Shooting Stars: Talent Showcase to Feature Local Students at the Schaefer Center May 6

By Kaitlan Morehouse

The Watauga Education Foundation cordially invites you to see local students perform in its 17th annual “Shooting Stars” talent showcase on Friday, May 6 at Appalachian’s Schaefer Center.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m. that evening, more than 30 acts will take the stage to show off their best performances. Proceeds from this unique local event will directly support teachers and students in Watauga County.

“We call it ‘Shooting Stars’ because, when the students get to the stage, they are stars, and the idea is fun to imagine and fun for them to find out what their talent is,” said WEF President Tricia Hall.

Show producer and WEF board member Colleen Utter said the audience will see a variety of students with great talent in visual and performing arts.

Back this year as master of ceremonies will be well-known WBTV news anchor John Carter!

Get your tickets for just $10 at Watauga County Schools (between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays) or at the ASU Schaefer Center box office.

All proceeds will facilitate scholarships for graduating seniors, professional development scholarships for teachers and grants for teachers in Watauga County Schools.

“In getting sponsorships, we give out $20,000 through grants for teacher projects that they don’t have funding for,” Utter said. “It directly supports our children.”

In the past, WEF has had good turnouts with about 500 seats filled and the organization strives to keep attendance up.

“We hear great things about it every time we have a show,” Utter said.

Contact Utter at 828-266-9153 or info@watuagaeducationfoundation.org for more information.

Follow WEF on Facebook or visit WEF online for more information on the organization.

The Shooting Stars 2016 Performing Arts Audition Winners, who will be performing at the showcase, include:

• Madelyn Ellis – “I’ll Be There”
• Elaine Mansure, Antonia Scherlen, Sarah Grace Shellman, Paton Franklin and Carly Watson – “Stereotypes”
• Tyler Osmond – “Away”
• Lilly Fairbanks, Kathryn Hayes, Kimberly Mai, Laurel West, Rilee Council and Maggie Stevens – “Taylor’s mix”
• Oliver Johnston – “Heavy Striden”
• Ryan Lawrence – “Mosaic”
• Louie Winger / Olivia Winger – performing “Cluck ol’ Hen / Swallowtail Jig”
• Austin Dyer, Lily Baye Maple, Madeline hood, Madi Green, Leila Zwetsloot, Rachel Cathey and Bailey Council – “Set It Off”
• Clara Lappan – “Clara and Her Cello”
• Ashanti Vandernoot – “Listen”
• Seth Greene/ Andy Timmens – “The Blues Boys”
• Lindsey Fletcher – “If I Were A Boy”
• Madi Greene/ Kati Mac Greene – “The Greene girls”
• Emma Gravitt – “All Around Me”
• Sarah Goode – “Real Love”
• Sean Crothers, Jimin Yu and Jackson Hudspeth – “Pioneers of Music”
• Angela Claire Henderson, Ali Cook, Bailey Grace Cook, Grace Sears, Carlton Dyer, Emily Baldwin, Lindsay Scott, Piper Saunders, Macayla Kanoy, Chelsi Hodges, Madison Ogden, Sydney Atkins, Lydia Rothrock, MaKayla Barnes and Kati Mac Greene – “God’s Girls”
• Ellary Smith – “I’ve Endured”
• Isabel Holt – “Wildest Dreams”
• Jasper Johnston – “Dr. Blues”
• David Souto – “Midnight Rhapsody”
• Emma Pinnix – “Fix You”
• Kara Brooks and Kathryn Hayes – “Victory In Jesus”
• Ava Cutlip – “La Esmerelda”
• RJ Christian – “Adventure of a Lifetime”
• Bethany Pryor – “Almost There”
• Carlton Dyer, Baily Grace Cook, Kayla Edminsten, Ella Gregory, Savannah Grizzard, Julia Handley, Angela Claire Henderson, Rebekah Howard, Gaia Lee, Olivia Pinnix, Lydia Rothrock, Grace Sears, Maddey Street, Michaela Valentine and Annika Willis – “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching”
• Josie Gagnon – “Safe and Sound”
• Madison Welch – “Tribute to WHS Teachers”

The Shooting Stars 2016 visual artists audition winners, whose work is at the Jones House through the month of May, include:

• Alina Kosmala
• Holly Ward
• Madison Swisher
• Faith Giles
• Theresa Copenhaver
• Megan Helton
• Aidan Powers
• Alexia Alvarez
• Sarrah Kitchell
• Raven Ward
• Luke Rothrock
• AJ McAulay
• Kia Plummer, Valerie Bower and Sulivan McAulay (submitted a piece together)
• Lilly Grace Townsend
• Addison Parker
• Madelyn Trexler
• Megan Gottfried
• Belicia Schoonover
• Sydney Moretz
• Parris Bolick
• Andie Waugh
• GiGi Waugh
• Kata Mims
• Makayla Barnes

About WEF

Established in 1989, the Watauga Education Foundation is a nonprofit for local WCS students that was started by parents who were concerned about the lack of textbooks in classrooms.

Since then, WEF has given back over $1,000,000 to WCS.