The Community Outreach Committee of the Providence Performing Arts Center Announces the 2024 Class of the ARTS Scholarships Program
Providence, RI – The Providence Performing Arts Center’s Community Outreach Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of the ARTS Scholarships 2024 program. This community outreach and engagement initiative is made possible by Textron Charitable Trust and PPAC’s Annual Fund Donors with support from Ocean State Charities Trust.
The 2024 ARTS Scholarships class is PPAC’s largest ever since the program began in 1996; 77 Rhode Island artists in grades 6 – 8 will each receive a scholarship of up to $600 to an arts program or camp of their choice this summer. These scholarships have opened doors to arts-based education for young artists in our state who may not otherwise have had access to these programs.
Six ARTS Scholarships in memoriam will be awarded to students who exuded a passion for theatre performance, music and dance in their applications. Two students will receive the Jo-Ann Ragosta Scholarship, given in memory of PPAC Board Director and ARTS Scholarships Committee Chairperson Jo-Ann Ragosta. Two students will receive an Andrew DePietro Memorial Scholarship, given in memory of Andrew DePietro, who loved music, especially percussion. Two students will receive the Keri Anne O’Donnell Scholarship, given in memory of Keri Anne O’Donnell, who was passionate about choreography and musical theatre.
The ARTS Scholarships 2024 awards will be presented during a special ceremony on Tuesday, May 21 for scholarship recipients and their invited guests at the Providence Performing Arts Center.
The PPAC Marketing Department, working in partnership with the PPAC Board’s Community Outreach Committee, created the ARTS Scholarships program, thanks to a portion of the proceeds from the from the First Annual Greater Providence Gospel Fest, a production of the Providence Performing Arts Center which featured local, volunteer gospel choirs.
P.J. Prokop, Director of Marketing at PPAC, said, “Everyone at PPAC feels tremendous pride in providing middle school students with the chance to pursue their interests and develop their talents via summer arts education programs based right here in Rhode Island. Congratulations to all the ARTS Scholarship recipients; we hope your individual experiences this summer will inspire you to continue following your dreams.”
About PPAC’s Community Outreach Committee
The Community Outreach Committee is a standing committee of the Providence Performing Arts Center’s Board of Directors and is comprised of PPAC Directors, Rhode Island educators and community leaders who share an interest in the arts and youth. The Committee’s mission includes developing arts education opportunities for Rhode Island’s young people and making the Providence Performing Arts Center accessible to Rhode Island’s diverse populations.
The ARTS Scholarships sub-committee is comprised of a panel of judges who review and select the recipients. The panel considers students’ written statements, samples of artwork or performance, recommendation from a teacher or advisor and indication of need.
The recipients of the ARTS Scholarships 2024 program are:
Lily Alarcon – The Wheeler School, Providence
Piper Beatrice Baraf – Edward R. Martin Middle School, East Providence
Colleen Berberick – Western Hills Middle School, Cranston
Shaniya Bermudez-McCarthy – Gilbert Stuart Middle School, Providence
Julia Virginia Bernard – Davisville Middle School, North Kingstown
Agatha Blair – St. Mary Academy - Bay View, East Providence
Mason Leal Braga – Edward R. Martin Middle School, East Providence
Gerald Cabrera – Governor Christopher DelSesto Middle School, Providence
Violet Campbell – Providence Country Day School, East Providence
Ivan Colato Torres – Governor Christopher DelSesto Middle School, Providence
Catarina Colberg – Home School, Exeter
Ava Grace Couture – St. Mary Academy - Bay View, East Providence
Daizy DiLorenzo – John F. Deering Middle School, West Warwick
