Music Scholarships Awarded to Eight Salem-Keizer High School Students

The Harold J. Withnell Music Scholarship-named in honor of Dick Withnell's late father, a high school band teacher, was inspired by the movie, Mr. Holland's Opus.

The awards were presented by Dick and Gayle Withnell

(SALEM) - Eight Salem-Keizer high school students were presented with the Harold J. Withnell Music Scholarship. The awards were handed out on May 16th by Dick and Gayle Withnell. The recipients were: Angelina Boesch - McKay Sara Christensen - Sprague Nicholas Ertsgaard - South Salem Jessica Kelley - Sprague Jonathan McQuade - McKay Jordan Miller - Sprague Lindsay Rundquist - McNary Kate Thomas - South Salem Along with the student finalists, district music supervisor Karl Raschkes, music teachers and principals from the respective high schools, parents and community representatives were in attendance. On five previous occasions since 1996, the Withnell`s have awarded essay competition-based, $1,000 college scholarships to 42 Salem-Keizer School District students. Mr. Withnell personally sponsored multiple showings of the movie in 1996, which were attended by 1,100 Salem-Keizer School District music students; 1,200 additional music students attended repeat showings in 1998. After viewing the movie, the students were encouraged to write an essay on what Mr. Holland's Opus meant to them, with the opportunity to win $1,000 music education scholarships to the college of their choice. In 2001, the topic of the essay competition was broadened to become Why I Wish to be a Music Teacher. Perhaps most gratifying to the Withnells is the fact that seven of these past scholarship winners have since returned to the Salem-Keizer School District as music teachers: 1996 recipients Carmen Bartsch, Colleen Bartsch, Richard Frey, Rita Horsely, and Brett Randolph; from 1998, Stephanie Nelson; and Andrea Horsley, 2002.