MBHS student named Jefferson County ‘Outstanding Teen’

Mountain Brook resident Anna Bella Foster is the new Miss Jefferson County Outstanding Teen.

In addition to winning the overall title July 18, Foster won the talent competition with her rendition of the famed Puccini aria, “O Mio Babbino Caro.”

A rising junior at Mountain Brook High School, Foster will also compete in the Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen Scholarship Program in March 2022.

Foster didn’t expect to win the competition.

“I was shocked,” Foster said. “In fact, when they called my name I just stood there. One of the girls tapped me on the arm and told me I had won. My response was, “Are you sure?”  I looked out at the audience and my parents were clapping but they were also laughing at my reaction.”

However, it’s perhaps no surprise that Foster did so well, especially in the talent portion.

“Musical theatre is a big part of my life,” she said.

Foster has trained in dance since she was two years old, voice since she was six and acting since she was nine.

She’s worked locally at Virginia Samford Theatre and Red Mountain Theatre and has done voice-over work in Los Angeles.

“I’m so fortunate that we have such an amazing arts community in Birmingham,” Foster said.

Some of her favorite roles have been Anna in “Frozen,” Baby June in “Gypsy” and Mary Lennox in “The Secret Garden.”

She’s been involved in some school productions, playing Mary Poppins in “Mary Poppins Jr.” at Mountain Brook Junior High School and Olivia in “Twelfth Night” at MBHS.

But she missed out on one cherished role in an MBHS production in 2020 due to the pandemic.

“I was cast as Mona in ‘Chicago,’ but (COVID-19) hit on the day of opening night, which was so sad, because we never got to perform that show,”: she said.

Foster spent a month earlier this summer studying voice, dancing and acting at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

This almost caused her to back out of the Outstanding Teen competition.

She came back to Birmingham from Boston on July 13, and the competition was only five days later..

“I almost chickened out, but I’m so glad I didn’t,” Foster said.

The soprano aria “O Mio Babbino Caro” — “Oh my dear papa,” in English — was a good choice for Foster.

“I’m trained classically and wanted to challenge myself,” she said. “This piece is so beautiful, but you really have to use your acting skills for it to read to an audience. So I felt that if I worked hard enough, it would be entertaining to those who don’t know classical music.”

While serving as Outstanding Teen, Foster hopes to use her platform to help the community.

She serves on the Student Leadership Council at the Ronald McDonald House and is teaming up with the organization for a project called “Art In A Box.”

“My goal is to put together boxes consisting of different ‘do it yourself’ art projects for the residents there to enjoy during their down time,” Foster said.

Foster looks forward to competing in the Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen competition.

“I can’t wait to meet the other girls and hear what all of these amazing young women are out doing in our state,” she said. “I can’t wait until we all get to perform our talent on stage.”

She also wants to continue in the program.

“The Miss Alabama and Miss America Scholarship Programs are an amazing way for young women to earn scholarship money,” she said. “In addition, it is inspiring to see young women, from all over the country, contributing to their community through the platform of their choosing.”