Local Student Wins $10,000 Scholarship Through Kennedy Center Competition

Chabeli Arroyo, 17, a senior at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Burleith won first prize—a $10,000 scholarship towards her first year of college—at the 5th annual DC-CAPital Stars Talent Competition and Gala at the Kennedy Center last week.

Ellington students snagged first, second and third place at the American-Idol style competition, judged this year by American Idol Jordin Sparks, Glee's Amber Riley, Denyce Graves and Patti LaBelle.

The competition and gala is the major annual fundraiser for the DC College Access Program (DC-CAP), a non-profit "dedicated to encouraging and enabling DC public high school students enroll in and graduate from college."

Winners were chosen based half on the votes of the judges and half on the audience vote.

According to a press release the top three winners were:

1st prize winner Chabeli Arroyo, 17, a senior at Duke Ellington School for the Arts who sang "Ride Up in the Chariot" by Betty Jackson King, won the $10,000 scholarship grand prize.

2nd prize winner Savannah Cranford (17, senior, Duke Ellington) danced to "Bitter Earth" by Dinah Washington and took home a $6,000 scholarship.

3rd prize went to another 17-yr-old senior from Duke Ellington, saxophonist Rocky Garcia, who played "Loving You" by Minnie Ripperton and won $4,000 scholarship. The remaining 7 runners-up each received $2,000 scholarships.