Louisville, Kentucky, freshman benefits from the stillness of John B. Begley Chapel to prepare for performing in front of a lively audience in Norma and Glen Hodge Center for Discipleship.
by Duane Bonifer
COLUMBIA, KY. (02/27/2026) Freshman Mugisha Constance ’29 won the 2026 “Lindsey Idol” by performing in front of three lively near-capacity audiences in Lindsey Wilson University’s Norma and Glen Hodge Center for Discipleship.
She prepared for her big moment on the musical stage, however, by relying on the power from the solitude she found in the sanctuary of the university’s John B. Begley Chapel.
Constance, a psychology and human services and counseling double major from Louisville, Kentucky, was voted the winner of the 22nd “Lindsey Idol” on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Freshman Lara Moraes Lima Dorea of Salvador, Brazil, placed second and senior Gage Carnes of Jamestown, Kentucky, finished third. The other two finalists in the contest sponsored by the Lindsey Wilson Student Government Association were freshman Kamilah Nana and senior Sabrina Ruiz, both of Louisville.
The first two rounds of the three-night vocal competition were held Feb. 23-23 in the Hodge Center, with 14 entrants whittled to eight semifinalists by a four-judge panel. The winner of Thursday night’s final round — which was determined by a separate four-judge panel — was chosen by a combination of another four-judge panel and a vote by the student body.
‘Blown away’
Constance immediately became a crowd favorite after she performed her first song on Monday night. She said she was “really happy” and “overjoyed” by the support she received from the audience throughout her three nights of singing, which included a total of five songs.
“I was just blown away,” she said.
Constance, who started singing in church when she was a little girl, said she prepared for “Lindsey Idol” competition while inside the Begley Chapel. After completing her homework in the sanctuary, she rehearsed her songs.
“Day in and day out, you will see me in the chapel,” she said. “I like being in the house of the Lord and having Him surround me when I sing.”
Constance also selected “powerful songs” that “represent me” to perform during her three rounds of “Lindsey Idol.”
“Every time I sing a song, I want to make sure that there are people who listen to it and go, ‘I feel it, and I feel it in my bones,'” she said.
Although the Begley Chapel was the place where Constance prepared for “Lindsey Idol,” there’s a good chance you might encounter her singing at other locations on the university’s A.P. White Campus.
“I’m always singing, I’m always dancing, it doesn’t matter where I’m at,” she said.
Lindsey Wilson University student Mugisha Constance ’29 is named the winner of the 2026 “Lindsey Idol” on Thursday, Feb. 26, in the university’s Norma and Glen Hodge Center for Discipleship. At left is Lara Moraes Lima Dorea ’29 of Salvador, Brazil, who placed second, and at right is Gage Carnes ’26 of Jamestown, Kentucky, who finished third. The other two finalists were Kamilah Nana ’29, partially obscured, and Sabrina Ruiz ’26, both of Louisville.
Lindsey Wilson University student Mugisha Constance ’29 performs during the final round of the 2026 “Lindsey Idol” on Thursday, Feb. 26, in the university’s Norma and Glen Hodge Center for Discipleship. Constance won the vocal competition.
Lindsey Wilson University student Lara Moraes Lima Dorea ’29 of Salvador, Brazil, center, celebrates with friends after finishing in second place of the 2026 “Lindsey Idol” on Thursday, Feb. 26, in the university’s Norma and Glen Hodge Center for Discipleship.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university’s 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
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(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson University)