The White House Heritage High School Senior BETA Club made history this summer by clinching first place in the National BETA Convention’s Performing Arts Small Group category on June 26th.. Competing against top-performing students from across the nation, the six-member team wowed judges and audiences alike with a Broadway-inspired performance that blended creativity, grit, and heart.

The winning group, composed of Darcy Duncan, Anna Beth Adams, Ally Kopulos, Addy Clark, Ava Kelley, and Allysa Wiley, represented Heritage with passion and poise. Their victory marks a major milestone not only for their school but for the BETA Club program as a whole, especially considering it was a student-led initiative from start to finish.

Darcy Duncan, a recent graduate and longtime BETA leader, spearheaded the performance. “I’ve never competed in performing arts before,” she admitted. “But I knew we had so much talent at our school, and I wanted to get this together so badly for my senior year.”

Inspired by clips from the Tony Awards, Darcy envisioned a musical mashup with a dramatic opening, a vibrant finale, and choreography that would captivate. Using TikTok to share her ideas, she recruited fellow students from the school’s Acapella program and even got help from a parent to mix the final track. “All of our rehearsals were in my barn—no air conditioning, just my dad’s projects,” she laughed.

Their first stop was the Tennessee State BETA Convention in November, where the group surprised themselves by placing first among the top performers. That earned them a spot at Nationals—where they elevated the routine with new costumes, refined transitions, and a bigger stage presence.

“No sponsors went with us to Nationals—it was just us and our parents,” Darcy said. “That made it even more special–to experience it with our families.”

When the team was announced in the Top 5, then Top 3, they had to prepare to perform again—this time in front of thousands at the convention’s General Session, complete with lights, a jumbotron, and a roaring crowd. “It was so much more fun with the energy in the room,” Darcy recalled. Being the chosen team member to receive the award, Darcy went backstage before placings were announced. “I kept it a secret for over an hour before they officially presented us with the award. Hearing our parents scream was the best part!”

“It was the perfect way to say goodbye to high school,” she said. “Getting to inspire younger students, share that joy, and connect with people from all over the country—it’s something I’ll never forget.”

Darcy heads to Tennessee Tech University this fall to study Communications, carrying with her not just a national title, but the memories of a final high school triumph built on friendship, leadership, and the power of performance.

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