2024 Scholarship Winners
Congratulations to our talented 2024 winners. Keep on singing!
Elyse Abad is 18 years old and currently in her first year at California State University Long Beach studying Classical Vocal Performance. Currently, she performs with Coastline Acapella and the University Choir. She has sung competitively, winning first place in both Riverside’s Got Talent 2022 and Riverside Sings 2019. She has also sung roles in several musical theater productions. She attended King High School in Riverside, where she sang in both show choir and jazz ensemble. When she is back home, she sings with her church’s worship team and plans to continue singing there. Elyse hopes to pursue music professionally and is very grateful for CWC’s support on her journey!
Shania Carden is a 25-year-old soprano based in Southern California. Her recent engagements include singing the role of Pinocchio in Natalia Valli’s Pinocchio with Opera Italia in Los Angeles and Fortuna and Lucano in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea with the Trentino Music Festival in Fiera di Primiero, Italy. She will be traveling to Philadelphia this summer to perform the role of Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
Shania is also an avid chorister. Her choral experience has taken her to Italy, New York, Ohio, and Arizona. She has sung under the baton of Robert Istad, Christopher Peterson, Carl St. Clair, John Williams, Jonathan Talberg, and Gustavo Dudamel. Some highlights include singing at Maestro at the Movies at the Hollywood Bowl and premiering Jake Runestad’s The Lighthouse Keeper with the Bob Cole Chamber Choir.
She received her bachelor’s degree from California State University Fullerton and completed her Master’s of Music in Voice Performance at California State University Long Beach in May 2024. She studies voice under Dr. Katharin Rundus.
Rebekah Michel is a sophomore commercial music major and a musical theatre minor at Concordia University Irvine. She is a member of The Concordia Choir and is heavily involved in the theatre department as well. Her recent musical theatre credits include Anything Goes and Godspell at Concordia. Rebekah was also a semi-finalist for the Musical Theatre Initiative at the 2023 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was recently accepted into the Musical Theater Studio of Musiktheater Bavaria in Oberaudorf, Germany, and she will be training there this upcoming summer. Outside of musical theatre, Rebekah enjoys writing, coffee and crocheting. She expresses immense gratitude to her friends, family and Dr. Shan for always supporting her involvement in the arts and to California Women’s Chorus for this wonderful opportunity and scholarship.
2023 Winners
For almost two years at San Diego State University, Gonzalo Ochoa Camarena has been expanding his musical abilities and performing in remarkable events. Singing with the renowned San Diego Symphony in 2018 was a memorable experience. He also performed in two operas, La Verbena de la Paloma and The Anonymous Lover, allowing him to showcase his talents and connect with the audience. He has had the honor of singing with Musica Vitale several times, providing valuable opportunities to grow as a musician and collaborate with other talented artists and is thrilled to keep pursuing music and discover new chances to showcase his vocal skills.
Elizabeth Gaitan is a Soprano currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance at San Diego State University. She most recently performed the role of Leontine in the production of L’amant Anonyme by Joseph Bologne with the SDSU Opera Theater. Elizabeth has had the opportunity to work with Soprano and new music expert Ann Moss, San Diego Opera Conductor Yves Abel, LA Opera Conductor Peter Walsh, and renowned Opera Director Jose Maria Condemi.
Lauren Carter is a Los Angeles and San Diego-based soprano, currently working on her Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance (Voice) from San Diego State University. She is completing her second year and studies with Professor Laurinda Nikkel. In the past year, Lauren has been a finalist in the NATS Regional Competition, the soprano soloist for the Faure Requiem with the San Diego State Orchestra and Choir, and Dorothee in SDSU Opera Theatre’s L’amant Anonyme.
San Diego based mezzo-soprano Cerah Rodriguez Hodson was introduced to classical singing in the spring of 2020. She studied under talented voice teacher and music faculty member Audra Nagby while earning her associate degree in classical studies at Grossmont Community College. She was also fortunate to study Vocal Jazz with Melonie Grinnell and was part of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble for two years at Grossmont College. Cerah is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance at the school of Music and Dance at San Diego State University where she is currently studying with voice faculty member Dr. Travis Sherwood, Assistant Professor of Voice and Vocal Area Coordinator.
