Philanthropist Alec Glasser, left, and Dean Jon Gould, right, congratulate some of the first recipients of The Drake Gives/Alec Glasser UCI Music Scholarships. Photos by Han Parker
Inaugural scholarship winners awarded $10,000 each
The first nine recipients of The Drake Gives/Alec Glasser UCI Music Scholarship have been selected, and each is receiving a $10,000 scholarship.
They include:
- drama major Irene Emahiser;
- music majors Hazel Huynh, David Jou and Oliver Kringel;
- drama and cognitive science major Ysa Padua;
- film and media major Carys Tam;
- computer science major Alexia Ventura; and
- game design and interactive media major Adrian Vizcarra.
Another student, a nursing major who asked not to be identified, also is among the scholarship recipients.
The scholarship was established, in partnership with the School of Social Ecology, to support UCI students who want to infuse music in their future professional paths in some manner.
“The power of music extends beyond entertainment,” says philanthropist Alec Glasser. “It can be harnessed in various professional realms, including medicine, social services, marketing, and sports.”
Glasser, owner of The Drake Restaurant in Laguna Beach, says he established the scholarship because he believes “music is a fundamental part of the soul and it can be applied in many different contexts. There are infinite ways music can be used and we need new creativity to keep that moving forward.”
The scholarship recipients, who recently met with Glasser, agreed and expressed their gratitude.
“I am elated to receive this scholarship,” says Padua. She once calmed a crying baby in the hospital by singing to him and her experience motivates her plans to pursue music or art therapy.
“My career goal is to work in counseling or therapy for arts students, putting to use both my cognitive science studies and my performance studies,” she says.
Vizcarra, who expects to graduate in 2025, plans to pursue a career as a game designer.
“There’s a lot of music in video games and I’ll be focusing on the composing side, adding music and audio to my games,” he says.
Emahiser says she wants to “start bringing music into serious theater. I want to bring it to make an impact because I think that music goes hand-in-hand with stage.”
Kringel, a saxophonist, says he plans to focus on the business side of music.
All plan to use music in their myriad future careers as they aim to make a difference in the world.