KC Art Symposium high school students receive scholarships

(Left to right) Judge James Pace, Melanie De La Roca (1st), Luis Perez (2nd), Tiffany MacDonald (3rd), Rebecca Wright (4th), Nathan Kelly (5th) and judge Alexis Serio.

Ten high school art students were awarded college scholarships Friday, Feb. 1, at the annual Kilgore College Secondary School Art Symposium. Melanie De La Roca of Pine Tree High School was awarded the top prize with a $2,000 scholarship to attend Kilgore College.

Put on for high school educators and students, 13 area institutions participated, submitting 49 portfolios. Judges were two professors of art from the University of Texas at Tyler--James Pace and Alexis Serio.

Coordinated by KC art instructor Carolyn Fox-Hearne, the event has grown to incorporate so many schools that directors and judges felt it necessary to expand the honorable mention field in 2006 to reward the talents of more deserving students.

"I've had several instructors come up and tell me that the talent at this year's symposium was the best they'd seen," Fox- Hearne said. "We had more than 500 spectators come through to view the portfolios. It was a great turnout."

(Left to right) Judge James Pace, Kevin Hopper (6th), Julie Morrison (7th), Kaitlin Andress Araceli Juarez (Honorable Mention), Charlie Deese (10th), Kendra Smith (9th) and judge Alexis Serio.

The following students were selected as the top-ten scholarship recipients. Denominations are applicable as Kilgore College scholarships: Melanie De La Roca, Pine Tree, Graham Scholarship -- $2,000, Luis Perez, Pine Tree, Jeanne Velde Scholarship - $1,600, Tiffany MacDonald, KC Scholarship - $1,200, Rebecca Wright, Pine Tree, KC Scholarship - $1,000, Nathan Kelly, Longview, KC Scholarship - $1,000, Kevin Hopper, Athens, KC Scholarship - $800, Julie Morrison, Hallsville, KC Scholarship - $800,Kaitlin Andress, Athens, KC Scholarship - $800, Kendra Smith, Trinity School of Texas, KC Scholarship - $800 and Charlie Deese, Trinity School of Texas, KC Scholarship - $800.