Monroe Students Showcase Creativity and Culture In "Monroe's Got Talent" Grand Finale

After three unforgettable rounds of showstopping performances, Monroe’s Got Talent crowned its Season 6 champion: Hospitality Management major Shavonne Maynard, who captivated the audience with her powerful steel pan performance and commanding stage presence. 

Hailing from Nevis, Shavonne’s performance with the steel pan, a cultural emblem that immediately transports the listener to the Caribbean, roused the audience to their feet and inspired singing and dancing along to her act. She describes herself as a generally shy person but credits her strong stage presence that night to the supportive audience. 

“Even before I started performing, when I came out, the audience had already started cheering for me,” she said. “They fueled my performance that night with their energy and the love and support I received from them. I’m really grateful for them and all my coaches and everybody else who played a pivotal role.” 

In her final MGT performance, Shavonne wore a red suit to symbolize the passion, power and pain of women. Her musical performance was built around an acting performance, playing the role of a woman rising above the heartbreak of a bad relationship. 

“I have suffered in this relationship. But as of tonight, I am going to take a stand. And as we celebrate Women’s History Month, I encourage all of you ladies out there to take a stand,” Shavonne urged during her performance. 

As the person in the role of ex-boyfriend approached her, Shavonne made it unmistakably clear to him and the audience that she had no interest in continuing their romantic relationship. The crowd cheered enthusiastically for her music and playful acting's serious message. 

The grand finale took place in the ballroom of Hotel NoMa, which is just around the corner from our New Rochelle campus. 

In second place, Atiyana Barnes-Jones, a Human Services major and Monroe University Honors student, electrified the audience with an act that celebrated herself and her identity as a Black woman. Atiyana performed a routine inspired by Beyonce’s Homecoming, performing in the majorette style, one well known for its deep connections to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). 

Atiyana is set to graduate this semester. This act was intended to be a farewell to her teammates and a final statement as the captain of the Monroe dance team that she led for two years. 

“This was kind of like my goodbye to my teammates, to the whole Monroe community,” Atiyana said. 

Third place went to Albanian student and Computer Science major Euklid Pllumbaj, who executed lyrical flow with precision and passion. In his final MGT performance, he delivered both tracks from well-known hip hop artists and original rhymes that discussed his childhood and what drives him, while staying true to the hip hop artform. 

Euklid’s performance was earned through a “wild card” vote during the second round of MGT, earning him one more shot at MGT’s top prize. 

“I actually wasn’t supposed to go to the finals, but then we had the wild card competition. DJ Canine came up with an idea to do a diss track using three mainstream rap songs and I just had to write the lyrics,” Euklid said. “It was very nice to go on to the finale and take third place and everything. I just liked it.” 

Business Administration student Luther Reid, a percussion prodigy, came in fourth place with his act that carried the crowd through beats and rhythm as the driving force. 

Beginning  drumming at just four years old, Luther said he was inspired to join the competition to “shine a light for those who are scared to show their talent and saying take a risk and have fun.” 

“I'm a shy guy so personally I usually wouldn't voluntarily step out and do things like this, but I wanted to be a testimony for others to step out their comfort zone because you never know the outcome,” he said. 

Luther’s act was more than just a demonstration of his technical precision. He said it was a heartfelt tribute to his Christian faith, choosing songs that emphasized worship and community prayer. 

Winners were selected through a combination of audience votes and scores from a panel of Monroe faculty and staff judges. Denzel Daniel, Monroe’s Director of Student Activities, said he believed that this year’s MGT cohort was the very best they’ve had yet. Now in its sixth year, the event has evolved into a space for students to express themselves, build campus spirit and belonging with one another, and celebrate the inclusive culture at Monroe. 

"It truly creates a sense of community, and students can have something to brag about.  It brings a great energy to campus,” said Director Daniel. “They show up, they dress up, they cheer each other on. Nobody’s mad at MGT." 

“I love judging MGT. This was my third season judging MGT and I am amazed at the talent of our students. Looking forward to season 7!” said Vannett Coburn, Director of International Student Services. 

Honors Program Director Kathryn MacDonald agreed. 

“I loved judging MGT Season 6. The range of talents was so impressive, with so many of the contestants creating their own content,” Director MacDonald said. “All of the finalists grew so much from their first-round performances to their final performances. Seeing each individual progress, gain confidence, and entertain the Monroe community was my favorite part.” 

Besides the adoration and applause, MGT’s winners were awarded some terrific prizes, including scholarship money to put directly toward their education at Monroe.  

Monroe’s Got Talent is held every year from January to March. With the incredible talent brought forth by Shavonne, Atiyana, Euklid, and Luther, Season 6 will be hard to top -- but we’re already counting down the days until Season 7!