ELYRIA, Ohio — Opera singer Lester Lynch sees a little bit of himself in every Elyria High School student in the chorus.
"My God, it's incredible to be back in these halls again," said Lynch.
More than 30 years ago, he was one of them.
"Kind of this coming full circle moment," said Lynch.
Lynch has graced opera house stages across the country and the world, shattering glass ceilings and entertaining millions.
"I think that's what its all about paying it forward, paving the way, giving back in every way that you can," he said.
He's back in Elyria for the next couple of days, helping students prepare for a concert where he will also be performing.
"I'm really excited to see the audience's reaction and all of us come together," said freshmen Haven Washington.
Beyond music, Lynch is teaching the students about Elyria pride and showing them they can be anything they want to be.
"It doesn't have to be opera or music, it can be anything but just that they dream and that they believe in themselves and they're going to go for it without fear," said Lynch.
His melody and his message is resonating.
"A lot of people put Elyria down and so I feel like he went so far, so I can go just as far," said Washington.
"Early in life when I knew I wanted to do music, I didn't feel so confident, and him coming in today, it made me feel like you can do whatever you want to do," said sophomore Zachary Whaley.
The concert is Thursday February, 27 at the Elyria High School Performing Arts Center at 7pm. It's free and open to the public.
