08/27/2022
Thanks to all that liked our page! I won’t be posting a ton, but I will post the 2022 winners here very soon.
For those that are wondering, here is what it is all about!
The Sylvia Overend Memorial Scholarship was established in 2020 to honor the memory and life of Sylvia Dobson Overend, a Chariho Middle school teacher and Drama Club advisor. Sylvia passed away in 2019 from a rare form of Leukemia.
Sylvia took great pride in the CMS Drama Club, building it into an organization that grew in numbers each year. Rarely, if ever, was any student turned away from a production. Sylvia had a knack for getting young actors to come out of their shells, and project confidence in their performance.
In addition to her love of the theater, Sylvia had a passion for singing. She was a member of the Christ Church Choir and the Chorus of Westerly.
The scholarship is funded each year from a small percentage of ticket sales for the CMS and CHS drama productions. A large portion of the money is donated through an annual Dress Down day in the Chariho district, with teachers throughout the district donating to dress down.
Seed money to start the scholarship fund was donated from the CHS Chorus Benefit concert, an event that Sylvia looked forward to every year.
Two $500 scholarships will be awarded each year- one to a graduating senior member of the CHS Drama club, and one to a graduating senior member of the CHS Chorus. Applications are due on April 17th each year (Sylvia’s birthday!), and the winners are selected by myself (Sylvia’s brother) and Anna, Sylvia’s daughter, based on essays submitted in the application.
John Dobson
