Agata Highstein has been awarded the University of Hawaii – Manoa Presidential Scholarship. A sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance degree at the Department of Music, she has twice been named an Orvis Vocal Scholar. She is a member of the Chamber Singers, the department’s top auditioned choir, and a staff singer at Central Union Church. Agata is a student of Dr. Maya Sypert.
Presidential Scholarships support students with a record of outstanding academic achievement. They are awarded to rising juniors who have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.7, a record of sustained progress in academic courses, and evidence of superior academic achievement or creative endeavor. It covers tuition for two years and provides an annual stipend and a travel award. “This is really affirming of my achievement as an academic student and it also takes a big financial weight off of my chest,” states Highstein. “It means that I get to take more of the classes that I want to take and in an order that I want to take them. I can devote more time to my studies, and because I’m a part of the Honors program, I get to write papers about my recitals as additional coursework, which means that I can dive even deeper into the repertoire that I’m going to perform and not feel like it’s something that I don’t have time for,” says Highstein.