Just days before showcasing her powerhouse vocals on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and HBO’s critically acclaimed docu-comedy series “The Rehearsal,” Isabella Henao considered herself a regular college student at Utah Valley University (UVU).

Now, she's fielding requests from reporters, getting recognized at the gym, and being asked for photos and autographs.

“Basically, on Monday of last week, it just went 180 completely,” Henao said. “On Sunday, I was still just a college student.”

On season two of “The Rehearsal,” Henao’s dynamic performance of Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life” was featured in one of the show's most talked-about episodes — an emotional payoff to themes woven throughout the season. Her performance of the same song on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was seen by hundreds of thousands of viewers and has since gained almost 70,000 views on YouTube.  

To cap that off, Amy Lee, co-founder, lead vocalist, and lead songwriter of Evanescence, praised Henao’s performance: “Isabella you were amazing! Love all the cool ad lib at the end and also super impressed you did all that in those heels!”

“I thought I was hallucinating,” Henao said. “I was like, ‘There’s no way.’ But oh no, it was her.”

Though it might seem like it happened overnight, Henao’s success has been years in the making — the result of countless hours in UVU’s music practice rooms, mentorship from UVU faculty, two years of business classes, past auditions for “America’s Got Talent” and “American Idol,” and four years in UVU’s a cappella group, Bloom A Cappella.

Born in Utah Valley and raised in Santa Clarita, California, Henao studies musical theatre at UVU and previously studied business administration at UVU’s Woodbury School of Business. Pursuing these two areas uniquely prepared her for what was to come.

“Musical theatre definitely helped me with my stage presence because I’ve always been good at handling my nerves and stress on stage,” Henao said. “And finding ways to dance and perform, keep things interesting — how to make intentional vocal choices because there are ways to tell a story just using your voice.”

She said studying business at UVU taught her how to be her own manager, navigate contracts, handle emails professionally, network, and avoid situations that might take advantage of her being a new artist.

Preparing to audition for “Wings of Voice” — the singing competition show within “The Rehearsal” — and later her televised performances, required hours of practice each day. It also took a village of support from UVU mentors and peers who helped her rise to the occasion.

One of them was Henao’s vocal coach, UVU Adjunct Professor Marilee Wilson, who teaches voice.

“She helped me refine my belts and definitely took my voice from just 80% to 100%,” Henao said.

“From the very first time she sang for me, I knew Isabella’s voice was something special,” Wilson added. “She moves effortlessly between styles and has a standout ability to hit extremely high notes with ease, as heard in her performance on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’”

Henao also worked with UVU Professor Steven Rimke, who teaches accents, phonetics, Shakespeare, vocal combat, and voice for the stage.

“He was an incredible help with knowing the industry,” Henao said. “He gave me advice and told me what to look out for. He said, ‘Act like everybody's watching you all the time because somebody will always be watching you.’”

“I am grateful to be a part of Isabella’s training journey here at UVU,” Rimke said. “I am proud of the work she has put in to get here, and I am wishing her all the success.”

When Henao learned she’d be performing “Bring Me To Life,” she called up Jerick Rose, co-founder of Bloom A Cappella, which took first place at The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Nationals in 2024.

“Jerick helped me come up with part of the ad-libs on my rendition,” she said. “He helped me create some fun stuff that people normally don't do.”

“Her range and agility are impressive,” Rose added. “So, I knew whatever I came up with, she could do.”

Henao assumed she wouldn’t win the competition and wouldn’t be featured in “The Rehearsal” at all. So, she decided to have fun and go for it.

“In middle school and high school, I got bullied really, really bad for my singing,” she said. “And when you go through that for such a long time, you start believing it. But also, I’m fueled with vengeance — not evil vengeance — but like proving people wrong.”

But she did make it through the audition process, and as a TV newcomer, Henao had to quickly adjust to the show's unconventional tone and format.

Created by Canadian comedian, writer, and 737 pilot Nathan Fielder, “The Rehearsal” is known for its elaborate production, awkward humor, and genre-defying style. Henao described it as “a social experiment about communication between people that is done in a really insane way, but also a legitimate way.”

“I kind of figured out early on what it was,” she said. “And I had to ask, ‘Am I okay with potentially being made fun of on live TV?’”

With Fielder’s history of elaborate comedic setups and eccentric plot lines in shows like “Nathan for You” and “The Curse,” Henao knew she might be stepping into something unusual. But what could have been awkward turned out to be affirming.

“Working with Nathan — he’s just such a sweetie,” Henao said. “He’s super kind, just an awesome person to be around. When you think about most celebrities, you think, ‘They’re going to be so mean, they’re not going to talk to us,’ but everybody, including Nathan, really stepped up to watch out for me and take care of me. The producers specifically were doing such a good job of making sure I was mentally okay and physically as well.”

In fact, Henao said her experience on set was overwhelmingly positive.

“I made a lot of friends there,” she added. “One thing we all had in common was that we were good singers, not that we looked good on camera or had a sob story. I feel like everybody who was there deserved to be there.”

When she won “Wings of Voice,” Henao was stunned. She’d gone in expecting nothing and suddenly found herself at the center of it all. Years of dedication had led to this moment.

“It took me a long time to believe [that I won],” she said. “I’ve had really bad imposter syndrome. Finally, recently, I’ve come to terms with like, I deserved this. I’ve worked hard.”

With her overwhelming success and an album in early development, Henao’s future is full of possibilities. But no matter what comes next, she carries UVU with her.