2020 Winners
Soprano and collaborative pianist, Rena Maduro, is currently pursuing her master’s degree in vocal performance at New England Conservatory in Boston, where she studies with Bradley Williams. She has previously studied voice and opera performance at the Bienen School of Music, training with W. Stephen Smith (BMus, 2024). Most recently she was awarded the grand prize scholarship from the Canterbury Concerts Committee to study voice at the Boccherini Institute in Lucca, Italy. Her past roles include Papagena / The Magic Flute, Lola / Gallantry, Cunegonde / Candide, Queen of the Night / The Magic Flute, and this past fall, she sang the title role in Northwestern University’s Undergraduate Opera performance of Cendrillon. She owes her strong foundation in music to her primary voice teacher Professor Eric Carampatan (California Baptist University), and her former piano teacher Dr. Elvin Rodriguez (La Sierra University). Outside of singing, Rena finds enjoyment in collaborative piano, pursues physical and mental wellness, writing and gaming.
Abagail Wyatt – Soprano from Cal State Long Beach
Antonio Serrano – Tenor from Fullerton College
2018 Winners
Zachary Mendez is a tenor, photographer, and arts administrator based in Santa Barbara California. A native of Dallas, he moved to Santa Barbara in 2015 to begin his graduate work at UCSB. He is currently a Masters candidate in Voice Performance and Opera in Dr. Linda Di Fiore’s studio on a full fellowship and stipend. He will be graduating with his Masters of Music in June, 2018. Upon graduation, Zach will continue working as the Office Administrator at Opera Santa Barbara.
Alexandria Jackson is a student pursuing a BM in voice under the tutelage of Dr. Linda DiFiore at UCSB. Within her few years of study Alexandria has won the following competitions: New Century Singers Whittier, Mu Phi Epsilon (second place), National Association for Negro Musicians: Regional (second place), and The National Liszt Competition (third). Ms. Jackson’s goal is to become an opera singer, spreading her love of music to audiences all over the world.
Christy Lee Peterson (soprano) is a Salt Lake City native. She graduated with her Vocal Performance B.A. from Westminster College in 2015 where she was honored as the Top Graduate and has since been traveling and performing internationally. She is a current student in the studio of Dr. Linda DiFiore and she is beyond thrilled to be starting her graduate studies this fall at University of California Santa Barbara. Some of Christy’s previous roles include Susanna from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Clara Johnson in Adam Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza, Lisette from Puccini’s La Rondine, and the title role from Handel’s Semele.
2017 Winners
Kali Hardwick studies vocal performance at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, where she will be honored as the Outstanding Graduate of the College of the Arts when she graduates this May. Kali has performed in numerous productions and has won numerous awards including the New Century Singers Scholarship and the Fine Arts Affiliates Scholarship at CSU Long Beach. She is currently preparing for the role of Ensoleillad in Massenet’s Cherubin and as a soloist for Mendelssohn’s Elijah. She was a featured soloist in Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass. When the Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir competed in Wales and won the title “Choir of the World”, Kali fell in love with Britain. She is very excited to begin her graduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London this fall.
Niko Murakami, soprano, is a sophomore vocal performance major at Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University Long Beach and is studying classical voice with Shigemi Matsumoto. This is her second year with the BCCM Opera Institute. This past fall, Niko starred in Opera Scenes performing Peep-Bo and Yum Yum from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado. She also performed as Susanna from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. She is currently a member of the Conservatory’s University Choir under the direction of Joshua Palkki. Prior to attending the Conservatory, Niko sang with the South Bay Children’s Choir of El Camino College for eight years under the direction of its artistic director and conductor, Diane Simons.
