ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – After an amazing display of talent, The Pinellas Education Foundation is proud to announce the winners in The 15th Annual Walker’s Rising Stars Scholarship Competition, presented by Bill Edwards Presents, Inc. and sponsored by Kane’s Furniture and Crown Automotive Group. The event was attended by an estimated 250 member audience at Mahaffey Theater on Monday, May 7 and had approximately 2,000 virtual fans through its “Fan Favorite” online voting on Facebook. Approximately $25,000 in scholarships and prizes was given by the Pinellas Education Foundation.
The Ryan Wells Foundation provided scholarships for the three finalists in the Culinary Arts category.
Culinary Arts:
1st place and a $1,500 scholarship: Daisy Keene, Senior, Dixie Hollins High School
2nd place and a $1,000 scholarship: Jordan Bearden, Senior, Northeast High School
3rd place and a $500 scholarship: Claire Ferrari, Senior, Tarpon Springs High School
First place winners in the other arts categories each received a $5,000 scholarship. They were:
Dance: Isabelle Poole, Senior, St. Petersburg High School
Instrumental: Tyler Sakow, Senior, Tarpon Springs High School
Theater: Anthony Vazquez, Junior, Gibbs High School
Visual Art: Alannee Noel, Junior, Gibbs High School
Vocal Music: Sarah Duren, Junior, Palm Harbor University High School
The overall Fan Favorite winner was Isabelle Poole. As the Fan Favorite, she received $500 in Visa gift cards.
The other scholarships in each category are as follows:
Dance:
2nd place and a $2,000 scholarship: Sarah Eisenbaum, Senior, Gibbs High School
3rd place and a $1,000 scholarship: Kyla Feld, Senior, Osceola Fundamental High School
Instrumental:
2nd place and a $2,000 scholarship: David Mason, Senior, Gibbs High School
3rd place and a $1,000 scholarship: Selena Tian, Senior, Palm Harbor University High School
Theater:
2nd place and a $2,000 scholarship: Erin Murphy, Junior, Clearwater High School
3rd place and a $1,000 scholarship: Jessica Fullerton, Senior, Palm Harbor High School
Visual Art:
2nd place and a $2,000 scholarship: Jordan Craven, Senior, Osceola Fundamental High School
3rd place and a $1,000 scholarship: Ciara Lambert, Senior, Osceola Fundamental High School
Vocal:
2nd place and a $2,000 scholarship: Leatric Reid, Senior, Gibbs High School
3rd place and a $1,000 scholarship: Stephany Levi, Junior, East Lake High School
The event also featured the Tarpon Springs High Jazz Ensemble throughout the show.
More than 250 juniors and seniors from Pinellas County Schools applied to compete in the seven-month process of auditions and adjudication. Sponsors of the event include Bill Edwards Presents, Inc., Dr. Jeffrey Walker, Kane’s Furniture, Crown Automotive Group, Suncoast Credit Union, Clearwater Gas Systems, Humana and City of St. Petersburg.
Additional high resolution photos of each performance and general event pictures are available upon request and some will be found on our Facebook Page.
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Isabelle Poole takes first in the Dance Category | Sarah Duren wins first place in the Vocal Category | Tyler Sakow wins first place in the Instrumental Category |
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Anthony Vazquez wins first place in the Theater Category | Alannee Noel took first place in the Visual Arts Category |
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All first place winners pose for a group photo. |
About Pinellas County Schools
Pinellas County Schools is the seventh largest school district in Florida and 24th largest in the nation, serving more than 101,997 K12 students at 132 schools. With more than 17,000 employees, the school district is the largest employer in the county. The vision of Pinellas County Schools is 100% Student Success. We encourage parents, business leaders and community members to partner with us in our mission to educate and prepare each student for college, career and life.
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: Academies of Pinellas, Enterprise Village, Finance Park, Future Plans, Take Stock in Children Scholarships, Youth Connect and Fund A Classroom Grants