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An eighth-grade Ponus Ridge Middle School student has won a scholarship to the Crystal Theatre, given annually in honor of a late student. Elle Buellesbach, who played a baby chick in her first role at the Norwalk theater as a first-grader, was awarded the eighth annual Matthew Chiappetta Memorial Scholarship at a recent tribute concert. She receives a full-year's tuition for Crystal Theatre show classes and camps.
"The memorial scholarship winners are selected based on their enthusiasm for musical theater and their written essays," theater director Cheryl Kemeny said in a statement. "This year's winners are all amazingly talented and express the same kind of passion and dedication that Matthew had for theater."
Matthew Chiappetta died at the age of 13 of a heart attack. His parents and grandparents presented Elle with the scholarship.
Honorable mention awards went to Zachary Anderson, a fifth-grader at Marvin Elementary School; Katerina Kariaskos, a fifth-grader at Silvermine Elementary School; and Michael Major, a sixth-grader at All Saints Catholic School. All the children attend school in Norwalk.
Elle is the daughter of Donna and Joseph Buellesbach. According to the statement, Elle's favorite production at the theater was "Pulaski Park" last fall. She plans to use her scholarship to continue participating in plays that she enjoys, beginning with "The Snow Queen" in July.
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