2 Naples students selected to march in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Royal Palm Academy eighth-grader Alexis Anand was evacuating from Hurricane Irma when she received the good news: She’d been invited to perform with Camp Broadway at the 91st annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

“It was perfect timing,” she said. “I was really excited and happy.”

Alexis, 13, is one of two Collier County students invited to perform beneath a floating Charlie Brown and Hello Kitty at the world’s largest parade.

The other student, Naples High senior Luis Nicacio, will be playing tenor saxophone with the All-American Marching Band.

Both Luis and Alexis grew up watching the parade in their living rooms.

“It will probably be one of the best experiences I’ll ever have,” Luis said.

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Nicacio, 18 — who plays in the Naples High marching band, jazz band and symphonic wind ensemble — said he enjoys playing music because it helps him forget about the stress of school.

He especially loves playing in the marching band, where he’s the drum major, he said, because of the team-like atmosphere.

“It’s not about succeeding as an individual,” he said. “It’s more about everyone succeeding together. If one person falls, everybody falls.”

Nicacio raised more than $2,500 on his GoFundMe page to pay for his trip to New York. He said it’s an honor to have the backing of the Naples community and to have the opportunity to represent Naples High.

Photo gallery:Gulf Coast High School Marching Band performs in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Photo gallery: Gulf Coast High School Sharks arrive in New York for Macy’s Parade

After graduation, he said, he hopes to pursue a degree in architecture or electrical engineering at a Florida university.

Alexis, who recently returned to an undamaged home after riding out the hurricane at her grandparent’s house in North Carolina, hopes to make a career out of her musical talents.

She has been writing two to three songs per week since she was 6 years old and recorded an album when she was 11.

Songwriting is the last thing she does before going to bed every day, she said. 

She describes her music as soft pop and writes about friendships, romance and school.

One song she wrote, called “Rhino Skin,” is about witnessing people get bullied.

"There's something they're gonna say/ That's gonna ruin your day/ But don't let it torment you/ Have rhino skin," the chorus goes. 

In addition to singing and songwriting, Alexis plays the guitar and piano.

She performs frequently at school recitals, nursing homes and with Opera Naples.

Her motivation to create music, she said, comes from a desire to spread joy.

“I like to think my songs impact people in some way and make them feel happy,” she said. “That’s my favorite thing about it.”

Watch Alexis and Nicacio march the 2-mile parade route with 8,000 other participants from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 23 on NBC.