Senior Victoria Garcia de Leaniz Hernandez has what her friend senior Nicholas Pizzo describes as a “semi-ironic” intent to construct a boat in her time at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and spend her days sailing.

And she’ll probably do it. Those who know Victoria know her “vast range of interests that she excels in.”

“The first time I had an in-depth conversation with Victoria was at Talent Show 2021. In between performances, Victoria and I were arguing about Shakespeare in the back until we got yelled at for being too loud,” Pizzo said.

Boat making and Shakespeare aside, Victoria is best known for her gifts in music.

Some people perform because they love the applause. Some people crave attention. Some people just want to put it on their college applications. Victoria performs because she loves the music.

“What makes her really special is that she doesn’t ask to be special,” Band Director Mrs. Janene Kessler said. “Even though she’s very talented, she never acts like she’s above anybody else.”

It would be easy for her to do so. Victoria has been playing music since the fourth grade, starting clarinet when her school began its program. In fact, Victoria has been immersed in music her whole life.

“My family placed a really big emphasis on music. They always brought up how music makes you think in a different way,” Victoria said. “Music is very math-based and helps you become well-rounded.”

Victoria chose the clarinet in fourth grade because it was “most similar to a recorder,” which she had already mastered in third grade. From there, she’s picked up many variations: the B-flat clarinet — the main one — the A clarinet, the E-flat clarinet, the contra-alto clarinet, and the bass clarinet.

“One of Victoria’s strengths is her ability to step up and try new things,” Kessler said. “The different clarinets are similar, but not the same. She’s never hesitated to say, ‘Oh, I can do that.’”

In addition to the clarinet, Victoria also plays the guitar, specifically the acoustic guitar, starting her freshman year. While her clarinet talents typically belong to the school, Victoria’s skills on guitar are used to play Spanish music, because her instructor is from Spain.

At Lake Forest High School, Victoria has been involved with both the co-curricular band and the jazz band for the past four years. She is also the clarinet section leader and has been a part of the band leadership team for three years, earning the position of band co-president along with senior Jordan Miles this year.

“We do a lot of organizational things [as president]. We organize for marching band season, we organize the senior piece, and we organize the senior video,” Victoria said. “We basically just guide the group and try to make things work.”

This year, Victoria also joined the Pit Band for the LFHS musical Cinderella. In the spirit of trying new things, she also performed in the band Crooks and Nannies for the Talent Show. Though this was a new act, Victoria had been a part of the jazz band in the Talent Show for four years.

Earlier in the year, Crooks and Nannies played their first gig at the Highwood Pumpkin Fest. At the Talent Show, they performed North by The Family Crest, with Victoria on clarinet.

“I think it’s really cool to see less classic instruments still playing more modern stuff,” Victoria said. “It’s not just all electric guitars.”

While the clarinet may not be typical in modern music, Victoria makes the transition seamless. From just rehearsing once with Victoria, Pizzo understood her “positive force.”

“Victoria inspires others to play their best, and has an incredible musical instinct, helping to rewrite sections of music for the group on the fly,” Pizzo said.

It’s no surprise that Victoria was chosen to go to the All-State Music Festival this year, a highly prestigious three-day event involving the top music students in Illinois. To go to All-State, an audition is required, followed by entrance to the district festival. Students from the district festival are then chosen to go to All-State. Although she qualified for the district last year, Victoria couldn’t attend due to a conflict, meaning she was also not eligible for All-State.

This year’s All-State festival featured Victoria driving down to Peoria, where she rehearsed for hours on end the first two days. These rehearsals all led up to the performance on the final day.

Next year, Victoria will be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study Mechanical and Ocean Engineering.

“I definitely want to keep playing, but I’m not exactly sure what it will entail. I’m considering joining the wind ensemble because I know I want to be involved in music,” Victoria said.

Over spring break, Victoria and the LFHS band and orchestra traveled to Spain to perform. Senior Amy Lugos-Santos performed in the band alongside Victoria.

“Victoria performed Luisa di Montfort during the Spain tour. She is an amazing musician with a lot of talent, and this piece was able to demonstrate her aptitude with the clarinet,” Lugos-Santos said.

For someone who has been playing for so long, Victoria has changed a lot. One thing that has been consistent is her “meaningful contribution” to the band, according to Kessler.

“She’s kind of a perfectionist, as most good musicians are, but she’s learned to have confidence in her abilities. She can stand up and take an improvised solo,” Kessler said. “I would love for every student to understand, like Victoria does, that every part of the band contributes to the whole.”

After she graduates, Victoria’s impact will not be lost; she will be “missed tremendously.”

“She’s just one of those students where everything’s better when she’s there,” Kessler said.

This story was originally published on The Forest Scout on May 12, 2025.