Charlotte Teens To Watch – Charlotte Magazine

Isaiah Evans

North Mecklenburg High School’s Isaiah Evans won the 2023-2024 Gatorade Player of the Year in North Carolina for boys’ basketball. The 6-foot-7-inch small forward has committed to Duke University and is already listed as a first-round NBA draft pick in 2025. 

Cordelia Kim

Cordelia Kim, who holds the title for 2023 Teen Miss Dance of North Carolina, was named the Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association (CISAA) Dancer of the Year in 2024. The 16-year-old senior at Charlotte Latin has also co-founded Beads for Hope, a charity that donates handmade bracelets to children in hospitals and foster care.

Allyssa Vassell

Alyssa Vassell, Courtesy, CMS

Allyssa Vassell, a 2024 graduate of Julius L. Chambers High, was one of five students from Charlotte who took part in the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) Hill Day on March 21 in Washington, D.C. The group met with legislators and staff from the U.S. Senate and House to advocate for expanding access to higher education through programs like FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and the Pell Grant.

Connor Zilisch

Connor Zilisch, Photo by Daylon Barr

In 2024, rising NASCAR star Connor Zilisch won 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. The 17-year-old Charlotte native is also the first American driver to win the Karting Academy Trophy at the international kart racing competition, organized by the International Automobile Federation. 

Brayden Frasure

Brayden Frasure, Photo by Melissa Cockman

Fourteen-year-old Brayden Frasure, who starred alongside Tom Hanks and Bill Murray in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, now appears on the hit YouTube musical series, MusicClubKids! The Hickory native has also launched a food truck called Little Red’s Wagon to help feed the homeless.

Frida Guerrero Ochoa

Frida Guerrero, Courtesy CMS

Philip O. Berry Academy of Technology alumna Frida Guerrero Ochoa was one of 20 students nationwide to win the Levine Scholarship to attend UNC Charlotte. The Charlotte Soccer Academy star has also been an ambassador for Right Moves For Youth, a school-based youth development and student support program, and was president of the Hispanic Heritage Club.

Camryn Williams

Camryn Williams, Courtesy

Thirteen-year-old Camryn Williams appeared on season 12 of Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship alongside a dozen others from across the country. The Community House Middle School eighth grader is also the “slimeologist” behind Camryn’s Slime Shoppe, which she rolled out in 2020.