Loves to sing and help others
BY JONATHAN KANE
Brooke Sundholm, a senior at Wood River High School, sings with Colla Voce, the school’s all-female singing group, and derives fulfillment from helping others.
“When I graduate from college I want to be a traveling nurse and go to Third World countries to help,” Sundholm said. “Maybe be part of Mercy Corps, which is an organization that helps create jobs and careers for 13-year-old girls so that they have an option to being married at that age. It’s such a gratifying feeling to help others in need.
“Here in Sun Valley, people are not so much in need, so the opportunities to help are not as great, but I love volunteering at the soup kitchen at the Catholic Church.
“I’ve also been very involved with the Matsiko Child Choir, which is a traveling orphanage choir,” Sundholm said. “I assist them with housing and work at their concerts, selling jewelry. I was in fifth grade when they first came here and we housed them. While they lived with us, we taught them English and learned a lot about them.”
The choir consists of children who come primarily from India, Peru and Africa.
“What inspired me the most were the stories of their childhoods,” Sundholm said. “The first year we housed them, a girl from Uganda told us how children were taken from the villages to become soldiers. The level of everyday fear is awful.”
At WRHS, Sundholm has a 3.4 grade point average. Her main interest is in biology, which led her to want to become a nurse.
“I’m going to Baylor University next year, which has a great nursing program, so I thought I’d take advantage of it,” she said. “You get to interact more with people than you do as a doctor, which is more fun and you see a lot of cool things. It makes me feel fantastic to help because you get to make an impact on someone else’s life.”
Sundholm also has a passion for singing, which finds an outlet as a member of Colla Voce. She has been singing with the group for three years. There are 12 women in the group this year and the singers had to audition to be selected.
“I was in musicals as a kid and then in sixth grade I joined the choir at the middle school,” Sundholm said. “My first show was ‘Annie’ at St. Thomas Playhouse.
“My mom wanted me to do it and be involved in something after school and I made a lot of friends. I don’t remember too much except being on a bunk bed and that was my spot for the whole play. It was so much fun, and then I did a lot at the nexStage Theatre. I was told I was good, so I pursued it.
“I tried out for Colla Voce my freshman year and didn’t make it.” Sundholm said. “When I did get in the next year, I had just finished driver’s education and got my permit, so it was the best day ever. I just jumped up and down. I was really proud of myself.”