West Michigan Savoyards Scholarship Program (2013-2017)
Purpose
- To expose high school juniors and seniors to Gilbert & Sullivan, the arts, the social/political issues of Victorian England and how those issues relate to society today
- To be an example of community, business, and school cooperation
2017 WMS SCholarship Winners
Riley Wells is the 1st place winner of the 2017 competition. Happy parents are Clark and Pam Wells.
Presenting the $1000 award to Riley is Jim DeVries, partner in Nicewander, Berens, and DeVries PLLC, a major sponsor of the WMS scholarship.
Winners Award
Riley Wells Jenison High School $1000
Alissa Lucas Unity Christian High School $100
John Jakubowski Catholic Central High School $100
2016 WMS SCholarship Winners
Bridget Duba from West Catholic High School being awarded first prize in the
West Michigan Savoyards “Mikado” essay competition by James DeVries of Nicewander, Berens, and DeVries PLLC, our scholarship sponsor.
Winners Award
Bridget Duba West Catholic $1000
Amelia Justice Northview $500
Emma Bouman Calvin Christian $400
Kees van Liere Grand Rapids Christian $200
Benjamin Mikula Wellspring Preparatory $200
Justin Crump Byron Center $200
Connor Hartlein Grand Rapids Christian $100
Dayna Zylstra Grand Rapids Christian $100
2015 WMS Scholarship winners
2015 WMS Scholarship winner Elizabeth Jakubowski from Catholic Central, accompanied by her mother, being awarded her prize by WMS Scholarship sponsor Jim DeVries.
Elizabeth Jakubowski – Catholic Central – $1000
Eve Hillman – Rockford High School – $200
Kate Bennett – Catholic Central – $200
Chelsea Fisk – Byron Center High School – $100
Allison Polkowski – Kenowa Hills High School – $100
Maddy Mathias – Rockford High School – $100
Elizabeth related The Sorcerer to her AP Government class which was taught by her teacher sponsor, Mr. DeWitt.
“This fall, I will be attending the University of Notre Dame to study social science or chemistry. I have always liked theater, and so I very much enjoyed watching the performance of The Sorcerer. However, what I think was especially great about their performance was that as I watched it, I realized how similar Gilbert and Sullivan’s thought process was to that of people today on a whole host of issues. It was amazing to think about how similar we as humans are to each other, even across generations and continents, and I have to wonder if Gilbert and Sullivan really knew what their work would do to the world, even a hundred years after they stopped writing! This was truly an incredible opportunity.”
2014 WMS SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Thuy-Tien Nguyen, accompanied by her parents, is presented with her $1000 scholarship award by Jim DeVries of the law firm Nicewander, Berens, & DeVries (NBD) who sponsored the 2014 scholarship competition.
Thuy-Tien Nguyen, Caledonia High School – $1000 Scholarship
Rachel Woods, Black River High School – $125 Scholarship
Charlotte Klyn, Hudsonville High School – $125 Scholarship
Audrey Wierenga, South Christian High School – $125 Scholarship
Megan DeRoo, Unity Christian High School – $125 Scholarship
Marta Von Holtz, West Ottawa High School – Honorable Mention
Deborah Mliakoff, Northview High School – Honorable Mention
Thuy-Tien’s Teacher Sponsor was Drama Teacher Mrs. Ruthven. She was able to relate the Princess Ida performance to her Senior English class including the study of World Literature, Philosophy, and Mythology.
“This fall I will be attending Calvin College to study biology and pre-medicine. The West Michigan Savoyards Scholarship Competition was a great opportunity for me to be able to watch a performance that I otherwise would not have bothered to attend. I am so grateful I tried it out, as I had such a fun time discussing and researching about the show afterward. I definitely hope many other students are provided with this opportunity as well, for I learned so much from watching and researching Princess Ida. I feel the show broadened my perspective on satirical plays and the society of Victorian England compared to today’s society. This entire experience was amazing.” – Thuy-Tien Nguyen
2013 WMS Scholarship Winners
Our scholarship program was initiated in 2013. Twelve area high schools were represented with essay papers relating The Pirates of Penzance to subjects including English, Government, Drama, Choir, and after school athletics. Our 2013 Winners and Finalists are:
Ellen Hackett, Senior, West Catholic High School – $1000 Scholarship
Elizabeth Cuthbertson, Senior, Home Schooled – $500 Scholarship
Julia Klynstra, Senior, Zeeland East High School – Finalist
Megan DeRoo, Junior, Unity Christian High School – Finalist
Anna Bolton, Junior, Unity Christian High School – Finalist
Joshua Morren, Senior, Zeeland East High School – Finalist
Ellen Hackett – $1000 Scholarship Winner
Stacey Danevicz – Teacher Sponsor
Jeff Hackett – Ellen’s Father
Ellen related The Pirates of Penzance to her American Government class
“In the fall I will be attending Aquinas College to study Biology and Pre-Medicine. I am grateful to have been a part of the first West Michigan Savoyards Scholarship competition and hope that it continues to grow and provide other students with the opportunity to experience Gilbert and Sullivan. I think this competition is a wonderful idea to help younger generations develop an appreciation for Gilbert and Sullivan and relate the past to the present.” – Ellen Hackett
Elizabeth Cuthbertson – $500 Scholarship Winner
John Cuthbertson – Elizabeth’s Father
Sarah Cutherbertson – Elizabeth’s Mother
Elizabeth related The Pirates of Penzance to her English class
“I will be attending Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Discipleship Training School in Denver, CO. The West Michigan Savoyards Scholarship was a great experience. It was very interesting and fun to analyze a show, pulling it apart to find little bits and pieces of culture that, when put together, paint a beautiful picture of Victorian England at the time. It was a fun experience and I would recommend it to all juniors and seniors. Not only is it an enjoyable opportunity, but it is also a valuable way to learn about Victorian England through a new medium – Gilbert and Sullivan’s skillful writing.” – Elizabeth Cuthbertson
Thanks to all who made the WMS Scholarship possible, especially Bob Hicks, Bonnie Bailiey, and Jim DeVries. We also thank all the students who participated in the program over the years.