The Community Outreach Committee of the Providence Performing Arts Center announces the winners of the ARTS SCHOLARSHIPS 2023 Program
Providence, RI – The members of the Community Outreach Committee of the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) are pleased to announce the recipients of the ARTS Scholarships 2023 program, made possible by the generosity of Textron Charitable Trust and PPAC’s Annual Fund Donors with support from the Ocean State Charities Trust. The 2023 class of recipients is PPAC’s largest ever with sixty-four of Rhode Island’s aspiring middle-school artists each receiving a scholarship to an arts program or camp of their choice this summer. Additionally, the scholarship now provides funding of up to $600, an increase of $100 over previous years. These scholarships have lowered financial barriers thereby opening doors for arts-based education for young artists in our state who may not otherwise have had access to these programs.
Seven ARTS Scholarships in memoriam will be awarded to students who exuded a love for theatre performance, music and dance in their applications. One student 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 each receive a Desiree Lee Mesolella Scholarship, given in memory of Desiree Lee Mesolella, an accomplished artist in fashion and photography. Two students will each receive an Andrew DePietro Memorial Scholarship, given in memory of Andrew DePietro, a young man who loved music, especially percussion. Two students will each 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 2023 awards will be presented during a special ceremony on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 for scholarship recipients and their invited guests at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Janet Fogarty, Chair of PPAC’s Community Outreach committee, will present the ARTS Scholarships 2023 awards. Ms. Fogarty will be joined on stage by Lynne McCormack, Executive Director of the Rhode Island State Council of the Arts (RISCA), Karen Warfield, Community Affairs Manager at Textron and P.J. Prokop, Director of Marketing at PPAC.
For more information, please email Ricky Gresh at scholarships@ppacri.org or call 401.574.3105.
In 1996, with a portion of the proceeds from the First Annual Greater Providence Gospel Fest (a production of 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. The ARTS Scholarships committee is comprised of PPAC Directors, Rhode Island educators, artists, and community leaders with an interest in the arts for young people; the Committee reviews each application and selects scholarship recipients.
P.J. Prokop, Director of Marketing at PPAC, said, “We are thrilled that since the program’s creation in 1996, over 850 Rhode Island middle-school aged students have received an ARTS Scholarship! Everyone at PPAC feels tremendous pride in providing middle school students with the opportunity to pursue their interests and develop their talents in a discipline of their choice via summer arts education programs based right here in Rhode Island. Kudos to the students and their families, we hope this experience will help you follow your dreams.”
The recipients of the ARTS Scholarships 2023 program are:
Alexa Adames – Del Sesto Middle School, Providence
Olivia Almilli – Portsmouth Middle School
Karol Villasenor Alvarado – Nathanael Greene Middle School, Providence
Daniel Alvarez – Del Sesto Middle School, Providence
Elianna Arce – The UCAP School, Providence
Alexus Bestman – Highlander Charter School, Providence
Angela Bonilla – The Learning Community Charter School, Central Falls
Chace Bridges – Del Sesto Middle School, Providence
Mia Burgess – Del Sesto Middle School, Providence
Galilea Ramierez Castro – Esek Hopkins Middle School, Providence
Kendal Chaves – Portsmouth Middle School
Hannah Christian – Winman Middle School, Warwick
Jacob Clarke – Highlander Charter School, Providence
Shaelyn Conroy – Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy, Cumberland
Katherine Corte – Ponaganset Middle School, North Smithfield
Malik Cross – Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts, Providence
Angel Cruz – Del Sesto Middle School, Providence
Alexis De Dios – Highland Charter, Providence
Abigale Detsvanah – Del Sesto Middle School, Providence
Tyrone Dickey, Jr. – Nathan Bishop Middle School, Providence
Elizabeth Dunlop – St. Mary Academy - Bay View, East Providence
Roshelyz Esparana – Esek Hopkins Middle School, Providence
Emil Estevez – The Learning Community Charter School, Central Falls
Jordan Fredericks – Home School, Cranston
Andersson García Gonzàlez – Del Sesto Middle School, Providence
Ernesto Hernández– Nathan Bishop Middle School, Providence
Katherine Holloway – Home School, Providence
Zion Jazmin – Community Preparatory School, Providence
Emily Jones – Nathan Bishop Middle School, Providence
Evelyn K. Koheh – Del Sesto Middle School, Providence
Jenalis Lebron – Nathanael Greene Middle School, Providence
Amienne Leger – Barrington Christian Academy
Evanny Sanchez Lopez – The Learning Community Charter School, Central Falls
Hevelina Makahsha – Esek Hopkins Middle School, Providence
Alexander Marshall – Barrington Christian Academy
Monserrath Melgar – Blackstone Valley Prep Upper Elementary School, Lincoln
Isabel Perez Moreno – Esek Hopkins Middle School, Providence
Nyomi Norville – Achievement First Iluminar Mayoral Academy Middle School, Cranston
Alyse Odumosu – Hope Highlands Middle School, Cranston
Olivia O’Leary – Hope Highlands Middle School, Cranston
Tate Pathoummahong – Esek Hopkins Middle School, Providence
Aviya Pelley – Barrington Christian Academy
Amber Phipps - Del Sesto Middle School, Providence
Jazriella Plasencia – Del Sesto Middle School, Providence
Ally Reyes – Paul Cuffee Middle School, Providence
Zulenny Rodriguez – Esek Hopkins Middle School, Providence
Tess Ruhren – Curtis Corner Middle School, Wakefield
Israella Servrien – Paul Cuffee Middle School, Providence
Story Simpson – The UCAP School, Providence
Samantha Sipaque – Highlander Charter School, Warren
Goldy Sok – Western Hills Middle School, Cranston
Morgan Stone – Western Hills Middle School, Cranston
Jason Tallo – John F. Deering Middle School, West Warwick
Selina Torres – Joseph Jenks Junior High School, Pawtucket
Yailene Torrvallas – Esek Hopkins Middle School, Providence
Kashi Truong – Winman Middle School, Warwick
Ruby Wilkinson – Home School, Hope Valley
Persiah Oasis Williams – Gilbert Stuart Middle School, Providence
Andrew DePietro Memorial Scholarships
Ezra Celeste – Home School, Cranston
Cornelius Zmed – Warwick Veterans Memorial Middle School
Made possible by the generosity of the DePietro Family
Desiree Lee Mesolella Scholarships
Sadie Beatrice – Curtis Corner Middle School, Wakefield
Amanda Chen – Western Hills Middle School, Cranston
Made possible by the generosity of the Mesolella Family
Keri Anne O’Donnell Scholarships
Aaden Bessette – Winman Middle School, Warwick
Daniela Muralles Mendez – Blessed Sacrament School, Providence
Made possible by the generosity of the O’Donnell Family
Jo-Ann Ragosta Memorial Scholarship
Adam M. Khaykin – Home School, Smithfield
Made possible by the generosity of the Ragosta Family
-30-