WYO Student Ambassadors
Hattie Kerner
Hattie Kerner has been a first clarinetist in the WYO Symphony for three years. She loves performing in a symphony setting and looks forward to continuing to make great memories with WYO.
Eleanor Rossi
Eleanor has been playing clarinet in WYO for over four years and is currently one of the first clarinetists in the Symphony. In addition to performing, she has a passion for nature and serves as the soils specialist on her school’s Envirothon team. She also enjoys learning about new bird species.
Joshua Kang
Joshua Kang, a student at Jamestown High School, has been a member of WYO since 7th grade. He began playing cello at the age of six with Mrs. Susan Hines and currently studies with Mr. Michael Daniels. As the third sibling in his family to be part of WYO, his family's involvement now spans a decade. Joshua has participated in several summer cello festivals and the Virginia All-State Orchestra. He is also a member of the Tidewater Cello Ensemble and enjoys playing with his church worship team. Outside of music, he loves playing tennis, Minecraft, and exploring classic literature.
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Ben Gershowitz
Ben is a student at Jamestown HighSchool and a cellist for WYO. When he is not making music, he can be found playing tennis, doing math and science problems, or blaming his internet when he loses at video games. He is approved by 4 out of 5 string-players, 9 out of 10 dentists, and at least one overly proud relative.
Diara Portillo
Diara Portillo is a junior at Peninsula Catholic High School. She has played the cello for 6 years and has been a part of WYO since 6th grade. Diara loves WYO because of the friends and memories she has made. Outside of WYO, Diara likes to read and write, likes to watch TV shows, participates in her school’s speech and debate team, and sings for her school’s Mass Music Ministry club.
Katie Yu
Katie Yu, a student at York High School, has been playing the flute since the age of 8 years old. She has been a part of the WYO Symphony Orchestra as a first chair flutist for 3 years. She began studying the flute under Bonnie Kim, a previous professor at Christopher Newport University, but now studies under Joanne White, a flute professor at William and Mary.
Katie has won multiple awards from various concerto competitions, and has played with the Virginia All-State Band. She enjoys playing soccer, watching movies, and playing video games.