April 11, 2025
Contact: Sara Diedrich, diedrichs@missouri.edu

Anna Yannessa, BA ’21, was raised in a world filled with music.

Her mother, a professional singer, often brought her daughter along to performances where she hopped on stage whenever given the chance. By age 7, the aspiring vocalist was already staging solo concerts at home, using her mom’s microphone and speakers for an authentic touch.

So, it came as no surprise when a close friend encouraged Yannessa — now a professional singer known by her stage name, Yani — to audition for American Idol. The University of Missouri alumna decided to take a chance.

“I had nothing to lose,” Yannessa, a native of Tabernacle, New Jersey, said. “On a bigger scale, I felt I was starting to get comfortable in my life of performing full-time and wanted to see what else I was capable of when I pushed myself out of my comfort zone.”

Yannessa, who majored in music with an emphasis in voice at Mizzou, earned a spot on the show with a performance of the Sunday Night Football theme, “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night.” Though her journey on the show came to an end during the Head to Head Round on April 6, the experience affirmed her belief that the best things in life come with a leap of faith.  

“The things that scare you at first are the things that many times have the biggest impact on the world and yourself, and they are always worth going for,” she said. “Entering space with love and trust instead of fear is what will lead you toward your purpose that God has for you.”

The most difficult part of her American Idol journey, Yannessa said, was watching the talented friends she made along the way be eliminated.

“Everyone is so deserving,” she said. “It’s hard to watch such talent and character be turned down.”