Ryan Moore and Vanessa Ramos

Ryan Morse and Vanessa Ramos, both seniors and well-acquainted friends, decided to audition for 2023 Mr. Norristown hosts, and with their efforts, they were able to get their roles.

“We had pretty tough competition, so, when we found we got it, it was pretty exciting,” said Morse. 

Getting the spot to host such a big event isn’t easy, so both Morse and Ramos had to do their best while they were auditioning.

“We definitely had to sell it, try to be ourselves, and be authentic,” Morse said.

Their ambitions don’t stop at Mr. Norristown, as they also have personal dreams and goals they want to accomplish in the future. 

“In school, we learn chemistry and forensics, things like that,” said Ramos. “But out of school, there’s a whole new world out there. I want to prepare myself as much as I can. That’s one of my main goals, learning what I can do and learning what is there to do.” 

Morse hopes to start her freshman year off strong in college and keep her career path in line. “I want to be a completely different person from where I am now because I just want to be prepared for life,” she said. 

The hosts of Mr. Norrsitown 2023 plan to bring liveliness to the stage on Thursday, but in school, both offer a lot of perspective. Ramos does not plan on going to her dream college immediately, and Morse pivoted from playing Division 1 softball. Morse still expects to bat in a lineup at a D2 school and even one day be an English teacher back here at the high school. She was able to figure out some ways to handle the pressures of being a high school senior, but it took time. 

“You need to know yourself and your abilities and know what you can do and cannot do. I set realistic goals for myself and you have to be okay with failing and learn to accept failure,” Morse said. “You just have to keep going, y’know?” 

Ramos once wanted to be a singer when she was younger, but as time carried on, she found her calling in business, which she plans on studying at Montgomery County Community College in the fall. 

Morse and Ramos feel that Norristown, as a community, is very united. A prime example of this solidarity is when their friend, Makai, passed away, and everyone in the community came together to celebrate Makai and his life. 

“It’s difficult, I just gotta remember that– hold onto the memories, to his laugh, his smile,” Morse stated. “I always have to remind myself that Makai would hate seeing everyone upset over his passing. Just remind myself that he would want me to continue working as hard as I can.”  Both spoke about how they use his legacy to continue striving themselves.

Morse and Ramos both envision themselves in a better and more lavish lifestyle in the future. They use those visions to drive themselves to work harder every day so they can one day wake up and be those people who can inspire others to be amazing someday too.