Lily Rebecca Dixon – Hugh B. Bain Middle School, Cranston
Madeline Joan Duval – Kickemuit Middle School, Warren
Zuliandry Echevarria Declet – The Learning Community Charter School, Central Falls
Jaly Espinal Matos – Western Hills Middle School, Cranston
Dianelys Fajardo – John F. Deering Middle School, West Warwick
My'lan Fernandes – Riverside Middle School, East Providence
Viviana Fernandez – John F. Deering Middle School, West Warwick
Jola TeZhane Fox – Nathanael Greene Middle School, Providence
Kasimira Freeman – Achievement First Iluminar Mayoral Academy Middle School, Cranston
Richard Edward Gemma IV – Community Preparatory School, Providence
Destiny N. Gleason – Joseph Jenks Junior High School, Pawtucket
Sophie M. H. Giroux – Edward R. Martin Middle School, East Providence
Jillian Dorothy Gray – Edward R. Martin Middle School, East Providence
Daniella Paula Hafferty – Cranston West Middle School
Za’Ryha Heyder – Roger Williams Middle School, Providence
Bailey Higginbottom – Home School, North Kingstown
Aurora Humphrey – Roger Williams Middle School, Providence
Jayla Inoa – Highlander Charter School, Warren
Aanya Khadka – The Wheeler School, Providence
Anne Shirley Kushner – Home School, Hopkinton
Savannah Lafontaine – Western Hills Middle School, Cranston
Camila Lopez Gil – John F. Deering Middle School, West Warwick
Harper Grace Lord – Western Hills Middle School, Cranston
Ishmail Lovett – North Cumberland Middle School
Aiden Luna – Highlander Charter School, Providence
Sarah Maguire – Narragansett Pier Middle School
Avangeline McIntosh – Western Hills Middle School, Cranston
Louiciana Metellus – Western Hills Middle School, Cranston
Sebastian Minor – Lyman B. Goff Middle School, Pawtucket
Jameson Munroe – The Compass School, Kingston
Josephina Muro – Park View Middle School, Cranston
Scarlett M Murray – Kickemuit Middle School, Warren
Alex Ochoa Bautista – The Learning Community Charter School, Central Falls
Anthony Oliva – Governor Christopher DelSesto Middle School, Providence
Jaylene Pacheco – Winman Middle School, Warwick
Carly Palacios – Sacred Heart School, East Providence
Ashton Parayno – Wilbur & McMahon Schools, Little Compton
Faith Paulos – Hope Highlands Middle School, Cranston
Axell Peña – Highlander Charter School, Providence
Kai Pell-Bun – Winman Middle School, Warwick
Ashton Cadance Perreault – Governor Christopher DelSesto Middle School, Providence
Ayva Phetsaynhakoth – Highlander Charter School, Providence
Sophia Proulx – Nicholas A. Ferri Middle School, Johnston
Julian Alejandro Reyes – Blackstone Valley Prep Junior High School, Central Falls
Jo-Liyah Rezendes – Sophia Academy, Providence
Christian Ribeiro – The Learning Community Charter School, Central Falls
Valeria Janet Roberts – Park View Middle School, Cranston
Mariah Sanchez Perez – Nicholas A. Ferri Middle School, Johnston
Nevaeh Sam – Western Hills Middle School, Cranston
Aiyannah Silva-Ferreira – Blackstone Valley Prep Junior High School, Central Falls
Appleby Solomon – Home School, Providence
Moses Mubawa Stany – Barrington Christian Academy
Derek L Suarez – Highlander Charter School, Providence
Yahir Trejo Zamudio – The Learning Community Charter School, Central Falls
Benjamin Warner – Western Hills Middle School, Cranston
Sienna Pamela White – Edward R. Martin Middle School, East Providence
Damaris Xum – Barrington Christian Academy
Sana Zaryan – St. Mary Academy - Bay View, East Providence
Andrew DePietro Memorial Scholarships
Lola Finn Hache – Edward R. Martin Middle School, East Providence
Kai Alvarez Vitolo– Riverside Middle School, East Providence
Made possible by the generosity of the DePietro Family
Keri Anne O’Donnell Scholarships
Roisin Felix – Lincoln Middle School
Laurel Annalise Lambert – Saint Philomena of the Sacred Heart, Portsmouth
Made possible by the generosity of the O’Donnell Family
Jo-Ann Ragosta Memorial Scholarship
Maria Alexandra Garcia-Cox – Times2 Academy, Providence
Selena Dickey – Warwick Veterans Memorial Middle School
Made possible by the generosity of the Ragosta Family
-30-