Stamford's Avon Theatre Awards $8,500 In Scholarships To Area High School Seniors

STAMFORD, CT — The Avon Theatre - Deborah & Chuck Royce Cinema Arts Center has awarded $8,500 in scholarships to local graduating high school seniors through its 17th Annual Avon Scholarship Awards Essay Contest.

The awards were presented June 12 during a reception and ceremony hosted by Avon Board Member Sue Baker and Louisa Greene, a juror and co-founder of the theater’s Education Initiative. Following the ceremony, attendees were invited to a screening of the Academy Award-winning documentary "My Octopus Teacher" at the Ferguson Library.

The scholarship program is funded through donations to the theater’s annual appeal and other community supporters. Scholarship funds are sent directly to recipients’ colleges and universities.

The top three winners included:

First Place — $2,000 - Joaquin Field, Stamford High School, who will be attending Syracuse University. His winning essay focused on "The Voice of Hind Rajab."

Second Place — $1,500 - Abby Meyers, Greenwich High School, who will be attending Yale University. Her essay explored "Hamnet."

Third Place — $1,000 - Jordan Alexander, New Canaan High School, who will be attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His essay examined "Superman."

An additional $4,000 in honorable mention scholarships was awarded to eight students, with each receiving a $500 scholarship.

The winners are:

• Abigail Sandoval, Stamford High School, University of New Haven — "A Walk to Remember"
• Riona McKersie, Greenwich High School, Mount St. Mary’s University (Maryland) — "Train Dreams"
• Nahim Cagua Llivipuma, Westhill High School, UConn Stamford — "Nuremberg"
• Yaniah Chisolm, Westhill High School, Spelman College — Sinners
• Genesis Fabian, Stamford High School, CT State Community College — "Hamnet"
• Clara Bonomo, Sacred Heart Greenwich, Muhlenberg College — "Hoppers"
• Angela Russell, Westhill High School, Cornell University — "Project Hail Mary"
• Alexandra Zodda, Byram Hills High School, Cornell University — "Hamnet"

Students were asked to submit essays of 500 to 750 words on the theme
"Film Matters," discussing a film they had viewed and its impact on their lives.

Essays were evaluated anonymously by a panel of journalists, authors, educators, filmmakers and community leaders.

According to an announcement, submissions explored topics including resilience, justice, empathy, identity, family and storytelling through a range of films, documentaries and literary adaptations.