Elizabeth Queen, who lives locally, is a graduate of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music (BCCM). She is a coloratura soprano and her previous roles are many. She has sung in the BCCM scenes program under the direction of David Anglin, performing scenes from operas such as Cosi di Tutte, Der Freichutz, Alcina and L’eliser d’amore. In spring 2016, she premiered an original composition as the soprano soloist in Vasken Ohanian’s Recollections of the Forgotten. She has recently participated in Opera Works Emerging Artist Program, working with Eli Villanueva, and the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival. This summer, Elizabeth will be reprising the role of Konigin der Nacht at the Berlin Opera Academy in Berlin, Germany. She currently studies with Gail Gordon.
2016 Winners
A winner of the San Diego District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, baritone Nicholas Newton is garnering due attention as an up-and-coming baritone in the opera world. Growing up in a musical household, Mr. Newton has pursued his passion for singing through Gospel, Jazz, Musical Theater, and now operatic performance. Hailed for his “polished vocal technique and heart-tugging emotional communication,” by the San Diego Story, Mr. Newton most recently performed the baritone solos in Maurice Duruflé’s “Requiem” with San Diego Master Chorale. He has also performed Gershwin’s “Catfish Row” with the San Diego Winds and has been heard as Aeneas in Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas,” as Amelia’s Husband in Menotti’s “Amelia Goes to the Ball,” the Bishop/Montparnasse in Claude-Michel Schönberg’s musical “Les Misérables” at San Diego State University and Balthazar in Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” with The Village Church Community Theater. He is an active member of San Diego Opera’s Opera Exposed! program as a featured soloist in community outreach concerts and public master classes with company principal artists. Mr. Newton is a Senior at San Diego State University where he is a student of Laurinda Nikkel.
Soprano Lisa Parente has been performing since age 8 and continues to flourish as a soloist. She is in her final year at San Diego State University where she is completing her Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance, studying under Laurinda Nikkel. Ms. Parente started with a musical theater background, but was drawn to classical singing. She has found a way to incorporate her love of theater and classical voice, by pursuing a career in opera. Lisa has performed with San Diego State University’s Opera Theater in roles such as Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, and Maid in Amelia Goes to the Ball. Lisa is currently a vocalist in San Diego Opera’s Opera Exposed! She has also performed in other opera programs, such as Si Parla Si Canta and OperaWorks. In addition to opera, Lisa performs in other solo settings. She has been featured as a soloist in Poulenc’s Gloria, Stephen Paulus’ To Be Certain of the Dawn and the soprano soloist in Faure’s Requiem, both with the San Diego State University orchestra. She was awarded Honorable Mention in the La Jolla Young Artist Competition in 2016, placed second in her division of the 2014 San Diego NATS competition, and is the Cantor for St. Martin of Tours in La Mesa, CA. She will be attending Graduate School in the fall to pursue a Master’s in Vocal Performance.
Julia Taylor is a San-Diego based soprano who specializes in performing opera and musical theatre. She graduated from Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music in 2012 with the distinct honor of performing the University’s Alma Mater at the 2012 Commencement Ceremony, for over 20,000 people. She competes regularly around Southern California and most recently took Second Place in the 2015 Regional NATS competition, and was a Semifinalist in the 2015 Musical Merit Competition of San Diego, and is thrilled to have received one of the 2016 CFC Scholarships. She regularly sings with Point Loma Opera Theatre and Bodhi Tree Concerts and also performs in many choral ensembles in San Diego, such as the San Diego Master Chorale and the San Diego Pro Arte Voices. She currently studies with Dr. Craig Johnson, coaches with Michael Sokol, and teaches voice and piano lessons at A Dawn of Music Studios.
2015 Winners
Tenor Adam Bradley is pursuing the MM in Vocal Performance on a full tuition scholarship at UCSB. He is a graduate of Luther College, where he performed the roles of Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte and Pluto in Orpheus in the Underworld. Adam was awarded a full tuition scholarship to the Amalfi Coast Music Festival where he sang the roles of Don Basilio and Don Curzio in Le Noze di Figaro and participated in the scenes program as Nemorino in l’elisir d’amore and Rodolfo in La boheme. This past summer, Adam attended the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria where he performed selections from Messiah and Ariadne auf Naxos with the AIMS Orchestra. Other roles include Pirelli in Sweeney Todd and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi at the University of North Texas. This season, he is playing the role of Sebastian in UCSB’s production of Joel Feigen’s Twelfth Night and singing in the chorus of Opera Santa Barbara’s production of L’italiana in Algeri. His teachers include David Judisch (Luther College) and Linda Di Fiore (University of North Texas and UCSB).
