Community

Center for the Arts Lake Sunapee Region announces scholarship recipients

NEW LONDON — This year the Center for the Arts Lake Sunapee Region has awarded $28,000 in scholarships to eight deserving area students who are interested in pursuing various aspects of the arts. This year’s scholarship recipients are: Patrick Seward, New London; Shane Boucher, New London; Emily Swindell, Wilmot; Erin Chouinard, Wilmot; Madison Hemingway, Newport; Meaghan O’Meara, Grantham; Bailey Carmody, Warner; and Elizabeth Upton, Newbury.

Patrick Seward was the Lang Scholarship recipient. He is a 2020 graduate of Kearsarge High School and he resides in New London and aspires to have a career in music. Patrick is a multi-talented young man who sings, plays the piano and performs in musicals. He played Harold Hill, the lead character; in Kearsarge’s High Schools spring production of Music Man. He has performed vocally in jazz groups as well as performed in A Cappella singing groups. He combined these talents along with outstanding academic grades in high school. Patrick has been accepted at Syracuse University and plans to enroll in the music program there.

Shane Boucher, a resident of Sutton, graduated from Kearsarge High School and plans to have a career in the performing arts. He received The Madge Rizza Scholarship for the Performing Arts. Shane has a passion for acting, singing and dancing which makes him perfect for the performing arts. He has been a Junior Barn Intern for several summers and has been involved with student programs at Northern Stage. Shane will be attending Florida Southern College where he hopes to earn a BFA in musical theater.

Emily Swindell is a resident of Wilmot and graduated from Kearsarge High School. Emily was awarded a senior scholarship as she plans to attend Smith College. She was accepted early, as this was her first choice. Emily has been dancing since she was a little girl. She has spent much of her training at the Kearsarge Conservatory of Performing Arts in Warner. As she grew in her dance expertise, she taught classes there. Her talent and passion for dance will be combined with her interest in biochemical engineering and the study of genetics. Her outstanding academic record and talent ensures she will be successful in combing dance with her academic responsibilities at Smith College.

Erin Chouinard received a senior scholarship and will be attending Middlebury College in the fall. She resides in Wilmot and is a 2020 graduated from Kearsarge High School. Erin is an outstanding student who has danced and sang in various productions at Kearsarge High School and will be majoring in the performing arts at college. But she also has an interest in studying law or psychology. She will also continue to develop her ability and passion as a visual artist.

Madison Hemingway was another of our senior scholarship recipients. She resides in Newport. She has been dancing since she was a very young girl. Most of her classes were at the Dance Arts Academy in Sunapee. She not only took classes at the academy but taught dance there as well. She will be going to Salve Regina College in the fall. There she will continue to develop her talent for dancing along with studying law. She is passionate about issues that relate to social justice and she can see herself going into law or working in the criminal justice system.

Meaghan O’Meara is also a senior scholarship recipient who lives in Grantham, and is a graduate of Grantham High School. She has been studying dance for many years. She has studied ballet at the White River Dance Academy. She has also studied ballet at the Boston Conservatory of Dance in Boston for a three-week summer program. She will be attending the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. She will be majoring in the performing arts with a focus on dance.

Since many of the programs and workshops were not offered this year because of the pandemic, we did not have as many undergraduates apply for scholarships as we have had in the past.

Bailey Carmody received a scholarship to attend the Junior Barn Intern program. He is a talented vocalist who has participated in the jazz choir at the high school and also in the All New England choir. He will be a senior at Kearsarge High School in the fall. He lives in Warner.

Elizabeth Upton lives in Newbury and is a student at the Kearsarge Middle School. She has been dancing since she was very young. She has done most of her studying at the Kearsarge Conservatory of Performing Arts. She received a scholarship for a summer intensive dance program. It is the Rock School for Dance Education. Elizabeth also performed recently in the Sunapee’s Got Talent event last month.

The Center for the Arts is so delighted to award these deserving student scholarships each year to help young people to pursue their dreams of becoming artists, dancers, musicians, actors, and writers. We are thankful to the individuals and business sponsors who support us in this effort. These are the stars of tomorrow!

To learn more about applying for our scholarships visit www.centerfortheartsnh.org/student-scholarships.

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