DET Scholarships
2022 Scholarship Recipients
In 2022, DET was pleased to expand its scholarship program significantly through the generous support of individuals, foundations, and businesses.
Michael Beatty, Rancho Mirage High School, received the $250 Ryan A. Curley Technical Theatre Scholarship and the $500 Tony Padilla Technical Theatre Scholarship
Violet Feath, Palm Desert High School, received the $250 Fromberg Edelstein Fromberg Scholarship and the $500 Western Wind Foundation Scholarship
Alexandria Nelson, Palm Spring High School, received the $250 Fromberg Edelstein Fromberg Scholarship and the $500 Tony Padilla Technical Theatre Scholarship
Gracie Van Dijk, Rancho Mirage High School, received the $250 Ryan A. Curley Technical Theatre Scholarship and the $500 Denis Moreen Scholarship
2021 Scholarship Recipients
In 2021, DET was pleased to expand its scholarship program significantly through the generous support of individuals, foundations, and businesses
Leo Milmet, Palm Valley School, received the $500 Tony Padilla Scholarship
Caroline Scheil, Palm Valley School, received the $500 Fromberg Edelstein Fromberg Scholarship
Marianne Capetz, Palm Valley School, received the $500 Christine Brown and Ellen Weinstein Scholarship
Jenifer Diaz, Cathedral City High School, received the $500 Denis Moreen Scholarship
Juan Garcia Mendoza, Cathedral City High School, received the $500 Jerome Elliott Technical Theatre Scholarship
Arianne Saucedo, Cathedral City High School, received the $500 Tony Padilla Scholarship
2020 Scholarship Recipients
In 2020, DET was pleased to expand its scholarship program significantly through the generous support of individuals, foundations, and businesses.
Cameron Keys, Palm Springs High School, received the $1,000 Tony Padilla Scholarship
Maiya Orosco, Palm Springs High School, received the $500 Christine Brown and Ellen Weinstein Scholarship
Janet (Jay) Sanchez, Cathedral City High School, received the $250 Purple Room Scholarship
Sandra Miramontes, Cathedral City High School, received the $250 Jerome Elliott Technical Theatre Scholarship
Evelyn Lopez, Cathedral City High School, received the $250 Western Wind Foundation Scholarship
Ramon Jimenez, Cathedral City High School, received the $250 Western Wind Foundation Scholarship
2019 Scholarship Recipients
In 2019, DET was pleased to expand its scholarship program significantly through the generous support of individuals, foundations, and businesses.
Top row, L-R: Abraham Ortiz, Elijah Torres, Sierra Barrick, Gus Sanchez, Rodolfo Rubio
Bottom row, L-R: Jerome Elliott, Tony Padilla, Robert Webster, Mary Pannoni, Sam Benson Smith, Shawn Abramowitz
Sierra Barrick, Palm Springs High School, received the $1,000 Tony Padilla Scholarship. Sierra will attend College of the Desert.
Gus Sanchez, Palm Springs High School, received the $750 Western Wind Foundation Scholarship and will attend California State University at Fullerton.
Rodolfo Rubio, Cathedral City High School, received the $500 Fromberg Edelstein Fromberg Scholarship and will attend College of the Desert.
Abraham Ortiz, Cathedral City High School, received the $500 Purple Room Scholarship and will attend College of the Desert.
Elijah Torres, Cathedral City High School, received the $500 Christine Brown and Ellen Weinstein Scholarship will attend College of the Desert.
Sierra Johnson
Sierra is the recipient of DET’s 2018 Tony Padilla Scholarship. Sierra graduated from Palm Springs High School and was president of their thespian troupe #6219. She has been working with DET for three years. Beginning in fall 2018, she is pursuing her career by majoring in theatre at California State University Fullerton. Over the past few years Sierra has been able to expand on her technical theatre skills with DET. From costumes to directing, she has had the opportunity to gain expertise in every area. Sierra plans to focus on her skills as a director and stage manager. She is excited to see where the industry takes her. Sierra is very thankful for the opportunity granted to her by DET, and she will take the skills and relationships developed with her throughout her career.
Nick Wass
Nick, a three-year intern with DET, is the recipient of a 2017 DET scholarship. Nick contributed to every aspect of DET’s productions, including acting in a major role in the 2017 drama, Expressions. Nick will study theatre arts at College of the Desert for two years and then move to New York to pursue professional opportunities.
