Many people spend their entire lives trying to find the very thing their good at, but few find it. This is not the case with Iyonna Nicole Smith A.K.A. Nicole Yung, an Augusta native. At birth she knew her passion for the liberal arts was strong, and has not strayed from it since. Her artistic skills were first spotted at the age of 6 years old when she competed against 6 to 11 years old in a coloring competition. Nicole’s sharp color palette received first place, which quickly caught the eye of her parents and others. Knowing that her skills could no longer be contained on paper, Yung’s parents allowed her to give input that would ultimately design her wardrobe.
This same passion for colors has since drifted into dance and music. Nicole enjoys advanced step routines and entertaining crowds, so she challenged herself by joining Dynamic Diva step team as well as becoming a dancer for the Garden City Panthers. Yung did not stop testing her will there. One day Nicole observed her father writing a song to a beat. Thinking grand thoughts, she grabbed a pen and pad from another room. Then she quietly sat next to him and started to write. When asked, “What are you doing?” she replied,” Dad, I bet I can do it!” Since that day, Yung has continued to build her music repertoire.
She has opened for Mindless Behavior, the OMG Girlz and others. Moreover, Yung’s stellar performance transfers off the stage into a model student and citizen for all kids. She has made honor roll all her life, and even at 15 years of age, Yung continues to excel in everything she does. This is just the beginning for the little lady that continues to increase her potential as an artist while enjoying the perks of being a kid.