As the 2024-25 school year came to a close, Andi Corsner found herself checking her email religiously. She was only a sophomore at that point and had a couple more years left at Waterloo Central School; what she was waiting for was a message about a different opportunity she had been dreaming about.

“I was definitely impatient,” says Andi. Then, on a fateful day in June 2025, it happened. Andi finally opened her email to discover that she had been selected for the WorldStrides Honors Performance Series, which will take place at Carnegie Hall in New York City from February 5 - 9. “I don’t remember what I was doing when I finally got that email. I was so shocked.”

Andi will join student-musicians from around the globe for a week filled with performances, and opportunities to elevate her craft and experience one of the world’s great entertainment cities. Her road to Carnegie Hall began all the way back in May 2025 when Mrs. Margaret Elisofon, a vocal music teacher at and alumnus of Waterloo High School, nominated her.

“When I told her I was interested, Mrs. Elisofon helped me prepare my musical resume, my registration form, and my audition recording,” says Andi. Mrs. Elisofon performed at Carnegie Hall in 2012 when she too was a junior in high school, and knows how special that experience can be. She drew on her own experiences to help Andi accomplish the same thing.

“My choir teacher, Mr. Russ Ehle, worked hard to find opportunities for me to sing with new people and learn from other directors,” says Mrs. Elisofon. “His willingness to go above and beyond for my learning changed me profoundly, and it inspires me to bring that same energy to my students every day.”

When Andi learned she was selected, she immediately texted friends and family.

“My mom was so excited,” Andi shares. “My dad was too, but he kept it cool and said ‘I knew you were gonna get in.’”

In the time between her selection in June 2025 and the end of December 2025, Andi worked hard on two fronts to prepare. Andi was selected as a soprano 1, even though she initially applied as a soprano 2. Soprano 1’s tend to sing higher and more sustained notes than soprano 2’s.

“I’m used to singing soprano 2 in choir,” says Andi. “I was pretty surprised to find out I would be a soprano 1, but I also knew it would be a cool opportunity to sing outside my usual range.”

Andi also had to pay off a hefty $3,549 tuition fee.

“Mom paid off the initial $200 deposit,” says Andi. The rest was up to her. She worked at an ice cream parlor in Geneva over the summer, and then a fast food restaurant in Waterloo through the fall. “I saved all my paychecks to go towards this trip. It felt good to have it all paid for by the end of December.”

In the end, she believes it will all be worth it for an amazing opportunity to learn and bond with student-musicians just like her.

“I'm really looking forward to meeting a lot of new people,” says Andi. “I'm the only one from our school going, so I won't know anybody there. I can’t wait to meet a bunch of people that worked as hard as I did for it, and are excited about this opportunity.” 

“Andi is bright, determined, talented, and overall a truly wonderful person,” says Mrs. Elisofon. “I'm lucky to get to work with her.”