Garo Mazmanian
Garo is the recipient of a 2017 DET scholarship. During his four-year internship with DET he took on many responsibilities including sound, props, house management and stage crew. In fall 2017, Garo will enter UCLA with a major in engineering and a minor in theatre.
Alexandra Mazmanian
Alexandra is the recipient of a 2016 DET Scholarship. Alexandra was a member of Palm Springs High School Theatre Thespian Troupe #6291 and interned with DET for four seasons, taking on everything from stage management to lighting design. In fall 2016, she entered UCLA as a communications major with a minor in theatre.
Cecilia Orosco
Cecilia is the recipient of a 2016 DET Scholarship. Cecilia was a member of Palm Springs High School Theatre Thespian Troupe #6291. Her internship with DET involved all aspects of our program including company management, stage management, and house management. Cecilia goes on to study theatre arts at College of the Desert.
Kevun Willis
Kevun was awarded Desert Ensemble Theatre Company’s 2015 Rosemary Mallett Scholarship for his contribution to theatre in the Coachella Valley. He’s worked both as an actor and backstage in productions at Palm Springs High School and for numerous theatre companies in the valley, including many productions for the Desert Ensemble Theatre Company. We are grateful for his generosity and wish him all the best as he plans to attend training at the Annapolis Naval Academy in Maryland.
Geovanny Pulido
Geovanny was the 2014 recipient of Desert Ensemble Theatre Company’s Tony Padilla Scholarship. Geo is attending Fullerton Junior College and will continue working on the technical end of theatre production. Lighting design is his specialty. He has been a major contributor to DET’s productions and to many productions at Palm Springs High School.
Nicholas Eldert
Nicholas received the 2014 Rosemary Mallett Scholarship from the Desert Ensemble Theatre Company. He is attending Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. Nicholas has had a love of theatre since 7th grade at Raymond Cree Middle School. Since he loves to create and build, his passion leans towards set design.
Grace Piper
Grace was awarded the Rosemary Mallet Scholarship, awarded to a PSHS graduating senior continuing their higher education in the theatre arts. Ms Piper will be attending Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois majoring in theatre.
Carlos Cazares
Carlos is the 2013 recipient of Desert Ensemble Theatre’s $1000 Tony Padilla Scholarship, awarded yearly to a PSHS graduating senior continuing their higher eduction in the theatre arts. Mr Cazares plans to attend Cal-State Long Beach and continue working on the technical end of theatre production.
Erich Bolton
Erich is the Lecturer in Technical Design and Production and the Projection Supervisor for Yale School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theatre. He has engineered video mapped LED systems for Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Broadway and tour) and the Walt Disney Theatre onboard the Disney Fantasy and Disney Dreams (Disney Cruise Lines). He continues to work with Hudson Scenic Studio on projects involving LED, video, and automation systems. He is an active software developer, recently creating an officially supported Microsoft Kinect for Windows plugin for Medalion Manager and a web-based inventory system used by the School of Drama’s projection, sound, and properties departments. He holds a B.S from the University of California, Davis (2008) and an MFA from Yale School of Drama (2011).
Rebekah Courpet (Loftin)
After leaving PSHS Rebekah attended Chapman University in 2008 where she received her B.F.A. in Film Production in three years. She worked on numerous films during her time at Chapman, working in all the different technical positions (lighting being her favorite). Her senior project, in which she acted as producer, was selected as part of the Cannes Digital Short Film Festival in 2009. Immidiately after graduation, she moved to Los Angeles and started working for the Directors Guild of America as a Signatory/Assistant. She grew with the guild and worked there until 2012 when she was hired by Millennium Films/Nu Image, one of the most successful independent film studios in Hollywood, whose titles include, Olympus Has Fallen, Lovelace, Paperboy and The Expendables 1 & 2. She is married to her college sweetheart, Austen Courpet, an up and coming screenwriter, and expecting her first child.
Jason Fok
2009 PSHS graduate, graduated from Ithaca College in New York in the Fall of 2013 with a BFA in theatrical Lighting Design. During his summers at Ithaca College he worked for The Berkshire Theatre Festival and The Theatre at Monmouth. Currently he works free lancing and interning with The Lighting Design Group in New York City. The Emmy Award winning company responsible for lighting shows such as Late Night With David Letterman, NBC Today Show, CBS Morning Show, CBS Early Show, and NFL Live, among many others.
Dylan Feldman
Currently attending UC Berkeley