Alex Ismael, one of 12 contestants for the annual Mr. Linganore show will be portraying Steve Jobs, the computer entrepreneur and agent for social change. This year’s theme is “A Night of Firsts.”

Ismael said, “Steve Jobs was the man to introduce the first generation of many iconic Apple products that have truly changed the world, such as the iPhone and iPad. I felt like he was a great person to represent firsts on the Night of Firsts.”

Ismael is drum major for the marching band and plays trumpet in symphonic band. He is involved in many honor societies and is currently the Vice President for the student government.

Percussionist Ethan Blache said, “The drum majors have helped band members, such as playing in unison and learning individual parts. The band simply wouldn’t be as productive without the drum majors’ leadership and hard work.”  

The drum major must lead 100+ students and is on a raised platform in front of the crowd. “I think that I am probably more comfortable on stage than some of my fellow contestants, due to band, which could also give me an edge,” said Ismael.

As far as Alex’s talent he hopes to keep that a secret and blow everyone away the night of the event.

Ismael is excited to dance with his partner Eilis McCormick because he’s never had the opportunity to ballroom dance before.

In previous years Alex’s brother Noah Ismael was the scorekeeper for the show, and this year his sister, India Ismael joins Caroline Etherton, one of his managers.

I think it’s really cool that he’s branching out and doing Mr. Linganore, especially because he’s loved Linganore since he was a freshman,” said India.  

“After seeing three years of it, I was excited to have the opportunity to be a part of Mr. Linganore! I was a little worried about the time commitment, but I also knew I would regret it if I hadn’t participated,” said Ismael.

After high school, Ismael plans to major in architecture, a passion he has pursued throughout high school. He has taken many engineering classes, including Architectural Engineering and Design (AED).

Mark Lastova, Project Lead the Way instructor, said, “He is a motivated and driven student. He is excellent in free hand and 2 point perspective drawings.”