In the small ecosystem of Wilcox, a beacon of talent and grace shines brightly. This star is the gifted student Jessica O’Gorman, a junior at Wilcox. Known for her impeccable acting skills and angelic singing voice, O’Gorman is hardworking, intelligent, and has a kind, generous soul which shows not only in the way that she is loved by peers at school, but also by her selfless actions to help others even outside the community.

O’Gorman is an avid thespian, taking lead roles in many of the theatrical productions she stars in. Having performed in fifteen shows for various theater companies in the area, including the Wilcox Stage Company, she is an experienced singer, actor, and dancer. At Wilcox in her freshman year, O’Gorman starred as Belle, the lead role in Wilcox Stage Company’s Beauty and the Beast, which to this day is O’Gorman’s favorite production that she has participated in. In her sophomore year, she landed the iconic role of Sandy in WSC’s Grease, giving a “splendid and meaningful performance,” according to a Wilcox parent who attended the show. This star will return to the stage once again in Children’s Musical Theater San Jose’s production of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” in spring 2019. Maya Raman, a fellow Wilcox junior and friend of O’Gorman’s expresses, “Her voice gives me chills. I can’t wait to see where she ends up because I know it will be somewhere crazy cool.”

O’Gorman has a powerful singing voice and a “mature, beautiful vibrato,” according to an acting coach at the Children’s Musical Theater in San Jose. She performed with a group of her friends at Christmas In The Park late November, performing Christmas hits and singing the iconic solo song, “Santa Baby.” O’Gorman has the ability to harmonize to any tune on the spot, and has possessed this gift for many years. Her musical talent and dedication led her to help arrange pieces in Peterson’s Glee Club, and has allowed her to flourish in musical theater.

In addition to her colorful life in theater and music, O’Gorman has also had a culturally rich childhood. Born in Japan, she spoke Japanese fluently and lived in Japan until she was five years old. Her family then moved to Winnipeg, Mannitoba, a city in Canada, where O’Gorman made many of her closest friends. “I still feel like Canada is my home,” says a reminiscent O’Gorman, “I still visit every Christmas and summer.” Her family then packed their bags and moved to the Bay Area when O’Gorman was ten years old. Moving to a new town she felt lonely and did not have many friends initially. “I did theater to make friends, and it worked. It also helped me gain self-confidence,” says O‘Gorman.

Now, O’Gorman enjoys her life working at a Boba place and the city of Santa Clara doing theater workshops for kids at the Roberta Jones Junior Theater, and raising money for the theater as well. She also is a traveler of the world, visiting new countries every year. “It opens me up to a lot of different cultural experiences which is really cool,” explains O’Gorman. This summer she traveled to Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, where she visited many temples. Being a generous leader, she volunteered at schools in the countries she visited and taught students to speak English.

O’Gorman cares for her community, is a Wilcox musical theatrical icon, has the singing voice of an angel, and has learned about and experienced many different cultures in the world. “I love Jessica,” says Emma Bergren, “She makes you feel warm, and happy and sweet inside. She deserves so much.” Vincent Kloes, another Wilcox junior characterizes her as, “an amazing actor and singer. She’s incredibly talented” Jessica truly is, in the words of her enthusiastic peers, a “neat and fresh and fun and cool and talented” person. She is a strong ray of light at Wilcox, brightening the lives of those around her.