Haddonfield Middle School student Mia Bompensa opens up about her talents and what inspires her.
Haddonfield Middle School student Mia Bompensa is not your typical 11 year old. Whether it is acting in musicals, obtaining a black belt in karate or depicting her favorite Disney characters through artistic expression, she has tackled it all.
“When I was little, I always loved to sing, and I watched a bunch of plays, and it kind of got me inspired and I wanted to act,” Mia said.
Mia found her love of acting by watching the popular musical, “Wicked,” which happens to be her favorite, inspiring her to play in “Annie” in the children’s ensemble, debuting at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. Mia can usually be found running back and forth from rehearsals in addition to maintaining grades, which speaks volumes about her work ethic, according to some of her family members, including her mom.
“She has an excellent work ethic. At the beginning when we heard about this opportunity, we said ‘how can she do all of these shows in these months and weeks and still have school?’ But she has been balancing it really well,” Mia’s mother, Maria Bompensa, explained.
“We are not doing anything other than being her Uber driver, we don’t push her or anything. If she wants to do it, she can do it. We just have to get her there,” Bompensa added.
When Mia is not on stage, she is practicing karate, a passion she has been successfully involved with since she was 3 years old. At 8, she received her junior black belt, and this year she will be testing for her second degree. In addition, her appetite for success extends to other hobbies such as drawing and painting. One of her favorite pastimes includes painting and drawing realistic Disney characters and even making her own Instagram page to display her work.
Although Mia remains fairly busy in her day-to-day life, she still finds time to listen to Broadway tunes and spend time with friends. Mia enjoys all types of music; however, she admits she doesn’t always keep up with the latest artists on the radio.
“My friends were talking about Ed Sheeran and I was like, ‘Who is Ed Sheeran? And my friends are like, ‘you don’t know who Ed Sheeran is?’” Mia said with a grin.
Despite some of Mia’s role models being Tony award-winning Broadway actresses Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, the two people she looks up to above all are her parents for inspiring her to accomplish her dreams.
“They always inspired me and supported me in everything that I do, and they give me advice on things I need to work on and things I am doing well,” Mia said.
Although Mia is unsure of what the future holds for her, she plans to go to college and possibly be a writer or a veterinarian and help animals. She encourages community members to pursue dreams and goals, even in the face of adversity.
“Whether it is acting, singing or drawing, keep doing what you want to do,” Mia said.
Those interested in seeing Mia perform in “Annie” can attend until the final preview date on Jan. 7 at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. To purchase tickets, find the performance schedule or find out more about “Annie,” go to walnutstreettheatre.org. Mia’s Instagram page displaying her illustrations can be found at @doodles_and_disney.
