward to traveling with other JHS students to New York City this summer. They’ll attend several shows and participate in workshops to learn new technical theater skills and choreography techniques.

Kendall has worked diligently with her voice coach to prepare for auditions for the All-State Choir that will sing at the Texas Music Educators Association conference held in San Antonio this month. This is the first year Kendall has advanced through the rigorous competition to be chosen for the TMEA Treble All-State choir. She also joined the JHS theater group that attended the Texas Thespians conference in Corpus Christi last fall. Kendall missed a perfect score in her solo musical competition by just one point, she said. 

 

Last year, Kendall’s talent earned her a San Antonio Joci Award, which culminated in her participating in a performance billed as a one-night showcase of rising stars, presented by the Majestic Empire Foundation. As part of the experience, Kendall was able to perform a solo song during the show. “I’ve grown up going to the Majestic, so being able to sing on that stage was surreal,” she said. Several dozen performing arts students auditioned for the Award that included the opportunity to participate in free workshops and a prize toward future tuition in addition to a spot in the show. The Joci is one of the largest performance arts scholarships in the country, she noted. 

 

Kendall hopes to apply that scholarship money toward a marketing degree from either Baylor or Texas A&M. She enjoys the creative aspect of marketing and hopes to pursue a career that allows her to combine a business degree with her passion for music and theater. 

 

This year, Kendall’s poise earned her the title of Queen of the San Antonio Lutheran Coronation. She will attend Fiesta events as a representative of the non-profit organization honoring Christian young women and men. Several years ago, she was invited to be a page for a family friend, where she, “looked up to the older girls and fell in love with the sparkly gowns.” Her mother hand sews Kendall’s gowns each year, recently incorporating multiple foot-long lion heads to represent the biblical story of Daniel in the den. Her Prime Minister, Sean Parsons, also a JHS student, has stood by her side as her escort for the past three years Kendall served as duchess. More than just glitz and glamour, the court members perform community service projects throughout the year – highlights included spending a day at the Food Bank and decorating the CAM shelter for the holidays.  

 

Next on her playbill – Johnson’s UIL one-act play competition, where Kendall and three other JHS ladies will enact, The Sweet Science of Bruising, a story of women who join an underground boxing ring in 1860s London. Bravo, Kendall, Break a Leg!