The D’Addario Foundation is thrilled to announce its selection of recipients of college scholarships in 2021. Eleven students, all participants in Foundation grantee programs, will receive four years of financial aid to cover expenses of college including tuition, books, and transportation. Of the eleven, nine are the first generation in their family to attend college.
The D’Addario Foundation established the College Scholarship Program in 2019 and now supports 31 students across the country. The Class of 2021 are a diverse group of students who collectively play 16 different instruments and participated for an average of 7.5 years in their robust community music programs including, New City Kids, Merit School of Music, Austin Classical Guitar, Corona Youth Music Project, OrchKids, Lead Guitar, Laby Harmony Project, Latino Arts Strings Program, and Play On Philly.
The Class of 2021 Recipients include:
- Anna Jorge – Jersey City, NJ attending The College of New Jersey
- Devin Shaw – Chicago, IL attending the University of Miami
- Elijah Flores – Austin, Texas attending the University of Texas, San Antonio
- Itayetzy Uranga–Caamano – Corona, NY attending NYU
- Keyona Carrington – Baltimore City, MD attending Towson University
- Maya Valdez – Basalt, CO, attending University of Colorado, Denver
- Melissa Flores – Ventura, CA attending California State University, Long Beach
- Rafael Noriega Jr. – Chicago, IL attending Cleveland Institute of Music
- Ronald Jamieson – Chicago, IL attending University of Michigan
- Zamira Castillo-Santos – Milwaukee, WI attending University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
- Zora Nelson – Philadelphia, PA attending NYU
Scholarship recipient Zora Nelson, a harp player from Philadelphia says, “Coming from a city where there is a lot of poverty and public schools are underfunded, I can speak first-hand how it’s sad that so many kids do not have access to music education. Through my music program [Play On Philly] I’m seeing how much music education can change a student’s life, by giving them something to be passionate about and creating a safe space. It means a lot that foundations like the D’Addario Foundation reach out to students and give them something like music to immerse their time in, because so many of them need it.”
For over 30 years, the D’Addario Foundation has been dedicated to helping make music education accessible for children in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. Students in D’Addario Foundation grantee programs participate in high-quality music making at little to no cost, frequently, and for as many years in their overall education. Offering this scholarship fund to students in these programs nurtures their continued success and encourages higher education to break cycles of poverty.
The D’Addario Foundation College Scholarship Fund is made possible by a generous donation from the Rita & Herbert Z. Gold Charitable Trust. To meet the recipients and donate to this fund, visit www.ddar.io/scholarship.
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