Thea Foundation is excited to announce scholarship winners for the 2021/2022 school year. Over 450 students participated in this year’s competition themed “Reflection/Refraction”, vying for a record $219,000 in scholarships, an increase of $135,000 over last year.
“As judges, we were thrilled by the turnout and the talent on offer at this year’s Thea Foundation Scholarship Competition. Even on video, the excitement and energy was awesome and heartening. We had a very difficult time deciding which of the dozens of worthy students should receive Thea scholarships, and we hope that all of the performers continue to share their love of the arts to with this needy world,” stated volunteer judge Kevin T. Browne, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theatre, University of Central Arkansas.
The following 36 Arkansas seniors were awarded scholarships in five different categories:
Performing Arts
- $10,000 Clinton Family Foundation Scholarship Jordan Greenwood – Little Rock Christian Academy, Little Rock
- $9,000 Linda and Paul Leopoulos Scholarship Isabella Hammonds – Homeschool, Little Rock
- $8,000 Hammond/McDonald Scholarship John Straessle – Catholic High School, Little Rock
- $7,000 Frueauff Foundation Scholarship Jackson McAfee – Lakeside High School, Hot Springs
- $6,000 Lawrence Hamilton Memorial Scholarship Christian Elder – Rogers High School, Rogers
- $3,000 Lindsey Robison East Memorial Scholarship Turner Tecmire – Northside High School, Fort Smith
- $3,000 Charles L. Cabe Scholarship Kathleen Armstrong – Cabot High School, Cabot
- $3,000 Heflin Family Foundation Scholarship Margaux Marak – Central Arkansas Christian, Sherwood
- $3,000 WesleyK. Clark II Scholarship Hope Drake – Lakeside High School, Hot Springs
- $3,000 Robert T. & Elizabeth W. Seibert Memorial Scholarship Allen Coleman – Forrest City High School, Colt
Visual Arts
- $10,000 Thea Foundation Board Scholarship Michael Lawrence – North Little Rock High School, North Little Rock
- $9,000 Windgate Charitable Foundation Scholarship Anumi Wickramasinghe – Bentonville West High School, Bentonville
- $8,000 Robyn Horn & Dede and Karen Hutcheson Scholarship Abigail McDonald – North Little Rock High School, North Little Rock
- $7,000 Scholarship Alivia Griffin – North Little Rock High School, North Little Rock
- $6,000 Robin Orsi Family Scholarship Heather Stanfield – Life Way Christian, Bentonville
- $3,000 Olds Foundation Scholarship Reagan Ptacek – Bentonville West High School, Bentonville
- $3,000 Janet and Glenn Davis Scholarship Madelyn Hall – Sylvan Hills, Sherwood
- $3,000 Munro Foundation Scholarship Ashley Fan – Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock
- $3,000 Murphy USA Scholarship Emely Solis – Bentonville West High School, Centerton
- $3,000 Rita Curtis Memorial Scholarship Anny Victoriano – Academies of Jonesboro High, Jonesboro
Creative Writing
- $10,000 Betty Wilkinson Scholarship Marlissa Archie – Hot Springs High School, Hot Springs
- $9,000 Dr. Ben Meade/Jane Hunt Scholarship Kathryn Odum – Pulaski Academy, Little Rock
- $8,000 Scholarship Avery Girouard – Pulaski Academy, Little Rock
- $7,000 Scholarship Brianna Staples – Riverview High School, Kensett
- $6,000 Scholarship Jedidiah Lightner – Southside High School, Fort Smith
- $3,000 Scholarship Lydia Dunlap – Greenbrier High School, Greenbrier
- $3,000 Rebsamen Fund Scholarship McKenzie Allred – Arkansas School for Math, Science, and Arts, Hot Springs
- $3,000 Scholarship Gracie Limmer – Mount St. Mary Academy, Little Rock
- $3,000 Scholarship Emily Clark – Bentonville West High School, Centerton
- $3,000 Scholarship Aerial Haney – Lakeside High School, Hot Springs
Film
- $10,000 Natalie and Win Rockefeller Scholarship Shreya Ramani – Founders Classical Academy, Rogers
- $9,000 Dorothy & Walter Morris Foundation Scholarship Maggie Davis – Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock
- $8,000 Kye-Yak International Scholarship Anna Bolding – North Little Rock High School, North Little Rock
Fashion
- $10,000 Jeanne McNeill Johansson Scholarship Alyse Briggs – Estem High School, North Little Rock
- $9,000 Scholarship Colleen Hill – Bentonville High School, Centerton
- $8,000 Scholarship Zoe Seibert – Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock
“We are honored to enjoy talent from across the state, and grateful for the donors, students, teachers, and families that make this competition possible,” said Thea Foundation Executive Director Nick Leopoulos.
The annual competitions are for Arkansas graduating high school seniors, and remain a key resource for helping young people across the state receive financial help for higher education. Each of the five arts-based competitions provide Arkansas seniors with an opportunity to secure funding for college based on their talent alone. The organization’s first scholarship was awarded in 2002, and Thea Foundation has awarded more than $2.4 million in scholarships to Arkansas students since then.