On Saturday, February 11, 2023, at John Lewis High School in Springfield, VA – the Psi Alpha Alpha (PsiAA) Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. conducted the 42nd annual Talent Hunt Showcase. The showcase featured six extremely talented high school students from the surrounding area. Performances included dance, instrumentalist, and vocal renditions. The collaborative efforts of the Talent Hunt committee yielded a showcase that will be long remembered by the participants, their families, friends, student body, and school faculty. The brothers of Psi Alpha Alpha canvased the schools and churches within Fairfax County to encourage young people to participate in this year’s Talent Hunt which yielded a great competition.
This year’s Mistress of Ceremony was the beautiful Ms. Khanner Hancock. The reigning Miss North America is a performing artist herself, an educator, and a mental health advocate. She worked collaboratively with the committee chairmen to facilitate an informative, entertaining, and interactive event that continues to be the topic of many discussions. Ms. Hancock motivated and encouraged the performers as well as kept the audience engaged by providing historical facts about the fraternity, its mandated programs, and the numerous community service activities Psi Alpha Alpha conduct and are involved in throughout the year. This year’s judges were Mrs. Stacey Y. Claytor - CEO and Founder of C4 Performing Arts Academy in Fairfax, VA; Dr. Michael Nickens - Associate Professor of Music and Director of the Green Machine Jazz Band Ensemble at George Mason University; and Bro. Keith Wilson – a saxophone International Recording artist specializing in Blues, Jazz, and R&B genres and the Founder of Kool K Productions.
As a result of their great performances, each of the young student competitors received a certificate of appreciation from the chapter and a cash prize from the Bernie L. Bates Foundation. However, the following students delivered performances that surpassed all others earning them the rankings of first, second and third prize winners. Taking the grand prize of $1000 and winning first place was Mr. Camron Jackson, a percussionist and Senior at Transformers Academy Home School. Winning second place was Mr. Noah Tajudeen, singer and Senior at Woodson High School who won $500. And to everyone’s pleasant surprise, there was a tie for third place between Ms. Chamir Yarborough, dancer and Junior at Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Mr. Christopher Jackson, bass guitarist and Sophomore at Transformers Academy Home School. Both third place winners received trophies and the prize amount of $250 each.
Our first-place winner, Mr. Camron Jackson, is a 17-year-old A-Honor Roll student and member of the Blues Alley Youth Orchestra. Camron wowed the audience and judges with his sterling percussionist performance of the engaging “I Am Not Forgotten” by Israel Houghton & New Breed. In his free time, he enjoys playing drums, writing music, music production, bowling and playing video games. Mr. Jackson was recently accepted to attend the Berkeley College of Music in Boston, MA in the Fall and plans to major in Music Performance/Production and minor in Music Business. Camron proudly represented Psi Alpha Alpha at the District Talent Hunt Competition during the 90th annual 3rd District Meeting on Saturday, April 1, 2023, at the Omni Hotel in Richmond, VA. Camron once again put on an awesome performance impressing the judges and the audience and although he did not place in the top three in the competition, he represented his self, his family, and Psi Alpha Alpha extremely well.
