Hannah Evans & Kara Blanchard awarded 2023 Dee Pace Theater Scholarship
May 21, 2023
Salt Lake City, UT — In partnership with the Dee Pace Memorial Foundation, the Utah Music Foundation, is thrilled to announce Hannah Evans and Kara Blanchard as the recipients of the 2023 Dee Pace Musical Theater scholarship.
Hannah Evans
Hannah Evans is a senior at Lone Peak High School who is passionate about theater. Since the age of eleven she has worked and dedicated her teen years to theater arts. Now, at the age of seventeen, Hannah has participated in an impressive 26 productions—including Frozen Jr, Into the Woods, Beauty and the Beast Jr, Mary Poppins Jr, Descendants, Bright Star, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and many more!
Hannah is a dedicated student, with a 3.97 GPA. She works tirelessly on her studies, putting in long hours to ensure that she achieves the results she wants. Her hard work and dedication are evident in everything she does, whether it's on stage or in the classroom. When she is not studying, rehearsing or performing, Hannah is most often found with a book or spending time with family and friends. Hannah will be attending Manhattan School of Music in the fall of 2023 with an emphasis in Musical Theater and Vocal Performance.
“I would like to thank The Dee Pace Memorial Foundation and the Utah Music Foundation for this honor and generous scholarship and for helping me achieve my dreams of going to college in New York.” says Ms. Evans. “I hope to inspire others to pursue their goals in this magical world of performing arts just as Dee Pace did!”
Kara Blanchard
Kara Blanchard is a young woman with a passion for music and performance, from Bountiful, Utah. Kara greatly enjoys focusing on her academics, while simultaneously spending lots of time outdoors skiing, hiking, and enjoying the beauty of the great outdoors. This year, Kara was able to represent Woods Cross High School as their Theater and Speech Sterling Scholar, and was also able to perform as a finalist for Best Actress at the Utah High School Musical Theater Awards. Kara is beyond excited to be continuing her education at the University of Utah in Materials Science and Engineering as well as Physics and Musical Theater. Kara would like to thank everyone who has shown her immense love and support throughout her journey as a person, and is more than ready to see what is to come.
“I would like to express a huge thank you to the Dee Pace Memorial Foundation for presenting me with this opportunity.” says Ms. Blanchard. “Musical Theater has always been a huge piece in the puzzle that is my life, and the Legacy that this foundation holds is incredible. I am so excited to see how this can help me to further my education.”
These $1,000 scholarships are awarded based on the applicant’s involvement in theater, a recorded musical audition, and a brief essay. This short essay invites students to share the impact theater has made on their community and how they will be involved in theater going forward. The application process opens each spring and applicants are invited to apply at www.utahmusicfoundation.org.
To view other scholarship recipients, please visit the Utah Music Foundation website.
For more information, please contact: info@utahmusicfoundation.org
About Dee Pace
Allen “Dee” Pace was born June 5, 1951 and grew up in Spanish Fork, Utah, the son of Allen D. Pace and Arleane Porter and the eldest of six children. A graduate of Southern Utah State College, he went on to teach drama in Richfield, Utah from 1975-1976. In 1978, he and his wife, Nedra, relocated to Tremonton, Utah where he taught drama for 15 years. At that time, Pace became a school administrator—serving as Principal of Honeyville and Bear River Elementary Schools and Vice Principal of Bear River and Box Elder High Schools. He retired in 2008 after 30 years of service in public education only to return to the classroom as drama teacher at Box Elder Junior High School and Student Teacher advisor at Weber State University. As an educator, Pace had a profound impact on his students, many of whom were in touch with him at the end of his life.
Pace met his wife, Nedra, while performing at the Promised Valley Playhouse. He enjoyed performing with his wife and children and was deeply involved with local theaters throughout Northern Utah performing in and directing countless productions. He quickly became a favorite at the Heritage Theater in Perry, Utah where he served on the Board of Directors for several years. He delighted audience members and developed a large following of friends and fans.
In addition to his service as an educator and community member, Pace was admired for his ability to reach out and make others feel important and loved—particularly those most in need of friendship. His family remember him as a friend to everyone and recall having frequent visits from former students and guests at most family nights and holiday celebrations. Pace’s wife, children, and students created the Dee Pace Memorial Foundation to honor his legacy of service.
About Dee Pace Memorial Foundation
The Dee Pace Memorial Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded to perpetuate Dee's legacy in performing arts education and humanitarian service. Visit www.deepacefoundation.org for more information.
About Utah Music Foundation
Founded in 2018, the Utah Music Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping students in Utah reach their musical and academic potential. Utah Music Foundation offers scholarships to musical high school students to help alleviate the financial burden of their college education. Utah Music Foundation is recognized by the IRS as a public charity with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. Visit www.UtahMusicFoundation.org for more information.