For years, Grace Surmion had sung in different competitions but never won any of them.
However, that streak ended last Friday when the Filipino was named the winner in the adult division of Odessa’s Got Talent.
The win caught her off guard.
“I’ve been competing in singing contests way back since I lived in the Philippines and I never won,” Surmion said. “That was the first time I ever won a solo competition. I was always second or third so the reason why it was special for me was because this is the first time I competed outside the country. I wanted to showcase the talent that I have and represent my country.”
Surmion, 36, was born in Laguna, which is southeast of Manila in the Philippines.
She, along with her husband Luix Surmion and 3-year-old son Quian Surmion, all moved to Odessa in June, 2019 to be closer to her mother Faith Bernade.
Her mother is a longtime Odessan.
“My mom has been here for 25 years,” Surmion said. “The reason we came here is because she’s alone and she wants to be with her only grandchild so we decided to migrate here.”
Surmion has been singing ever since she was 10.
In last week’s Odessa’s Got Talent, it was her first time competing in the show which is a fundraiser for the Permian Basin Mission Center.
It took all weekend for her to fully comprehend her win as she competed against 10 other performers in her division including a few bands, one of which was Los Crazy Guys which won the adult division last year and finished third this year.
However, Surmion’s solo performance of “Never Enough” from the musical “The Greatest Showman” was enough to not only impress the judges but also bring the audience members to their feet as she received a standing ovation.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Surmion said. “Up until now, I couldn’t believe that I won because all of the performers were really good and I was expecting someone else to win. I was really surprised.”
“The Greatest Showman” came out in late 2017 and starred Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Michelle Williams. In the movie, the vocals to “Never Enough” were done by Loren Allred.
Surmion has been singing “Never Enough” since the movie’s release but also said that she originally was planning to sing a lower version of it as she was unsure if she could actually sing the high notes.
“I didn’t realize that I could reach the highest note because I was planning to sing the lower key version but I challenged myself so I practiced for a month after I applied for the competition,” Surmion said. “The moment that I applied, I started practicing every day.”
It was a challenge that ended up paying off.
She also chose “Never Enough” because it’s not a song that’s particularly long.
“It’s less than three minutes and has fewer lyrics,” Surmion said. “Lastly, it has a good ending.”
Surmion also sings in her church’s band at Grace Christian Fellowship and can also play the guitar and piano.
As far as what competitions she’ll compete at in the future, Surmrion says she’s not sure but said her husband has been trying to convince to try and compete on “The Voice”.
“American Idol, there’s an age limit but in the Voice, there isn’t,” Surmion said. “I don’t know. I’ll be thinking about it.”
In the meantime, Surmion will be getting ready to teach this upcoming school year as she recently passed the exam to earn her teaching certificate at UTPB.
She hopes to teach either third or fourth grade somewhere at ECISD.
“It’s been my passion,” Surmion said of teaching. “When I was in elementary, I was the president of the class and I took over the class that’s when I decided I wanted to be a teacher. … When I got here, there was an opportunity that ECISD was sponsoring a working visa for teachers so that’s why I took the opportunity and it’s a good thing because it’s my passion. I’m pursuing what I really want to do.”
She took online classes at night as she worked to become a teacher, usually working from 10 p.m. to about 3 a.m.
“I was able to manage my time,” Surmion said. “The moment my husband and son are asleep, I have my online class because it’s really quiet so it’s the perfect time for me to study.”
She and her family have enjoyed being in West Texas.
“I love Odessa,” Surmion said. “It’s quiet and peaceful. The people are very nice.”
