December 4, 2020
In
Shooting Stars
2021 Shooting Stars Finalists & Scholarship Recipients
The Arts make an important contribution to any community’s quality of life and are an essential part of every student’s educational experience, teaching 21st Century workplace skills, innovation, critical thinking, collaboration, communication and self-expression.
The Shooting Stars Program celebrates young artists and arts educators for their artistic achievements with college scholarships, awards and honorariums. Since 1997, the Shooting Stars Program has recognized over 1,000 high school seniors for their artistic excellence and contributions to their community.
Nine first place scholarships of $1,400 each, nine second place scholarships of $700 each and nine teacher honorariums* of $300 each were awarded (*to the nominating teacher of the first place scholarship recipient) at the annual Shooting Stars Gala on April 18, 2021. Shooting Stars’ scholarships, awards and teacher honorariums are funded by private donations from corporations, foundations and individuals.
| Place | Category | Finalist Name | Nominating Teacher | High School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Theatre Performance | Emma Whitney | Amy Hastings | Olathe Northwest |
| 2nd | Theatre Performance | Adalyn Green | Maureen Davis | Blue Valley |
| 1st | Voice Classical | Kloe Wagner | Garrett Epp | Olathe North |
| 2nd | Voice Classical | Sonia Brekken | Pam Williamson | Olathe Northwest |
| 1st | Production & Design | Grant Martin | Gary Goddard | Olathe East |
| 2nd | Production & Design | Josie Smith | Jason Hagg | Gardner-Edgerton |
| 1st | 2D Visual Art | Ana Cecilia Gutierrez Torreseptien | Christine LaValley | Blue Valley Northwest |
| 2nd | 2D Visual Art | Tyler Phothirath | Catherine Bloomer | Olathe North |
| 1st | 3D Visual Art | Sienna Sun | Adam Finkleston | Shawnee Mission East |
| 2nd | 3D Visual Art | Leah Dean | Michael Johnston | Blue Valley |
| 1st | Photography | Reese Renzi | Sarah McKee | Blue Valley Southwest |
| 2nd | Photography | Julia Walewicz | Carla Roberts | Blue Valley West |
| 1st | Literature | Maria Heath | Caroline Ewing | Shawnee Mission South |
| 2nd | Literature | Gabrielle Kill | Kat Buchanan | Blue Valley North |
| 1st | Strings | Melody Tzang | Amy Fear | Blue Valley |
| 2nd | Strings | Andrea Shehi | Michael Hanf | Olathe East |
| 1st | Winds & Percussion | Jay Selzer | Steve Adams | Shawnee Mission South |
| 2nd | Winds & Percussion | Joshua Robinson | Adam Lundine | Blue Valley Northwest |
| Category | Finalist Name | Nominating Teacher | High School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theatre Performance | Declan Franey | Sydney Kohart | Blue Valley Northwest |
| Seneca Sims | Mark Swezey | Shawnee Mission South | |
| Adalyn Green | Maureen Davis | Blue Valley | |
| Jack Winters | Ashlea Christopher | Rockhurst | |
| Caroline Kuhlman | Brian Cappello | Shawnee Mission East | |
| Sarah Phillips | Kim Spillman | Saint Thomas Aquinas | |
| Jeremy Clephen Taylor | Chris Palmer | Shawnee Mission North | |
| Brayden Wadehra | Sarah Cronkleton-Kidd | De Soto | |
| Emma Whitney | Amy Hastings | Olathe Northwest | |
| Abigail Riego De Dios | Alisha Morris | Olathe West | |
| Leif Campbell | Jon Copeland | Mill Valley | |
| Camille Korte | Dustin Pence | Olathe North | |
| Willa Walberg | Edward Shafer | Olathe East | |
| Max Pardo | David Hastings | Olathe South | |
| Annie Kuzma | Jason Hagg | Gardner-Edgerton | |
| Voice Classical | Matthew Gafrick | Joshua Donaldson | Blue Valley Northwest |
| Bryson Kendall | Mindy Fry | De Soto | |
| Emily Warren | Sam Dollins | Blue Valley | |
| Elise Bowles | Elise Peterson | Olathe South | |
| Tyler Smith | Jessie Reimer | Mill Valley | |
| Thompson Penn | Joshua Lawlor | Rockhurst | |
| Sonia Brekken | Jason Williamson | Olathe Northwest | |
| Garrett Brax | Jason Sickel | Blue Valley North | |
