May 1, 2017
The Educational Theatre Association annually awards this $1,500 scholarship in honor of former EdTA Executive Director and Board President Michael J. Peitz to an inducted Thespian with a minimum 3.0 GPA who exemplifies troupe involvement and leadership skills and experiences. This year’s recipient is MacKenzie Staples, Troupe 2971, Buford High School, Buford, Georgia.
Staples plans to major in aerospace engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Her leadership positions include Georgia Junior State Thespian Officer (2011-12, 2012-13), High School Thespian Officer (2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17), Georgia State Thespian Officer (2015-16, 2016-17), and International Thespian Officer At Large (2016-17), all while maintaining a 3.9 GPA. Staples credits her Thespian training as one of the leading factors to achieving her dream. “All of these Thespian experiences contributed greatly to my acceptance into Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the number one school for aerospace engineering in the country,” she says. “I have wanted to be an aerospace engineer since fifth grade, but it wasn’t until my training as a Thespian that I began to see that it was really possible.”