Joanna Lynn-Jacobs, mezzo-soprano, is a first year Master of Music candidate in Vocal Performance at UCLA, where she studies with Michael Dean. Most recently she has appeared in the role of the Contessa in UCLA’s west coast premier production of Mercadante’s The Two Figaros. Next, she will be singing in the UCLA performances of Bastiannello by John Musto and Lucrezia by William Bolcom. Joanna received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Boston University in 2013, where she studied with Jim Demier. Recent awards include a 2014 vocal award from the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation in Santa Barbara, the 2014 Nathan Rundlett Vocal Scholarship Award from the Santa Barbara Music Club, the Ellalou Dimmock Award her junior year at Boston University, and the Harold Heiberg Liedersanger Preis while attending the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria the summer of 2012. Joanna grew up singing, dancing and acting in Santa Barbara both in school and around the community. She began studying classical vocal technique at age fourteen with Agatha Carubia, who continues to teach and inspire her. Joanna also enjoys swing dancing, salsa and Argentine tango.
Tyler Reece, baritone, is a first year MM/DMA student at UCSB. He grew up in the Aspen valley of Colorado, where he discovered his love of music before pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree at Luther college in Decorah, Iowa with Dr. David Judish. At Luther, Tyler performed the role of Guglielmo in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte and John Styx in Offenbach’s comic operetta Orpheus in the Underworld. Tyler then spent a year at the University of North texas, where he worked under the tutelage of Dr. Linda Di Fiore and sang small roles in Massenet’s Cendrillon, Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. Tyler recently sang the role of Malvolio in the West Coast premiere of UCSB composer Joel Feigin’s operatic setting of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. In addition to his studies, Tyler sings professionally with local churches, the Santa Barbara Choral Society, and Opera Santa Barbara. He also serves as a Teaching Assistant to the Voice Department at UCSB.
2014 Winners
Anthony Whitson-Martini has sung roles with Point Loma Opera Theatre, Center Stage Opera, Opera Academy of California, and Lyric Opera of San Diego. Mr. Martini’s recent accomplishments are from the Lotte Lenya Competition (Encouragement Award), La Jolla Symphony & Chorus Competition (1st Place), NATS, San Diego (1st Place), Musical Merit of San Diego Competition (Finalist), & Burbank Philharmonic Competition (Finalist). Anthony is looking forward to performing as a Company Artist for Utah Festival of Opera & Musical Theatre this summer, covering the roles of Marius in Les Misérables, Lucas & Lutz in The Student Prince; & performing the role of Montparnasse in Les Misérables. Mr. Martini can also be seen as Marullo in Pacific Lyric Opera’s production of Rigoletto in the fall.
Gianna Halpin is nineteen years old and currently a sophomore at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. At the Conservatory, she has been studying with Cesar Ulloa. Her previous voice teacher was Stephen Grimm, with whom she studied for five years. Throughout her life, Gianna has been very involved with music. At age four she started singing in a children’s choir; in high school she sang in her high school choir and in Pasadena Pro Music. She also performed in many musical productions at St. Francis High School, directed my Emmanuel Eulalia. Her Junior and Senior years of high school she directed her school’s (St. Monica Academy) Schola. Although Gianna is studying vocal performance, in the future she hopes to focus on Music Therapy. She would like to thank the California Women’s Chorus for this opportunity.
2013 Winners
Coloratura Soprano Rachel Koons studied Vocal performance at Chapman University and Opera Studio Program, AIMS in Graz, Austria. She has performance experience with the Pacific Symphony and Chapman University where she performed in the chorus and as a dancer in Die Fledermaus and La Traviata. She also appeared in Hansel and Gretel and Falstaff.
