YOUTH ON THE GO
Six Catskill High School students were selected to participate in the 2020 High School Honors Performance Series this month at Carnegie Hall.
Elisha Clause, Matthew Caro and Grace McCulloch will perform with the Mixed Choir. Deandra Catterson, Isabella Truncale and Ava Higgins will perform with the Women’s Choir.
Participation in these Honors Ensembles is limited to the highest-rated high school performers from across the world. The students auditioned for the Honors Performance Series last summer and were accepted after a review by the Honors Selection Board.
All of the students are currently members of the Catskill High School Concert Chorus, under the direction of Michelle StorrsRyan. Each student has participated and received high marks at the New York State School Music Association Solo Festival. Additionally, they all have participated in the Greene County Music Educators Association All-County Festivals. McCulloch, Catterson, Truncale and Higgins are members of the Catskill High School Treblaires, also under the direction of Storrs-Ryan.
Clause, Caro, McCulloch, Catterson, Truncale, and Higgins will join student performers from 47 U.S. states, Guam, several provinces of Canada, Bermuda, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Qatar, and South Korea for a special performance at Carnegie
Hall. The finalists will come together in New York City for five days in February, where they will have the opportunity to learn from world-renowned conductors, work with other finalists and get a taste of the city. Two performances, an Honors Choral Performance and an Honors Instrumental Performance, will take place Sunday, Feb. 2.
••• Five area students were among 13 people nominated by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., as candidates for the nation’s service academies. The students were: • Jerome Futia Jr. of Wallkill in Ulster County, U.S. Naval Academy.
• Michael Santiago of Pleasant Valley in Dutchess County, U.S. Air Force Academy.
• Miguel Connell of Chester in Orange County, U.S. Military Academy.
• James Young of Highland Falls in Orange County, U.S. Military Academy.
• Caleb Johnson of New Windsor in Orange County, U.S. Military Academy.
A selection committee formed by Gillibrand chose the nominees from a large group of qualified applicants. Decisions were based on criteria including academic record, leadership potential and overall achievement. Final acceptance is determined solely by the service academies.
••• The New York Stewart International Airportbased Maj. Gen. Irene
Trowell-Harris Chapter of the national Tuskegee Airmen organization will grant 12 scholarships to area graduating high school seniors. The ceremony will take place at the chapter’s 22nd Annual Tuition-Awards Dinner-Dance at Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 6 p.m.
The students receiving scholarships are:
• Sean Brown, Newburgh Free Academy (William Carter Award).
• Matthew Chapman, John S. Burke Catholic High School in Goshen.
• Miguel A. Connell, SUNY-Orange/Chester Academy ($2,000 Dr. Roscoe C. Brown Award).
• Allison P. Evans, Newburgh Free Academy (Dr. Irene Trowell-Harris Award).
• Nia K. Garrett, Newburgh Free Academy (Clayton Lawrence Award).
• Gabriella Danielle Gooden, John S. Burke Catholic High School.
• Adriana S. Guerrerio, Newburgh Free Academy ($2,000 Bill King
Award).
• Zakiya S. Helm, Newburgh Free Academy (Bill and Adah Nicklin Award),
• Jaslyn A. Martinez-Lopez, Newburgh Free Academy.
• Keyondrah N. Murphy, Newburgh Free Academy.
• Adriana Pascal, Valley Central High School.
• Kendall Scott, Newburgh Free Academy.
Tickets for the dinner-dance are $150 per person. They can be purchased by visiting www.tai-ny.com or by calling (845) 838-7848.