Vanessa performed in the 2022 Talent Show after battling a rare cancer that affected, among other things, the mobility of her leg, requiring her to use a wheelchair at one point in her journey.
“Getting to perform on such an iconic stage in front of so many people meant so much more to me than just getting to sing,” says Vanessa. “For me, getting to be on that stage was a testament to all of the challenges I had faced in my life, and it was proof that I was able to come out as a better and stronger person because of it.”
Weeks after wowing the crowd at Radio City, Vanessa learned she had been awarded a 2022 Garden of Dreams Inspire Scholarship, which she has put toward her college education at Drexel University, where she majors in Game Design and Production and aims to pursue a Master’s degree in Digital Media.
Today, Vanessa also interns at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she was once a patient. She supports programming in the hospital’s media production studio, where patients can help host various shows, participate with interactive broadcast content, and even partake in private karaoke sessions!
Vanessa will serve on this year’s Make-A-Wish New Jersey Talent Show panel to determine which performers are selected to audition for our 2023 Garden of Dreams Talent Show. We can’t wait for Vanessa’s continued involvement with the show, and for all she will accomplish in the future!