WRHS Students Practice Resiliency with American Idol Contestant Casey McQuillen

Casey McQuillen, a former top 48 American Idol contestant, performed for Wahconah students Thursday afternoon, as part of her “You Matter” tour.  Sharing a combination of stories and original music, she addressed the issues of bullying, resilience, and self-love. The Berkshire Eagle covered the story, on the front page of the Berkshire section, with pictures.

She shared her experience of having made it as a finalist on American Idol, and since the shows had been taped well before they were to air, she, by contract, had to remain silent regarding the outcome. Her family and friends were effusive in their praise and were convinced that she was going to win. For months, having to keep the secret that she had ultimately lost, she struggled with self-doubt and disappointment, which led to weight loss and depression. When her secret was revealed, and her friends and family remained supportive, she came to understand that those who loved and supported her would do so regardless of such outcomes. It also helped her to understand the importance of both self-love and appreciation, and she encouraged the student audience to practice both. 

Casey also talked about being bullied in middle school, and then about a friend who returned to middle school, struggling with a medical issue, only to be treated terribly by his peers. She had written a song about him, which helped him to feel supported, which she performed, and was very well received by the students. Casey also sang another song to everyone in the audience who “feels that people often don’t understand how hard it is being you.”

Finally, Casey stressed the importance of finding what each of us “really wants to do” and then to give it a try – to not let the way people’s lives look on snapchat and Instagram discourage us. She pointed out that no one is snapchatting about when they do things like laundry, and yet everyone has to do things like that.

Casey ended her performance with the students on their feet singing “This Girl is on Fire.” She subsequently met with students for photos.

               The Wahconah Ambassadors, a group of 17 students, sponsored Casey’s visit, through fund raising and support from The United Way. The group’s focus for the year was raising awareness of the importance of being resilient. Members interviewed after the concert were pleased with how everything went. Donna Therrien and Mary DeMaranville, Wahconah faculty members, are the advisors of the group.