Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts Scholars Announced

For the third year, five talented Long Island music students will receive a unique opportunity to study and perform this summer at Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts. The program was developed by Usdan Center in 2011 and supported with a charitable grant from Bethpage Federal Credit Union. The Usdan Center/Bethpage Scholars in the Arts program gives accomplished students who otherwise couldn't attend Usdan, the opportunity to study at the country's largest not-for-profit summer arts day camp. The students were chosen for their fine musicianship and for their achievements as outstanding representatives of their communities.

Usdan's Executive Director, Dale Lewis, recently spoke of the program's track record of success: "We are proud to continue this unique partnership with Bethpage Federal Credit Union, one of our region's most prominent leaders in corporate philanthropy. Kirk Kordeleski, President and CEO, and his wonderful staff, have given a great opportunity to talented young Long Island musicians, and we are delighted to continue this wonderful collaboration." Kerry Discioarro, Coordinator of the program, adds "We are particularly excited about this year's students, who combine amazing qualities of musical talent, academic excellence and fine character." The Usdan/Bethpage program is unique in that five Bethpage community branches will, in effect, "adopt" one of the program's students, with each receiving recognition in their Bethpage community branch for the remainder of the year. The students were introduced to their Bethpage branch sponsors at a June reception at Usdan Center.

"Bethpage is proud supporter of Usdan and its many invaluable initiatives and programs that offer countless benefits to the Long Island community and its many young artists," said Kirk Kordeleski, President & CEO, Bethpage. "This unique scholarship program provides five deserving art students, who otherwise would not be able to do so, the opportunity to study on the world-class Usdan campus. I am very excited for each of them."

The winners of the Usdan/Bethpage Scholar in the Arts program are: from Huntington, JorDan Williams, a Junior at Elwood John Glenn High School. He will study Trumpet and Chorus at Usdan, performing this summer with Band IV; from Melville, Cara Jacobson is a Junior at Half Hollow Hills East High School. She comes to Usdan this summer as a Music Staff Intern, and will perform with the Senior Chorus and the Select Chamber Choir. From North Babylon, Abraham Pierre is an Eighth Grade student at Robert Moses Middle School. He will study Tenor Saxophone this summer, and will perform with Band IV and in the Jazz Ensemble as well; from Commack, Joseph Tanay-Noto is a Junior at Commack High School. A cellist, he comes to Usdan this summer as a Music Staff Intern and will perform with Orchestra IV and the Senior Chorus; and from Levittown, Jordi Ariel Lotito is a Senior at WT Clarke High School. A violinist, she comes to Usdan this summer as a Music Staff Intern, and will perform with Orchestra IV and the Senior Chorus.

Bethpage Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit financiAl Cooperative, existing solely to serve its members and has experienced rapid growth in recent years to become a strong alternative to banks. Bethpage was approved for the largest federal community charter in the U.S. in 2003 and now is New York State's largest credit union and Long Island's primary community financial institution with 212,000 members, 26 branches and 60 shared service center locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties. As a financiAl Cooperative, Bethpage offers the best- in-market rates, low fees and world-class service, and a full menu of personal and commercial financial services.

Bethpage maintains branch locations in Bay Shore, Bay Shore King Kullen, Bethpage, Central Islip, Commack King Kullen, Elmont, Farmingdale, Freeport, Glen Cove, Hempstead, Huntington, Levittown King Kullen, Lynbrook, Massapequa, Melville, Mineola, North Babylon, Patchogue, Port Jefferson, Riverhead, Seaford, Smithtown, Roosevelt, West Babylon and Westbury with over 425 surcharge-free ATMs including King Kullen, CVS Pharmacy, 7-11 and Costco locations throughout Long Island. For more information, call 1-800-628-7070 or visit www.bethpagefcu.com.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (www.usdan.com), is the nation's premier not-for-profit summer arts day camp. Usdan, now in its 46th season, has been declared a "Best Of" camp by TimeOutNY/Kids. Usdan is open to all young people from age 6 to 18, and no audition is needed for most programs. The Center is situated on a 200-acre woodland campus in Huntington, Long Island, to which 1,600 students travel each day on buses that depart from neighborhoods throughout the New York metropolitan area. Although Usdan's mission is for every child to establish a skill-based relationship with the arts, the unique inspiration of the Center has caused many to go on to professional careers. Usdan's 60,000 alumni include actors Natalie Portman, Olivia Thirlby and Lisa Gay Hamilton, singers Jane Monheit and Mariah Carey, Broadway playwright Michele Lowe, Grammy-Award winning producer Adam Abeshouse, Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra conductor Adam Glaser, and members of major American orchestras, dance, and theater companies. The Center offers more than 40 "majors" in the arts, and a special feature of each student's program is the Center's series of Festival Concerts, daily educational performances by distinguished artists. Usdan's Long Island campus includes 70 state-of-the-art studios and theaters, each providing an inspiring collaboration with the Center's magnificent woodland. Usdan is a beneficiary agency of UJA-Federation of New York, and the Center is chartered by the Regents of the State of New York.