From running on the track to performing under stage lights, senior Ramiah Joy McElroy’s talents stretch across vastly different arenas. What began as simple hobbies – ways to stay busy – have become defining parts of her identity.
McElroy’s journey started in church, harmonizing alongside her family. In elementary school, she sang confidently and often landed solos in the choir.
But that confidence wavered in middle school, when her audience shifted from supportive adults to critical peers. Stage fright set in – and stayed with her through most of high school.
Everything began to change her senior year, when friends in the drama program encouraged her to audition for “SIX.” Motivated by a creeping sense of FOMO, she stepped outside her comfort zone – and landed the role of Catherine of Aragon.
The experience, she said, helped her reconnect with a part of herself she thought she had lost. Bonding with the small cast and hosting a cast party at her house, McElroy found both friendship and confidence again.
“After ‘SIX,’ I felt like I was flying for real,” she said. “I got my ‘me’ back. I got my voice back.”
WeGo Drama Director Mark Begovich took notice.
“Ramiah made a lasting impression,” he said. “She was a queen right from the start.”
McElroy returned to the stage this spring as the lead in “Sister Act,” portraying Dolores Van Cartier. Her performance was widely praised by peers and staff alike, with many calling the show one of the strongest musicals WEGO has produced in years.
Offstage, McElroy has been just as dedicated. She joined track freshman year after her parents encouraged her to try a sport. What she expected to be a simple choice became a four-year commitment – and a community she grew to love.
“Literally, the people there were amazing,” she said. “My team captains were so nice. I think freshman year might have been one of my favorite years.”
She is quick to challenge the idea that track is a solo sport.
“Get put in a four-by-one and a four-by-two and tell yourself it’s an individual sport,” McElroy said.
Though she did not start out loving running, the team camaraderie made it fun.
“I kind of love running now – just a little bit,” she said with a laugh.
McElroy has also explored other activities: dancing junior year, briefly trying cheerleading, and spending time with friends like fellow senior Mariah Varnado. As student assistants for the same teacher, the two spent their free periods joking around and recording a daily mock podcast, asking classmates silly questions and documenting their answers.
“Sometimes I still listen to them,” she said. “They’re really funny.”
Whether on the track, the stage, or behind a pretend mic, McElroy’s high school journey has been one of self-discovery, resilience, and joy.
