CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — At 16 years old, Walsh Jesuit junior Emyrson Flora is making her hometown proud after she sang “Lovely” by Billie Eilish, a performance that advanced her to the top 10 of American Idol this week. For someone who only sang for fun and never having joined the choir at her high school, people in her life like her school counselor since freshmen year, Philip Bokovitz, couldn’t be more proud of her growth.
“It’s kind of shocking,” he said about her ability to sing in front of so many, especially since she has always nervously turned down choir classes. “I also think that that's why America likes her and that's why people like her is because she's kind of genuine. She's young and she relates to a lot of teenagers out there who have the same dreams,” he said.
Hometown pride runs deep in Northeast Ohio, and Bokovitz hopes Flora can feel the support of her city.