Great Valley Alum Overcomes Adversity, Lives Out Her Music Dream on NBC’s ‘The Voice’

By

Jackie Verna

A tragic car accident may have halted one of Jackie Verna’s dreams, but now, she’s well on her way to making a new one come true.

Six years after being T-boned by a car that ran a red light, an accident that ended her dream of becoming a cheerleader at the University of Alabama, Verna, a Great Valley High School graduate and West Chester resident, is living out her music dream.

On this week’s episode of NBC’s “The Voice,” the 22-year-old secured a spot on Team Adam (Levine) by singing a powerful rendition of Kelsea Ballerini’s “Peter Pan.”

“Jackie was a revelation to me,” said Levine. “I’ve got my little pop-country superstar. I’m very excited about her. She’s amazing.”

The car accident in 2012 left Verna with severe physical injuries, as well as short-term memory loss, as she lost confidence in her future.

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“I just remember waking up on the floor of the passenger seat, hanging half out of the car,” said Verna. “I didn’t know if I would ever do music again. It wasn’t because I couldn’t sing. It was because I was so scared of what people were going to be looking at.”

She quickly turned to the keyboard her aunt had gifted her, and music became the catalyst to her recovery. Country music allowed her to infuse her emotions and story into its narrative style. She went on to attend Penn State, and as her confidence grew, she began performing at local open mics.

“I’m a country-pop artist,” Verna said. “I was the little girl who would jam out to Brittney Spears and Kelly Clarkson in my bedroom.”

Clarkson, one of the four coaches on the show, may regret not picking Verna for her team. Alicia Keys and Blake Shelton, whose teams were full, were wowed by Verna’s talent.

“I’ve never been more excited about a one-chair turn in my life,” Levine said.

And it showed, as he broke out in an impromptu dance on stage, before giving Verna a hug and welcoming her to his team.

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