Jackie Merz

There has been no student at Roger Bacon that has a longer legacy of Spartans and Angels than junior Jackie Merz. Her family connection began with her great-grandparents Richard J. Merz ’43 and Katherine Manyet Merz OLA ’46, and includes through her grandfather, Richard Merz Jr. in 1968, and her father, Rocky Merz, 1995. With this long legacy, one might think Jackie was always destined to be a Spartan.

“I did shadow at least one other all-girls school, in addition to Roger Bacon,” shares Jackie, “but in the end, I just loved what a great place RB is, and being able to continue my family’s tradition. The community here is just so unique. You always see someone you know, and someone that will make you smile.”

Midway through her junior year, Jackie has made the most of her time at Roger Bacon. She is a member of National Honor Society, and is in the Assisi Scholar Honors Program. Jackie is also a fixture on the Roger Bacon stage, just like her father was, as a member of the Drama Guild. She earned prominent roles in recent productions such as We Will Rock You, Spam-A-Lot, and Pride & Prejudice. “The Drama Guild is just a special group of people,” shares Jackie. “I just love how you can always be yourself, which you get to do here at RB anyway, and be in a community with so many interesting and talented artists.” Jackie’s tremendous work in Spam-A-Lot earned her a CAPPIE Award (the local high school theater version of a Tony award) for Best Female Vocalist. “It was such an honor to win the award, and perform at the Aronoff Center, representing Roger Bacon, especially since I was only a sophomore,” shares Jackie. This spring, she has landed the lead role of Kira in the musical Xanadu. “I am excited for people to see Xanadu because I know that the cast and crew are putting in a lot of time and work. I am also excited for people to see the show in general because it’s really funny,” states Jackie.

Jackie is also a fixture on the Academic Honor Roll, and her favorite teachers are Mrs. Welt, Mr. Hetzer, or Doc Wittekind, and her favorite subject is AP Seminar.

When she isn’t busy studying or starring on the Roger Bacon stage, Jackie stays busy headlining the rock band ORAD (Of Rhythm and Dreams) which features fellow Roger Bacon students Ray Huffman ’25, and recent RB grads Xavier Hecker and Casey Lanser, Class of 2024. ORAD has recently moved from performing at local church festivals to venues in the Cincinnati area such as Wiedemann Brewery and The Vault in Mt. Lookout. It was at a recent show at The Vault, as ORAD brought the house to their feet with a rousing rendition of Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club, that further validated all of the hard work they had put in. Shares Jackie, “ORAD is a cool opportunity that allows me to perform outside of school. We have performed at a lot of different restaurants and church festivals. The Vault show was so memorable. Especially as the crowd sang along loudly to Pink Pony Club, and it was just an awesome experience.”

You can find a video of this performance of Pink Pony Club here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OygF07HFJ48

As she looks down the road, Jackie definitely envisions studying Theater / Performing Arts in college, with a dream school of the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music at the top of her list. Although, she is quick to point out she is in no hurry, and just wants to enjoy the next year and a half at Roger Bacon, and all it has to offer.

On top of her lead role in Xanadu, Jackie is really looking forward to all of the events that will highlight the next several months. That includes the JOY retreat, Prom, and a trip to Scotland this summer with the Drama Guild to attend Fringe Festival, which is the world's largest performing arts festival. “I am really looking forward to Fringe Fest. Not only to get to see all of these incredible artists from all over the world, but also will get to perform our own play, that we have written,” exclaims Jackie.

When reflecting on her favorite moments at Roger Bacon, like most students, it always circles back to the unique culture you can only find at RB. “My first thought was something like the Cappie, or one of the shows, or getting the lead in Xanadu, but my answer really Is just the special community here at Roger Bacon. I love my friends, and I love my classes. I love having small class sizes and teachers that really care about us beyond what they are teaching us, “says Jackie. “I love that we are like the real world, and have this wonderful co-ed, diverse family. I love that everyone knows each other, and there are so many opportunities for students to pursue their interests. I just love Roger Bacon!”