Graduating seniors Christine Nguyen of Canyon High School and Daniel Bisla of West Ranch High School were each awarded a 2019 Rod Bennett Memorial Scholarship of $2,000 during ceremonies at their respective schools on Thursday, May 23.
The Santa Clarita Valley Scholarship Foundation helps administer awards handed out at local high schools’ year-end ceremonies and made the presentations on behalf of the Bennett scholarship fund.
Christine is an honor student who played clarinet and trumpet in the CHS band program, including the marching band, wind ensemble, symphonic band and jazz band.
She’s also performed with the Hart District Honor Band (2018-2019) and the SCULA First Chair Honor Band (2017-2018), and is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. Christine intends to study to become a music therapist.
Daniel is a music producer whose focus is on international music and how it can help people. He’s on a mission to inform people about music’s power throughout history and today, and use music online to raise awareness of mental health issues.
He created an online karaoke site for students and blogs about rap and music’s influences in general at https://dannybeastla.com. Find out more about him there. Daniel also posts beats at soundcloud.com/beastla.
Valerie Pryor created the nonprofit Rod Bennett Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of her husband, who was killed while riding his bike on Placerita Canyon Road on May 25, 2016. The teacher, musician, band director and sports enthusiast was just 53.
Read more about Rod Bennett here.
Direct tax-deductible donations may be made in Rod Bennett’s honor here.
