LARGO, Fla. – On Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at St. Petersburg’s Mahaffey Theater, 23 finalists for The 2017 Walker’s Rising Stars Scholarship Competition, presented by Bill Edwards Presents, Inc., and sponsored by Kane’s Furniture and the Crown Automotive Group, will compete for more than $60,000 in scholarships and prizes. The curtain will rise at 7 p.m. on the star-studded competition.
First, second, third and fourth place in Dance, Instrumental, Music, Stage Performance/Theater, Visual Arts and Vocal Music will receive $5,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 scholarships respectively. The scholarships are sponsored by the program’s creator Dr. Jeffrey Walker and the Pinellas Education Foundation. The Culinary Arts Category scholarships are provided by the Ryan Wells Foundation and first, second and third place will receive $1,500, $1,000, $500 respectively.
The finalists and their categories are:
Culinary:
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Amanda Cooke – Senior at Osceola High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Joseph Enriquez – Senior at Northeast High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Summer Huelle – Senior at Tarpon Springs High
Dance:
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Cristina Brown – Junior at Palm Harbor University High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Nicole Robinson – Senior at Gibbs High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Kiera Morgan – Senior at Gibbs High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Maria White – Senior at Dunedin High
Instrumental Music:
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Anna Eaton – Senior at Gibbs High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Robert Diaz – Junior at Tarpon Springs High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Jonathan O’Brien – Senior at Gibbs High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Bo Fei Wang – Junior at Palm Harbor University High
Theater:
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Ramiro Capano – Senior at Palm Harbor University High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Shayna Gilberg – Junior at Palm Harbor University High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Addam Setzer – Senior at Gibbs High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Ethan Zeph – Senior at Gibbs High
Visual Arts:
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Hannah Jurgens – Senior at Osceola High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Marica James – Senior at Gibbs High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Malik McClain – Senior at Largo High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Ernesto Perez – Junior at Gibbs High
Vocal Music:
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Lindsey Collins – Senior at Palm Harbor University High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Noah Diggs –Junior at Gibbs High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Amanda McAllister – Senior at Gibbs High
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Solie White – Senior at Boca Ciega High
General admission tickets to the show will be available at the door for $12 each.
More than 200 juniors and seniors from Pinellas County public schools applied to compete in the seven-month process of auditions and adjudication. Sponsors for the event include: Bill Edwards Presents, Inc., Dr. Jeffrey Walker, Kane’s Furniture, Crown Automotive Group, Suncoast Credit Union, Raymond James, Clearwater Gas Systems, Ditek, Humana, Northern Trust, City of St. Petersburg.
About The Pinellas Education Foundation
The Pinellas Education Foundation is an independent, non-governmental not-for-profit established in 1986. The Foundation’s mission is to enhance and improve educational opportunities in Pinellas County Schools. Well known Pinellas Education Foundation programs include: Enterprise Village, Finance Park, Future Plans, Take Stock in Children Scholarships and Fund A Classroom Grants.
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