Singing always came naturally for Kate Bevilacqua, and after a few shows, she found a love for musical theater. Now she will have the opportunity to hone her skills at Destination Broadway.

Kate, 14, will attending the New York workshop later this month, and the program gives her the opportunity to interview and audition with a casting agency, learn stage management and have special college audition prep classes.

“I’m excited to learn what professionalism is in the theater business,” Bevilacqua said. “I’ve never been to New York, and I’ve never experienced Broadway casting. I’ll get to see how to prepare for the future.”

She was one of just 50 students from across the country chosen to attend the workshop, and she was elated to find out she was accepted.

“I remember I didn’t believe it at first. I thought my mom was messing with me,” Kate said. “I was giddy, and it was the most wonderful feeling I’ve ever felt.”

Though Kate is years away from going to college, she already has a plan in place to make sure she can succeed.

“She knows what college she wants to audition for, and she knows which ones in the U.S. are the best,” said Kate’s mother, Ruth Ann Bevilacqua. “She’s even looking at the requirements. She’s determined to do it.”

Kate has looked at schools like Carnegie Mellon for its theater program, but she knows it’s smart to have in-state schools on her list, too, like the University of Virginia.

The way to Broadway will happen with success in her academics and within the theater, and Kate has her plate full for the next four years. She is a rising freshman at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, and along with her academics, she will participate in theater productions, voice lessons and dance classes.

“I’m driven. I get it from both of my parents,” Kate said. “I will not stop at anything to make my dream come true. If I don’t try my absolute hardest, I won’t feel satisfied.”

Kate has been constantly expanding her theatrical resume, and because of her hard work, she seems to find herself in leading roles regularly.

She has been in a lot of productions, including the recent “Mary Poppins” by RPM Dance, and she’s going to be in “Emma” at the Smithfield Little Theater Aug. 9-12.

“As strange as it sounds, I love being the center of attention when it’s not in a bad way,” Kate said. “This is a thing I can do, and I like to think I’m at least decent at it. I like showing what I’m capable of.”

While Kate loves theater, the most difficult part for her is getting into the character. It took a lot for her to get into Mary Poppins’ character for the production.

“Mary Poppins is so much different than I am,” Kate said. “She’s graceful and I’m not quite that, and it was hard being someone that was not me.”

Ruth Ann Bevilacqua said many people have poured into her daughter’s talent over the years, including Renee Perry Mitchell, owner of RPM Dance; Toni Cotturone, her choral director at NSA, who works with her privately on vocals; and Tracey Grady and Michelle Horton of NSA, who help her balance her artistic pursuits with academics.

Her parents, who are both in the medical field, believe that she has what it takes to succeed in the arts, despite how competitive it can be.

“She works seven days a week on her craft,” Bevilacqua said. “That’s the winning recipe.”