Singing, dancing, spoken word and acting were some of the ways South Gate youth expressed their spirituality at the “Purpose Driven Talent Show,” hosted Tuesday evening by the (TCMI) at the .
“I feel like I just won the big trophy that I have always wanted,” said Honey Masushige, age 8, who attends Aspire Gateway Academy School, and the winner of the talent show.
Besides a trophy, Masushige also won tickets to the San Diego Zoo by dancing to “All Star” by Smash Mouth. She plans to take her grandfather and mother with her.
TCMI is a faith-based organization that trains people for ministry positions such as pastors and missionaries. The education of young people is an important focus of the organization.
“We decided to do a talent show and give the youth an opportunity to display their talents,” said Melissa Pirraglio, outreach coordinator and student advisor for TCMI. “The city of South Gate and the Azalea Festival gave us an opportunity to do whatever we wanted to do for this evening.”
Helping troubled youth is a particular focus of TCMI.
“[TCMI is] a resource for the community to help troubled youth, troubled kids, [and] their families,” she said. “That’s what we do, we’re [a place for] community outreach.”
Pirraglio added that the purpose of the talent show was to inspire local youth and allow them to express their creativity.
Nearly all of the half dozen performances depicted the participants connection with God. Some contestants sang and praised God, while others told personal stories of their involvement with TCMI and finding God through spoken word.
Approximately 50 community members showed their support for the contestants by attending the talent show. Some residents not only expressed their approval of the show, but of the city for providing the space.
“It was nice [that we got to] do this at the auditorium,” said Robert Reyes, a member of TCMI and South Gate resident. “[The event] was good.”
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