When senior Cara Helton auditioned for “The Little Mermaid,” she was looking for a fun way to kick off her final year of high school. It also catered to her childhood love of the movie. What she didn’t know was that she would be Ariel herself.

“I wanted to join the musical because I really love ‘The Little Mermaid,’ it was my favorite movie growing up. I used to watch it on VHS and rewind it every time it finished,” Helton said.

While this is Helton’s first school show, she has done other productions during summers with Christian Community Theater (CCT), performing in “Beauty and Beast,” “Hello Dolly,” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

On the day the cast list for “The Little Mermaid” was announced, Helton was on a trip with the Journalism department to compete in Nationals.

“I was in Boston when I saw the cast list, and I had previously convinced myself I wasn’t going to be Ariel,” Helton said. “Right before I looked at the cast list I had to calm myself down and remember that I was going to have fun regardless of my role.”

Fellow journalism student Shelby Townsend, 11, was with Helton when the list was released. The two celebrated in the streets of Boston.

“We were jumping holding onto one another’s arms while I shouted a bunch of praise. I was so excited for her and it was so memorable being able to celebrate with her,” Townsend said.

Townsend has watched Helton in her CCT productions and is excited to see what she will bring to the table for this show.

“Cara’s going to be such an amazing Ariel because not only does she work so incredibly hard but has tremendous talent and facial expressions,” Townsend said.

While her friends at school may be proud of her, her family is overjoyed with her accomplishment.

“She has worked so hard for this role and she truly deserves this so much,” said freshman Amy Helton, Cara’s younger sister and fellow cast member. “When I saw the cast list, I was so excited I was literally screaming. This is her dream role and I know she will be amazing.”

As an avid “The Little Mermaid fan,” Helton is incredibly proud of herself. Seeing herself as one of her childhood favorites is a dream come true.

“Getting to play the lead is so incredibly special to me, it’s not something I’ve ever had the opportunity to do and I’m just so excited for this role,” Helton said.

Though the acting side is appealing, Helton is also excited to learn the music for this show.

“This show has such beautiful music, aside from the high notes, I don’t think learning it is too difficult because I’m already familiar with a lot of it,” Helton said.

Helton is looking forward to socializing with fellow students in the company. In theater, a strong community bond is important.

“I’m super excited to build relationships with the cast and crew for this show. Working with people is so much fun and I’m excited we all get to act and sing together,” Helton said.

While Helton might have gotten in the flow of community theatre, she’s on a whole new planet with this show. The show will have its first performance Jan. 18. It will run through Jan. 20.

“It felt intimidating at first because everyone is your age and knows how to navigate rehearsals,” Helton said. “There’s still a lot I’m getting used to, but I have incredible friends who are very welcoming and kind and are helping me feel at home.”