Lydia Ames’ love for writing, poetry, and speaking began in her sixth-grade creative writing class. She was introduced to spoken word and began writing and performing pieces. In 2019, she won TSU’s MLK Day spoken word contest and performed her piece at the beginning of the march. As a middle school student, she spoke at AZ Kelley’s historical marker ceremony, her eighth-grade graduation, and several other events and wrote songs and verses in music production.
Miss Ames joined the theatre in 2020 at her high school, firstly working in the booth doing sound, to becoming Technical Director by her sophomore year. She worked on seven productions, leading and working in many technical departments. Miss Ames was awarded All-Star Crew for her work in Mamma Mia in 2022 and All-Star Crew and Technical Achievement for her work in Les Miserables in 2023 at the Spotlight Awards for Tennessee high school theatre. She was also secretary for Thespian Troupe 8831 from 2021-2023.
Lydia has been serving Mount Zion Baptist Church for nine years through working in the children’s ministry. She has been emcee for youth services, taught vacation bible school, and helped volunteer for many church events. She has also done several spoken word pieces for media and services and was awarded two scholarships.
Lydia is currently a sophomore at Florida Institute of Technology studying aerospace engineering. She is an active member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and works in the Panther Rocket Lab. She enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach, and hanging out with friends.