Kristi James, soprano, has appeared as a soloist with Cal State University Fullerton in several operas, Pacific Symphony in A Concert in the Park and Cal Voce Productions in John Williams: Maestro of the Movies and two Andrea Bocelli Christmas Concerts. She has been awarded five vocal scholarships since 2008. Kristi received a Bachelor of Music in Performance and Master class with Frederica Von Stade from CSUF.
Moises Salazar, tenor, an Applied Voice Music student at Fullerton College is working on his Bachelors of Music degree in Vocal Performance. He sang in full opera performances with live orchestras while in high school and now in college. He has appeared in Gianni Schicci (Puccini) Rinuccio and H.M.S. Pinafore in Fullerton College and Orange Coast College and in several productions while at Santa Ana High School. Moises, a guitar player, has performed with the Trio Los Salazar for 13 years.
2012 Winners
Anush Avetisyan, soprano, is currently a Senior at UCLA in Vocal Performance where she is a student of Vladimir Chernov. Avetisyan has most recently been heard in UCLA’s Opera Gala singing the role of Amelia in excerpts from Simon Boccanegra and the role of Leonora in an excerpt from La forza del destino under the baton of Maestro Donald Neuen. She created the role of Alice B. Toklas in the world premiere of a new chamber version of Jonathan Sheffer’s Blood on the Dining Room Floor with text by Gertrude Stein and is featured in a professional recording soon to be released with Sheffer conducting. She has sung in Bach cantatas under Maestro Neuen and, as a freshman at UCLA, sang the role of Barbarina in UCLA’s production of Le nozze di Figaro directed by Peter Kazaras. Now as a senior, she will sing the lead role of Eurydice in Opera UCLA’s 2012 winter production of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld and the lead role of Poppea in Opera UCLA’s 2012 spring production of L’Incoronazione di Poppea. Avetisyan recently won First Prize at the Palm Springs Opera Competition and is currently one of two finalists in the ongoing 2012 Mondavi Center Young Artists Competition.
Meagan Martin, mezzo-soprano, made her operatic debut in the children’s chorus of La Bohème when she was seven. She completed her B.A. in German at UCLA in March at the age of 20, graduating summa cum laude, and also devotes much of her time to the study of Italian, Spanish, French and Russian. She has been a frequent participant in Santa Monica College’s Opera Workshop Program, where she appeared in highlights from Xerxes (Arsamene), Mignon (Mignon), Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina), and Hansel and Gretel (Sandman), and she was also an outreach performer with the Applied Music Program. Upcoming singing commitments include the role of Despina in SMC’s production of Così fan tutte at The Broad Stage in May and a return to SongFest as a merit scholarship recipient in June. Last summer at the prestigious vocal program she performed in master classes led by artists including Jake Heggie, Martin Katz and Roger Vignoles. She currently studies voice with Renee Sousa and counts Susanna Lemberskaya as her principal vocal coach of the past two years.
Brian Vu, baritone, is currently a senior at UCLA in Vocal Performance where he is a student of Michael Dean. Vu has worked with directors Peter Kazaras and James Darrah and participated in past Opera UCLA’s productions of Dialogues of the Carmelites (Chaplain), Giasone (Hercules) and Flight (Minskman). This year he performed the role of Mercury in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld and will perform Ottone in L’incoronazione di Poppea. In addition to his operatic work, Brian was a singer and soloist for the Crystal Cathedral Choir, conducted and directed by Donald Neuen. His performance with the Cathedral Choir of I Walk with God was internationally televised on the Hour of Power. Last summer Brian participated in Marlena Malas’ vocal program at the Chautauqua Institute of Music. He will participate in the Studio Artist program at the Wolf Trap Opera Company this summer.
