°®ÆＧ

SALISBURY, MD---Recent °®ÆＧ graduate Desiree Borges hit the jackpot in Las Vegas.

She claimed her winnings not from a slot machine, but from a panel of judges who declared her the top vocalist in her category during the culminating round of this year’s National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) auditions.

The music major from La Plata, MD, is SU’s first national NATS winner, earning a $1,250 prize plus an opportunity to audition for a spot in a stage show aboard one of Royal Caribbean International’s cruise ships.

“In college singing competition, there is no Division I, II or III,” said Dr. John Wesley Wright, coordinator of the voice program in SU’s Music, Theatre and Dance Department. “The playing field is level across the board. This national title is an extraordinary accomplishment.”

It took about three months from her initial audition, at the state level, to get to the national stage in Las Vegas. After placing first and third in her category (Musical Theatre, Upper College Women) at the Maryland and regional competitions, respectively, she was asked to submit a YouTube video for consideration to vie at the national event.

There, she and 13 other competitors sang three songs of their choice for the judging panel. The top three were selected to perform before a live audience — Borges’ final test.

“It’s really important to pick music you can connect to,” she said, adding that contestants must perform the same three songs at each level of auditions.

Borges chose “I Didn’t Plan It” from the musical Waitress, saying she could relate to its message about accepting one’s life, as well as “I’m Not Afraid of Anything” by Jason Robert Brown, noting its affirming message about the importance of facing fears.

For her third song — the one she sang on stage in Las Vegas — she picked “Sixte