For Teens : KID SUCCESS : How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall? Duarte High Senior Knows the Way

Duarte High School senior Ann Choe hadn’t heard from Michael Nuss, her former choir director, since eighth grade. Then came the call in September: Nuss invited her to audition for the 1994 National Youth Honor Choir.

She passed the test and on April 24 sang with 300 choir students at the National Youth Choral Festival at Carnegie Hall.

“I was really honored,” Choe said, “considering (the competition) was from all over the United States.”

Choe had sung in a choir that was directed by Nuss and sponsored by the Western division of the American Choral Directors Assn., which included youths from California, Nevada, Utah and Hawaii.

Except for this year, eighth grade was the only time she had been able to fit a choir class into her schedule.

During her first three years of high school, academics and other interests took priority. Choe’s accomplishments include: class vice president all four years at Duarte; advanced placement classes; a cheerleader for two years, and now a member of the Ancient Order of the Falcons, a school honor society for community service.

“Ann has a beautiful voice and she’s also a hard worker. To be a singer, you need to be both,” said Janice Burgoyne, Choe’s current choir teacher.

“I’ve always liked singing,” said Choe, who also sings in her church’s youth choir. She first performed in a children’s group when she was 11.

Her first love, however, is art. Choe wants to be a professional artist and hopes to study art at UCLA in the fall.

The trip to Carnegie Hall took more than practice. Choe said the excursion cost about $2,000 for her and her mother.

Duarte High’s booster club sponsors a bingo night and has a program to share proceeds with campus clubs in exchange for volunteer work. In an unusual move, it agreed to let Choe earn money toward the expenses of her trip.

“I’ve been working since December, every Saturday,” she said.

Kid Success profiles teen-agers who have achieved some kind of outstanding accomplishment, whether in school, business, arts, kindness to others or in some other way. If you know of candidates, write to Kid Success, Los Angeles Times, 1333 Mayflower Ave., Monrovia 91016.