2011 Winners
Benjamin Cortez, tenor, is currently a senior at USC’s Thornton School of Music, studying with Elizabeth Hynes. Roles he has performed include Belfiore in La Finta Giardiniera with the Oberlin in Italy program, Monostatos in Die Zauberflote at La Sierra University, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi and Mayor Upfold in Albert Herring at USC, King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors and Bill in A Hand of Bridge with the Chamber Opera of USC, and Don Curzio in Le Nozze di Figaro at Aspen Opera Theatre Center. Roles covered include Antonio in Das Liebesverbot and Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia, which was performed in concert version at USC. He had done chorus work at AOTC and USC and performed in opera scenes productions for AOTC, USC Opera and USC Chamber Opera. He is currently auditioning for Masters programs in vocal arts and opera.
Emma-Grace Dunbar, soprano, was most recently seen as Nella in the USC Thornton production of Gianni Schicchi and as Sally in Die Fledermaus with Center Stage Opera. This summer, she will be performing the role of Servilia in the BASOTI production of La Clemenza di Tito in San Francisco. Emma was a finalist in the 2011 Burbank Orchestra Young Artists Competition and has won the Richard Carpenter Scholarship Competition and the 2006, 2007 and 2009 NATS Festival of Singing. She has also been active in the Once Upon an Opera outreach program in Los Angeles, playing Bo Peep in The Kid Who Cried Wolf. She was a participant in both the CoOperative and Opera Works summer training programs. Emma received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. Roles while a student at Westminster include Soeur Martha in Les Dialogues des Carmelites, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Queen Angelica in Orlando, and Gretel in Hansel & Gretel. Emma is now pursuing her Masters at the USC Thornton School of Music.
Soprano Juhye Kim, a native of South Korea, graduated from Seoul National University, South Korea, where she earned a B.M. in vocal arts. She is now in a Graduate Certificate program in vocal arts at the USC Thornton School of Music studying with Professor Elizabeth Hynes, as a recipient of a USC Music Student Merit Scholarship award. Miss Kim has performed in the Seoul City Opera in South Korea, singing some of opera’s demanding roles such as Violetta in La Traviata, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. She performed Lauretta in Gianni Schichi in the USC Thornton Opera. She has also appeared with orchestras and choral societies as a featured guest singer and a soloist.
2010 Winners
Duane Williams is professionally trained in classical music, music theatre, drama and television. Some of his many works include performances in Show Boat, Othello, Paliachi, Tosca, Secret Garden, Hell Is a Place and Les Miserables. He is assistant Director of Trinity Arts, Minister of Music First Church of Christ Scientist Costa Mesa, and a member of the musical group Mother and Sons. Accomplishments include first place in Musical Theatrical Cal State Fullerton, first place in Classical Music Cal State Fullerton, second place in Classical Music Cal State Fullerton, second place in Musical Theatrical Cal State Fullerton as well as second place Music of Corona competition.
Shabnam Kalbasi, mezzo-soprano, is currently finishing up her final year at the University of California Irvine as an undergraduate in Music Vocal Performance. Having begun her musical studies at a young age with piano, her passion for vocal performance blossomed in high school with her involvement with choir and private lessons. At UC Irvine, Shabnam studies with Dr. Darryl Taylor. She made her operatic debut as “Mrs. Nolan” in UCI Opera’s production of The Medium. This past summer, she played “Marcellina” in the Amalfi Coast Music Festival’s production of Le Nozze di Figaro. Shabnam was the first place recipient of the Intimate Opera Company senior level vocal competition in fall 2009. She has applied and auditioned for graduate schools and intends to continue her studies at the graduate level in the autumn of 2010.
Danielle Evans is a senior Vocal Performance major at Biola University and has been studying with Susan Ali for over two years. This will be her third year in opera workshop, and last year she played the lead role of the Countess in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. She has also had the opportunity to solo with Biola’s symphony orchestra for Prism and Concerto. She has participated in Songfest, which is a three-week vocal summer program, where she played the role of Madame Butterfly in the opera scenes program. Danielle has placed first in graduate level Intimate opera company, first place in The New Century Singers scholarship competition and has been a finalist in the American Educators of Italian Origins United competition.