FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           Contact:

June 15, 2007                                                                Cindy Reynolds

                                                                                    Media Relations

                                                                                    (714) 541-8314, ext. 19

Saint Joseph Ballet Hosts Event to Honor 2007 Graduates

Saint Joseph Ballet’s Programs Position Alumni for Success

            Santa Ana, Calif. (June 15, 2007) –      Saint Joseph Ballet will honor its 2007 graduates with a graduation reception at Saint Joseph Ballet on Thursday, June 21 from 6 to 8pm.  Family, friends and members of the community are invited to attend and show support for these 21 Saint Joseph Ballet seniors, all of whom are graduating high school this spring and preparing to enroll in college in the fall. 

            These graduates join more than 65 Saint Joseph Ballet alumni currently attending college.  Since 1998, 94 percent of Saint Joseph Ballet's graduates have enrolled in college, far exceeding the national average for their peers. 

            Providing college preparatory programs and college scholarships to its students and alumni is an integral part of how Saint Joseph Ballet furthers its mission to empower young people in our community.  Since 1998, 94 percent of program graduates have gone onto college, compared to 36 percent of their peers nationally.

            This year’s graduates will be attending schools such as Cornell University, Lehigh University, Notre Dame de Namur University, Chapman University, and Cal State Fullerton.

            “The college scholarship program is an important part of Saint Joseph Ballet’s holistic approach to helping underserved youth,” said Frank Foster, Saint Joseph Ballet Board Chair.  “Our focus is to prepare youth to go onto college with the tools needed to be successful adults.”

            Saint Joseph Ballet grants Excellence and Achievement Scholarship Awards to seniors who have been enrolled in its year-round programs through all four years of high school.  The Excellence Award of $2,000 per year is given to seniors who graduate with at least a 3.6 GPA and who have been accepted into a four-year university.  The Achievement Award of $1,000 per year is given to seniors who graduate with at least a 2.5 GPA and are accepted into a four-year university or two-year junior college. 

Saint Joseph Ballet’s 2007 College Scholarship Award recipients:

Excellence Award

Brooke Cuozzo, Chapman University

Katherine Lane, Lehigh University

Blanca Valdovinos, Cornell University

Achievement Award

Sara Arvizu, Santa Ana College

Jennifer Calderon, UC Riverside

Dulce Chavez, Cal State Fullerton

Roberto Gama, Cal State Long Beach

Elizabeth Melesio, Cal State Northridge

Yvette Mendoza, San Jose State

Marlen Orellana, Orange Coast College

Jennifer Perez, Fresno State University

Mayra Romero, Notre Dame de Namur University

Arily Sanchez, Orange Coast College

Ashley Sherman, Cal State Fullerton

            Saint Joseph Ballet in Santa Ana is an after-school program which uses dance to teach young people what it takes to succeed in life, focusing on self-esteem, confidence, leadership and cooperative learning.  Through cutting edge programs, professionals ignite creativity and awaken the spirit in nearly 400 low-income youth each year.  In the dance studios and onstage, young people passionately engage in the artistic process.  Academic, family and college scholarship programs build on the skills students learn through dance. Youth who enter Saint Joseph Ballet with few resources leave with the tools and skills to build healthy futures for themselves, their families and the community.

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