MENDOTA - Emilio Raya, a Mendota High School choir student, has been selected to perform the National Anthem at the Girls Volleyball State Tournament to be held in November.

The process of selection began during the past school year at the ILMEA district festival, where Raya auditioned and was nominated as the District 2 delegate to audition at the all-state festival, where singers are ranked and turned over to the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).

MHS was notified that Raya received this very prestigious honor in February. He is one of only two MHS singers to ever be chosen for this honor and one of only a handful of singers in Illinois to be selected this year.