PALM COAST, Fla. – As Florida arts communities wait with bated breath to see how this year’s legislative session shakes out for funding the arts, there were five Flagler County, Floridians who didn’t have to wait to receive their good news.
Each earning $1,000 scholarships from the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center’s Flagler Auditorium Governing Board, six students from Flagler Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High School were excited to learn they were on the receiving end as they prepare to take the next step in their higher education journey.
Kendall Blais, a chorus student at Matanzas High School shared what receiving the scholarship means to her.
“The arts are important to me because they give me a chance to express myself where I feel I am unable to do otherwise. Choir and theater have given me a second family and I have been able to realize my full potential not only as a performer but as a person. They have made me more confident in myself and my abilities. The love from my community in theater and choir is what got me through high school. This scholarship will help me pursue my passion in music and help me to become a music teacher like the man who inspired me to keep going with music,” Blais said.
Flagler Palm Coast High School student Becca Lodato, who played “The Scarecrow” in the recent production of The Wizard of Oz, is staying close to home while following her dream.
“The arts are important to me because it’s the way I express myself. Ever since I was little, I’ve been bad at talking about my emotions, so I let it out through my acting,” Lodato said.
“This scholarship will help me move forward by helping me pursue my dreams at Flagler College where I will be double majoring in Theatre Arts and Marketing. I’m so grateful for this opportunity and it really means a lot to me.”
A whiz in stage craft, Jordan Rogers said being part of the performing arts community has opened up career opportunities.
“The performing arts are important to me because they showed me what I wanted to do as a career in life. Previous to being a part of the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center, I had no idea what I would be doing for a career, but everyone there, and the performing arts guided me in the right direction, showing me what I wanted to do,” said Rogers.
“Having the privilege to receive this scholarship will allow me to further my education at Daytona State College, majoring in Music Production.”
Other performing arts students receiving scholarships included Ayoalaya Akimbo, Kassandra Baker, and Kerry O’Connell.
“The arts are so important to me because I believe they represent what life is all about, and they connect people of all backgrounds. The scholarship from the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center will help me on my dance journey, serving as a reminder to never stop dancing,” shared O’Connell.
