At the last minute, sophomore Meghna Chakraborty decided to audition for the South Bay Teen Idol Competition, held at the Additson-Penzak Jewish Community Center Auditorium on Feb. 28.

It’s a good thing she did. Much to her surprise, she finished in the top 20 contestants and had the chance to sing in front of a crowd of over 400 people.

Chakraborty sang “Because of You” by Kelly Clarkson placing in the top 20 semi-finals, but not in the final competition. The winner of the competition received a $2,500 prize, $500 for his or her school and a recording session with sound management.

“I haven't really done anything like this before and it was more of a YOLO moment when I decided to audition,” Chakraborty said. “I just decided to audition for fun even though it was really last minute. I had no idea I would be one of the top 20 semi-finalists!”

Chakraborty has been singing ever since she was a child but recently has intensified her efforts recently.

“I took singing lessons when I was younger but then I stopped for a long time,” Chakraborty said. “Recently, in the beginning of sophomore year, I started singing and rejoined voice lessons and I'm so glad I did!”

With “Because of You” by Kelly Clarkson, Chakraborty performed the song by making it into her own as much as possible. Starting off a little nervous, she concluded with a strong finish.

“I’ve been preparing by singing my song over and over again and trying to make it different and more suitable to my capabilities,” Chakraborty said. “The performance went pretty well, even though I was a bit nervous at first I got comfortable on stage and finished strong!”

The South Bay Teen Idol competition was an amazing experience for Chakraborty.

“Everyone has such unique voices and styles, but we all have the same interest and love for the same thing,” Chakraborty said. “Overall the experience was amazing: meeting so many talented teenagers with a passion for music and singing.”