Twelve young local artists were awarded 2024 James C. Macdonald Performing Arts Scholarships by the McLean Community Center.
The annual scholarship competition began with preliminary auditions in February and culminated with a final competition on stage at the Alden Theatre on April 17. A panel of distinguished judges reviewed each performance.
First-place honorees were Melina Turnage, McLean High School (dance); Lea Kung, McLean High School (instrumental music); Samantha Carey, McLean High School, theater; and Alex Valencic, McLean High School (vocal music).
Second-place finishers were Yunseo Lee, McLean High School (dance); Sophia Lin, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology (instrumental music); Aashna Kapur, McLean High School (theater); and Kasimir Rastogi, Langley High School (vocal music).
Third-place honorees were Sophie Zhang, McLean High School (dance); Ryan Chun, McLean High School (instrumental music); Abby Joe, Langley High School (theater); and Valentina Sedan, McLean High School (vocal music).
Scholarship prizes of $1,200 were awarded to students first-place finishers, with second-place recipients receiving $800 and third-place recipients $400.
