Micah Charleston, an 18-year-old full of enthusiasm for performing, participated in Mr. Gresham on Mar. 11 and won the title. This was his third time in the competition.

Charleston found out that he had won the Mr. Gresham title when at the end of the show his friend, high school graduate Joshua Bonifacio, literally wrestled him to the floor to celebrate the win.

“I felt really good, but it happened pretty fast,” Charleston said. “At first I was just standing, then the next second I was on the floor with my friend on top of me congratulating me.”

Charleston had a lot to show on the night of Mr. Gresham. He went from dancing to skits to performing a musical piece with his buddies.

Charleston’s first skit for the formal category was a well choreographed tuxedo dance with Bonifacio. For his swimsuit skit, he along with Bonifacio and senior Brandon Bailey performed a musical piece called ‘So Sick’ by Neyo with him playing piano and Bailey on vocals.

“What I liked is really the performance aspect of the show,” Charleston said.

In the talent category, Charleston and Bonifacio performed a scene where a magical boom “controlled” their bodies and forced them to dance to whatever song was played.

“I felt he put a lot of effort into this,” senior Paul Pham, a fellow Mr. Gresham contestant, said. “ Also, his choreographed dance with Josh was spot on.

Charleston’s love for dancing and performing helps him express himself. Friends describe him as a very talented, humorous, hard worker who is extremely humble and somewhat shy.

“I would describe Micah as a very kind and caring person,” Bailey said.

Even though Charleston is humble and shy, he puts a lot of effort in the things that he does.

“Charleston’s talent and humor really showed through. He is the one with the creative mind. We saw him make good use of it, even his talents,” Pham said. “Dancing, being funny, a good actor and playing the piano, he has it all.”

Being Charleston’s friend for nearly five years, Pham notes that Charleston’s work ethic exceeds that of anyone that he knows, when it comes to performing arts.

“His gentle nature helps him get along with everyone,” Pham includes.

Bailey adds that another admirable quality of Chareleston’s is his selflessness.

“It wasn’t about winning, it was about putting on a good show and having fun,” Bailey said. “Winning was just a bonus.”

Charleston got compliments from the people around him and his peers. Many of them told him “Good Job!” or “Nice Work.”

“I would’ve like to tell him that I was happy and proud of him. He had finally done what he wanted. I was also glad that we all had fun,” Pham remarked.

Although Charleston is a performer, he also has an interest in photography. Being a production photography student, he would usually be taking pictures during school events.

His interests lead him to try many things. From performing in Advanced Drama to taking photos in Production Photography, these interests shape Charleston’s character into who he is today.

“I really enjoy dancing. I started dancing at the end of eighth grade, it’s a fun hobby,” Charleston revealed.

Being a person of multiple interests, Charleston balances his time between school and fun properly. He takes IB Senior English as well as other time consuming academic classes, and on top of that, he makes time to add in drama and photography.

Charleston’s hard work on creating the performances have paid off. According to Bailey, judges took notice of how well the performances were executed as well as the amount of effort that was put into each of the skits.

“I would describe Micah as being one with the talent for performing arts. I think he is sometimes shy in class but most comfortable on stage, or in front of a crowd performing for others,” Pham said.

There were many things that stood out to his peers. Some of which were that he decided to add a hint of originality and comicality to his show.

“What really stood out to me in Micah’s performance was his ability to excite the audience. Normally being somewhat of a shy guy, this was a pleasant surprise to me,” Bailey reported.

Charleston’s talent and hard work can bring him far into the performing arts category. He has a knack to entertain people and work hard to make his acts better so that he can entertain.

“It was very fun for me,” Charleston declared. “I love performing.”

Both Bailey and Pham agree that Charleston earned the Mr. Gresham title from the constant effort that he had put into making the skits.

“I know Micah put a lot of effort in his skits because I rehearsed with him. We would practice over and over until he felt it was right,” Bailey exclaimed.

Charleston’s hard work has paid off. He now owns the title of Mr. Gresham for the rest of the school year.