At the May 15 awards ceremony at AmadorHigh School, $1,200-scholarships were awarded by the Amador County Artists Association (ACAA) to two aspiring art students.  Stefani Gelardi and Maria MacDonald not only excel in the field of art but manage to do so while taking part in extracurricular activities, working part time and maintaining GPAs of 4.0 or better. 

Stefani plans to become an animator with the ultimate goal of working for an animation company.  To further that goal, she has taken advanced art courses and recently exhibited several pieces in the Student Art Show organized by the ACAA.  She voluntarily contributed to the design needs of the school’s theater department and her tennis team, including designing the team’s shirts for the past two years.  Stefani also helped raise money to get the high school courts resurfaced.  Over the four years at Amador she has achieved the rank of the No. 2 girl on the tennis team. And she works part time. 

Maria is taking on a double major to study art and environmental studies and has worked extensively throughout her years at Amador in both areas.  In the field of art, all of her classes have been advanced and her effort paid off in the recent Student Art Show.  She placed first in ceramics and received an honorable mention in painting.  Maria has taken numerous honors classes across the curriculum and yet has managed to devote time to martial arts, kickboxing, and ballet, earning a Second Degree Black Belt in karate.  She also works part time, including a job painting murals at a dance school in Jackson. 

The ACAA is pleased to award these exemplary students its 2014 scholarships and wishes them well on their artistic journeys.  These scholarships are funded by the Open Studios tour held each September.