'VV Show' brings home big honor from Atlanta
Jul. 20—HENDERSON — Already boasting a widespread social media following at age 11, it's not hard to imagine Henderson's Varonica Mitchell catching a big break sooner rather than later.
The latest honor on her road to stardom came in the spring as Varonica was named the Best Youth Female Social Media Influencer in Atlanta while being crowned the Atlanta Kidz Choice Awards Social Media Queen.
Varonica, nominated for her "The VV Show" work, was also up for Best Future Kid Actress.
"I was so excited," Varonica said of winning. "My sister, my mom and my dad were just cheering me on. They were like, 'You go, VV. You go.' And I was just like so excited and so happy and so proud of myself that I had made it this far, that I actually won an award in Atlanta since there were other nominees. [It didn't have to be me,] but because of God, it was me."
Varonica is the daughter of Vanessa and Thomas Mitchell, whom Varonica credits for her flair for the dramatic. Vanessa founded the local iDance Praise Academy and Thomas was once known for his Michael Jackson moves.
The "VV" in "The VV Show," which serves as the handle for all of Varonica's social media accounts, is Varonica's nickname from her family, though it's now part of her identity as an entertainer.
Her favorite ways to perform are through comedy and dancing to Gospel music.
"The VV Show" has nearly 37,000 followers on Instagram and some of Varonica's videos have reached millions of viewers.
Varonica recalled an instance in which she was recognized locally by a young fan, who realized he was in the presence of "The VV Show."
"It just made my heart smile," Varonica said.
Varonica was the only artist from North Carolina honored in the Kidz Choice Awards, going against the likes of other young talents from major metropolitan areas.
"It was so amazing because a lot of these individuals were from Atlanta and D.C. and New York," Varonica's mom Vanessa said. "These big places — and here we are with Varonica from Henderson, North Carolina. She goes to Henderson Collegiate. And she comes out to be the winner. It was such an amazing experience."
The Mitchells feel at home in Atlanta. Vanessa went to college there at Clark Atlanta University and Varonica pointed out there's already a relative in The ATL who has received acclaim: her uncle, Henderson's Daniel Hicks Jr., who is better known by his battle rap stage handle Rebuttal Thatt.
What might the future hold for Varonica?
Vanessa wonders if it might require relocation to a larger city.
In the meantime, Varonica's upcoming projects include a Halloween guest spot with the Chicago-based internet sketch series TCG Puppets and an acting gig in a children's production called "Urk my Nerves." On Aug. 20, she'll be performing stand-up comedy in Raleigh, specifically as her popular online character Mr. Eggnog (an old teacher).
Varonica has her own line of merchandise and she's also spending part of her summer at fashion shows since she serves in multiple roles as a brand ambassador.
Yes, she does it all.
"But I definitely see her starring in some big series like on Disney and Nickelodeon, still doing her own thing too, because she has made a name for herself," Vanessa said. "She has a long way to go because she's just 11, so I can't imagine what she's going to be doing two and three years from now. But I see her doing some really, really great things, maybe even a major film and movies."
Varonica envisions the same sort of success for herself and added that she wants to inspire younger kids as she goes along.
"You can do whatever you want to do," Varonica said. "Just make sure you put the effort in there and always put God first."
