Page 79 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2019

TATIANA
CLARK
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photo courtesy of Rosie Clark
Tatiana Clark isn’t your average 17-year-old student. For someone so young, she’s already been able to reach
a huge number of people
through her music. On her Instagram page alone (@singer4ever15), Clark has more than 22,000 followers.
However, it’s not her following that makes Clark noteworthy
— it’s her talent and passion. “Singing runs in my family,”
she says, “so growing up my voice has been influenced by them.” Even with natural talent, Clark has spent years perfecting her skill. She’s attended music school for the past seven years, which she says has helped her learn to properly use her gift.
Her main goal is to reach people across the world through her music, which is influenced by anything from R&B to gospel. Her voice truly resonates with listeners and has helped her express herself and tell her story.
At only 10 years of age, Clark
was
sexually
assaulted
by two
females.
The experience has changed
her in many ways, but she has chosen to grow from it saying, “I learned that times will get hard, but the only thing that matters is how you handle your struggle.”
She is an inspiration to many and took the stage for the first time just one year after the assault took place. “I had my first performance when I was 11 at the Hard Rock Cafe,” Clark said. “I still get nervous right before I go up to sing, but once I start singing, my nerves go
away.”
Clark is currently a senior at
Long Beach High School and plans to attend the University of Southern Mississippi to major
in music education and jazz studies. She is involved in four choral groups at her school, as well as the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS), Beta Club, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), Frontline, Defense Commissary Agency (DECA) and Interact Club which she serves as president.
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
April 2019 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 79
TERRIFIC
TEENS
PRESENTED BY