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The Best Local Drama Teacher Award winner will be recognized at the Ben Vereen Awards, sponsored by San Diego County Credit Union
Top 10 San Diego student actors will compete in the Ben Vereen Awards Southwest Region Competition on June 14
SAN DIEGO, CA (June 13, 2014) — San Diego County Credit Union® (SDCCU®), San Diego’s largest locally owned financial institution, is excited to announce that Mr. Daniel Kriley of Mira Mesa High School will receive the Best Local Drama Teacher Award at the Southwest Region Competition of the Ben Vereen Awards, a unique scholarship opportunity for talented high school students who have chosen to pursue a career in musical theatre. The show starts at 7 p.m. on June 14 at the Spreckels Theatre in downtown San Diego.
“The Best Local Drama Teacher Award provided the opportunity to recognize talented and hardworking teachers throughout San Diego County. The high school musical theatre students competing in the Ben Vereen Awards could never reach their full potential without the invaluable instruction and direction of such teachers,” said SDCCU President and CEO Teresa Halleck.“The contest received a great response from the community and we are pleased to recognize Mr. Kriley for his enthusiasm and dedication to teaching San Diego’s youth.”
A total of 12 teachers were nominated and nearly 7,500 votes were submitted in the inaugural Best Local Drama Teacher Awards contest, which ran online from May 14 – 31, 2014 at facebook.com/sdccu. Students, parents, family members and friends were asked to nominate and vote for a deserving drama/theatre teacher who made a positive difference in their life, the life of a child or in the community. As part of the award, SDCCU will send Mr. Kriley to New York to attend the 2014 Jimmy Awards, also known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards.
“Mr. Kriley has worked round the clock for Mira Mesa High School for over 10 years, creating a theatre program that is a force to be reckoned with. His high expectations, willingness to help students learn and encouragement ensure that his students will be prepared to move on to higher levels of performance. His dedication and love for his work sets him apart and is shown in the success of his theatre program! There are no words to describe how thankful I am to have had such a wonderful mentor,” stated in Mr. Kriley’s nomination.
The Best Local Drama Teacher Award is part of the 2014 Ben Vereen Awards, sponsored by SDCCU and held in collaboration with Broadway/San Diego. Candidates for Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Actress, were selected from onsite adjudications of high school musicals at their home venues during the spring semester of the 2014 school year. These nominees competed and were narrowed down to 10 finalists at the Ben Vereen Awards San Diego Competition on Saturday, June 7, 2014 at the Spreckels Theatre.
Congratulations to the following students who are now part of the San Diego Top 10, advancing to the Southwest Region Competition, where they will compete against contenders from Arizona for a chance to move on to the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York City. The grand prize is a $10,000 college scholarship. Top 5 Best Actor Finalists: Noah Castillero, Classical Academy High School; Cameron Chang, Canyon Crest Academy; Maximilian DeLoach, Carlsbad High School; Jonathan Norwood, Classical Academy High School; and Martin Ortiz, El Camino High School. Top 5 Best Actress Finalists: Aubree Bouche, La Costa Canyon High School; Jackie Foster, Poway High School; Alexandria Loucks, San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts; Olivia Pence, Classical Academy High School; and Emma Tarr, Classical Academy High School.
To purchase half price tickets to the Ben Vereen Awards competition in San Diego, visit sdccu.com.
San Diego County Credit Union is San Diego’s largest locally-owned financial institution serving San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties. SDCCU has assets of $6.5 billion, over 266,000 customers, more than 30 convenient branch locations and 30,000 surcharge-FREE ATMs. SDCCU provides breakthrough banking products that meet the demands of today’s lifestyle and delivers banking services that save customers money. SDCCU is leading the way, offering FREE Checking with eStatements, SDCCU Mobile Deposit, mortgage loans, auto loans, Visa® credit cards and business banking services. Federally insured by NCUA and an equal housing lender. For more information, visit www.sdccu.com.