Aspiring Theatre Student Receives Broadway Dreams Scholarship From Millikin University

Millikin University in partnership with the Broadway Dreams Foundation, has announced that the University is awarding a four-year full tuition theatre scholarship to student Jeri Leader of Ontario, Canada.

Established in 2016, the Millikin University/Broadway Dreams Scholarship offers a talented Broadway Dreams alumnus, who may not otherwise have the resources to continue their training at the university level, a path to following their dream of becoming a working professional in the highly competitive national theatre community.

"Through our partnership with the Broadway Dreams Foundation, we are able to bring the rising costs of a college education into reach for a talented, deserving student each year while gaining connections with the professional industry that helps broaden the kinds of Performance Learning opportunities we are able to offer our students," said Sean Morrissey, artist in residence at the Millikin School of Theatre & Dance. "As our relationship grows, so does the number of Broadway Dreams alumni who are finding Millikin to be an excellent fit for helping them reach their educational and career goals."

Established in 2006 by casting executive Annette Tanner, Broadway Dreams Foundation empowers aspiring young artists through performing arts training with a focus on the acting, voice and dance disciplines. The organization has inspired more than 10,000 students globally and awarded over $1 million in financial needs-based scholarships, providing youth and young adults of all socioeconomic backgrounds with performance training, life skills building and mentorship opportunities from the entertainment industry's most distinguished talents.

Jeri Leader has a long history with Broadway Dreams, having attended intensives in Toronto, Canada; Philadelphia, Pa.; and Charlotte, N.C. Leader also spent two summers at the prestigious Stratford Festival Theatre Arts Camp in Stratford, Ontario, working in the Shakespeare Intensive Workshop alongside directors Ash Knight and Eli Ham.

Leader also trained at the Bravo Academy of Performing Arts in Toronto where she was cast in four productions: "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," "Anne & Gilbert," "Legally Blonde" and "Newsies." Yearly, the Bravo Academy of Performing Arts produces approximately 10 full musical productions and nearly 100 events which include recitals, galas, concerts and workshops.

Leader has also taken part in Bravo Academy's New Musical Theatre Intensives which trains young and emerging artists in new methods and styles to prepare them for professional opportunities. Leader was cast in the last three shows through the New Musical Theatre Intensives: "The Crack of Doom," "#Hashtag the Musical" and "Super School."

For more information about the Broadway Dreams Foundation, visit broadwaydreams.org/.

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