Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva, North Carolina is home to an award winning theater program, led by musical theater teacher Linda Haggard. Every year, Mrs. Haggard produces a spring musical, with a cast made up of students from the entire school. She has been wanting to do “Hairspray” for years, but has found it challenging to cast a musical about integration in a school with little diversity. When two talented sisters became interested in playing the roles of “Motormouth Maybelle” and “Little Inez,” they were able to use their popularity from being athletes to encourage other minority students to join the cast. Together, Mrs. Haggard and the cast hope to promote a message of inclusiveness and acceptance to the community.

Photo of "Little Inez" by Abby Igoe