Dozens of Lawrence school district students took to the Lied Center stage Sunday for the annual Ovation! talent show.
Numerous students made their Ovation! debuts this year. For some students, the show is one of their first opportunities to step outside their comfort zones and perform for the broader Lawrence community.
The show is a fundraiser for the Lawrence Schools Foundation, which provides resources and awards for students, teachers and staff of the school district.
Kylee Chee, a senior at Lawrence High School, recited an original poem about overcoming self-doubt, finding hope and making the most of everything you do.

“When I was writing that piece, it’s something that really connects to me. Then when I was thinking about it, I was like, ‘Maybe that connects to other people,’” she said. “… Even if it could change one person’s day, having told it to that one person, if it does anything, I feel like it’s worth it.”
Chee said she’s scared to share her work and put it out there, but the show was an awesome experience, and “it made me feel really good to see how it impacted people.”

Harrison Leiszler, freshman at Free State High School, said he felt confident and happy at this year’s Ovation! and wants to keep performing in the show.
“I saw some YouTube videos on it and I saw performers performing on the streets and I thought it was really cool,” he said of the electric violin and loop station he used to play a rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off.”














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Nathan Kramer (he/him), a multimedia student journalist for The Lawrence Times since August 2024, is a junior at Free State High School. He is also a video editor for Free State’s student publication, where he works as a videographer, photographer and motion designer. See more of his work for the Times here.
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