| Kloe Wagner | Garrett Epp | Olathe North | |
| Riley Pembleton | Kelli Baker | Gardner-Edgerton | |
| James Finlen | Joe Heidesch | Saint Thomas Aquinas | |
| Production & Design | Grant Martin | Garry Goddard | Olathe East |
| Ruth Long | Ben Bartlett | Shawnee Mission North | |
| Summer Sperke | Alisha Morris | Olathe West | |
| Josie Smith | Jason Hagg | Gardner-Edgerton | |
| 2D Visual Art | Claire Burke | Erica Crist | Mill Valley |
| Evelyn Goering | Stephanie Dalley | Shawnee Mission North | |
| Carly Parsons | Tim Mispagel | De Soto | |
| Bethany Allison | Jill Oliver | Shawnee Mission South | |
| Ana Cecilia Gutierrez Torreseptien | Christine LaValley | Blue Valley Northwest | |
| Arianna Allen | Melissa Terryberry | Shawnee Mission Northwest | |
| Isabella Passantino | Emily Patterson | Blue Valley Southwest | |
| Liam Dale | Mark Mosier | Blue Valley | |
| Emilia Gibbs | Adam Finkelston | Shawnee Mission East | |
| Brianna Bona | Doug Catloth | Shawnee Mission West | |
| Ashtyn Jones | Abbey Thomas | Olathe Northwest | |
| Hailey Slaughter | Roger Messersmith | Olathe South | |
| Lyla Dietz | Kristin Howard | Heritage Christian Academy | |
| Abigail Smith | Lori Ludwig | Olathe East | |
| Tyler Phothirath | Catherine Bloomer | Olathe North | |
| Vance Lor | Elijah Schraad | Shawnee Mission West | |
| Bethany Stuart | Toni Britt | Gardner-Edgerton | |
| Lauren Blood | Tom Holland | Blue Valley North | |
| 3D Visual Art | Hannah Purkey | Tim Mispagel | De Soto |
| Miles Hall | Alex Case | Olathe North | |
| Alli Butler | Barb McCormick | Gardner-Edgerton | |
| Isabella Privitera | Jason Lips | Pembroke Hill Upper School | |
| Sienna Sun | Adam Finkelston | Shawnee Mission East | |
| Riley Peters | Cortney Dougherty | Shawnee Mission South | |
| Anna Palacio | Julie Weatherford | Olathe South | |
| Alexis Linnebach | Nicholas Tomasic | Blue Valley West | |
| Evangeline Ellingsworth | Chandra Beadleston | Shawnee Mission North | |
| Ryne Paepke | Lisa Hirsch | Olathe Northwest | |
| Jamison Mills | Lisa Holton | Olathe East | |
| Leah Dean | Michael Johnston | Blue Valley | |
| Strings | Amrith Samuel | Cecily Mahan | Olathe North |
| Lindsey Joslin | Joel Martin | Olathe Northwest | |
| Connor McCall | Matt Bradford | De Soto | |
| Andrea Shehi | Michael Hanf | Olathe East | |
| Kara Schlenk | Greg Ferguson | Olathe South | |
| Melody Tzang | Amy Fear | Blue Valley | |
| Literature | Gaby Kill | Kat Buchanan | Blue Valley North |
| Maria Heath | Caroline Ewing | Shawnee Mission South | |
| Macie Redick | Kjirsten Abkes | Maranatha Academy | |
| Mackenzie Clevenger | Amy Anderson | Shawnee Mission East | |
| Kennedy Ebberts | Crystal Sinclair-King | De Soto | |
| Emma Steenhard | Kimberly Hillstock | Olathe North | |
| Claire Powell | Maureen Davis | Blue Valley | |
| Photography | Olivia Pierce | Heather Springer | Olathe South |
| Madison Clark | Melanie Mikel | Blue Valley Northwest | |
| Alex Braley | Tim Mispagel | De Soto | |
| Emma Crouch | Hannah Kemp | Gardner-Edgerton | |
| Ellison Lewis | Melissa Sellers | Olathe East | |
| Reese Renzi | Sarah McKee | Blue Valley Southwest | |
| Julia Walewicz | Carla Roberts | Blue Valley West | |
| Maura Dayton | Kimberly Ruttan | Shawnee Mission Northwest | |
| Zoe Cott | Kristen Pickell | Blue Valley | |
| Grace Strongman | Adam Finkelston | Shawnee Mission East | |
| Winds & Percussion | Jay Selzer | Steve Adams | Shawnee Mission South |
| Peder Thomas | Ann Snead | Shawnee Mission Northwest | |
| Jonathan Cauble | Laura Bock | Blue Valley Southwest | |
| Eli Lockhart | Justin Love | Blue Valley West | |
| Joseph Madigan | Daniel Freeman | Blue Valley North | |
| Mason Romero | Chad Coughlin | Olathe South | |
| Joshua Robinson | Adam Lundine | Blue Valley Northwest | |
| Sophia Gardner | Patrick McCarty | Olathe North | |
| Keegan Kaiser | Robert Davis | Olathe Northwest |