Some teenagers fantasize about a scholarship to their dream college. Others imagine being famous musicians and canoodling with rock stars. Anna Johnson gets to do both.

    “The band Queen – you know ... the world famous, super-talented, phenomenal songwriters, ‘We Are the Champions’ band Queen – is currently holding a demo with my picture on it,” Johnson told her fans on her MySpace band page May 7.

    Since then, the 19-year-old won a four-year, full-ride scholarship to McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul, a contest judged by the members of the infamous rock band.

     “It was intimidating and scary,” said Johnson. “I didn’t think I had a chance, but they saw something in me.”

    Johnson, a local singer/songwriter who attended UW-Eau Claire this past year, performed weekly shows this summer at the Living Room Coffee House. She was also previously half the duet Anna and Sarah with friend Sarah Jade.

    Currently of Chippewa Falls, Anna attended Eau Claire Christian High School where she taught herself to play guitar at just 15. She wrote her first song, “Forever and Always,” when she was just a junior in high school.

    McNally Smith awards All-Star Scholarships in songwriting, production and performance. The production and performance categories are judged by Ice Cube and Diana Ross while songwriting, the category Anna applied for, is judged by the remaining members of rock powerhouse Queen.