Starlight STARS Awarded Scholarships
The 26 members of the 2015 Starlight STARS of Tomorrow troupe wrapped up another successful year with a celebratory pizza party with Starlight Education leaders. At the January event, special recognition was given to two Starlight STARS.
Anna Hastings of Olathe and Sarah Navran of Overland Park were awarded $500 scholarships in recognition of the leadership they exhibited throughout their seven-month involvement in the program. The scholarships are underwritten by the Rosalyn and Howard Jacobson Donor Advisory Fund.
Hastings, an eighth-grader at Frontier Trail Middle School, was a first-time member of the Starlight STARS in 2015. Navran, a freshman at Blue Valley West High School, completed her second season as a STAR. Both girls brought previous experience in dance, choir and musicals to their roles in the STARS, but it was their leadership qualities that stood out to the scholarship selection committee.
“Both Anna and Sarah had very positive attitudes and set great examples for their peers,” said Amy Reinert, Starlight’s director of education. “They arrived on time for rehearsals and performances, prioritized the Starlight STARS program over other commitments, were respectful of their instructors and fellow performers, and always stepped up to do whatever was needed!”
Reinert said such intrinsic qualities are what she and the program’s co-director/choreographer and music director look for when selecting scholarship recipients. “We work closely with these kids for seven months as they rehearse and perform before Starlight’s Broadway shows and across Kansas City during the holidays,” she said. “You see their true colors and recognize the internal motivation they must have to keep going.”
Congratulations, Anna and Sarah!
Auditions for the 2016 Starlight STARS of Tomorrow will be held at Starlight on Feb. 27 and March 1. Students in grades 7 through 12 with interest in this highly respected musical theatre training and performance program are encouraged to apply and audition.