She walked the halls of the freshman campus and people she didn’t even know were now stopping to say “hi.”

Freshman Berkley Coscia had become an overnight sensation.

On Aug. 21, Berkley posted a video on Twitter of her singing a cover of “Hit The Quan” by rap group iHeart Memphis. Since posting, the video has generated nearly 3,000 retweets, 6,000 favorites and over 1,000 new Twitter followers from that video alone.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]“That song was really popular and everyone was dancing to it, but I can’t dance so I figured I should do a cover of it,” Berkley said. “Before, I posted a “Cheerleader” cover a month earlier and it got a lot of retweets, so I decided to do something different and I thought people might like this.”

“Like” was an understatement. Both people in her school life and social life recognized her because of the video.

“School was a lot more exciting,” Berkley said. “The video helped me gain recognition. People saw me in public and would talk to me and ask me questions. I’ve gained a lot more followers and friends.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Even with the sudden popularity, Berkley’s mother Lisa Coscia believes she can handle the success without letting fame get to her head.

“I just hope that she will stay humble and true to herself and continue to develop her singing voice,” Lisa said. “Her talent is still very raw, she’s still very young, so I just hope that she will continue working to achieve her goals.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Lisa can still recall the first glimpse of Berkley’s vocal talent.

“She actually used to sing in the backseat of the car,” Lisa said. “When she was about two years old was when I first realized that she had a good singing voice. We’d be watching a movie and she’d have the headphones on and would just be singing out loud and at two years old she could already do little rhymes with her singing.”

And singing runs in the family. While Berkley has received very little formal training with the exception of a few voice lessons, she has genetics on her side.

“It’s just very heartwarming for me, because I used to be a singer as well, so it’s fun to see her developing her talent on her own,” Lisa said. “Maybe in a way she is following, with the love of singing, but she is definitely taking her own twist to it. I was country and she’s going more pop. She has her own sound that’s very different from mine, but it is very fun to see her love of singing following my love of singing.”

Berkley is currently a member of Belle Chanson, the varsity treble choir taught by Rachel Forester. Forester, having taught at the school since its’ opening in 1999, thinks very highly of Berkley’s talent and ambition. Forester knows it takes quite a bit of courage to post a singing video online for thousands to see.

“Well, come on, that’s how Bieber started,” Forester said. “I mean really, to put yourself out like that takes, number one, guts and tenacity. And on top of that, she’s good. I love the risk that it takes and that she’s putting herself out there, she feels confident enough in herself to be able to do that. She’s always focused and doing what she’s supposed to do. That kind of kid blends into what we’re building around here. She’s going to be able to take some of the things that we work on in the choir class, and put it toward her own individual career.

Berkley also understands the technical advantages of singing in Belle Chanson.

“It will help me practice more often and strengthen my vocal range so I can go higher and lower,” Berkley said. “It makes me better as a singer when I can hit the higher notes and the lower notes as well.”

And Berkley’s talents don’t stop at singing.

In addition to the Belle Chanson choir, Berkley also plays club volleyball outside of school, has played guitar since she was eight and is currently trying to teach herself how to play the piano. Having to juggle so many extracurricular activities can get hectic, so Berkley created a sort of schedule for herself.

“I come home and I play guitar and I do some homework and I play more guitar,” Berkley said. “My breaks consist of playing guitar. On days I have volleyball it just fits in somehow. Usually I spend one to two hours everyday practicing singing. I procrastinate and play guitar.”

With over 9,200 Twitter followers, Berkley’s exposure in social media has made her a sort of role model for many, including her younger sister.

“Oh yes, Emery definitely has a lot of potential as well,” Lisa said. “She can also play the guitar and can sing. She’s just very hesitant to do it because she sees how much attention Berkley gets and is afraid that she’ll be compared to Berkley.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][nectar_slider location=”BerkleyCoscia” arrow_navigation=”true” slider_height=”650″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Only a freshman, Berkley has high hopes and aspirations for herself and her future. These goals include possibly attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

Berkley’s mother takes a more hands-off approach, as long as it involves a college degree.

“It’s up to her,” Lisa said. “It’s up to her desire and her passion for singing for however far she wants to take it. As long as she has the college education, I will support whatever she wants to do with her singing.

“I think we’re all just excited, all of us, all of her family is just sitting back in awe watching her go. Everything that she’s accomplished, she’s done through a lot of hard work and she’s done it all on her own. I’m very proud of her and look forward to seeing how far she goes and what she accomplishes in her life.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]