The Avon Theatre – Deborah & Chuck Royce Cinema Arts Center is pleased to announce the winners of the 17th Annual Avon Scholarship Awards Essay Contest. At the awards reception and ceremony on June 12, 2026, Avon Board Member and Education Initiative Committee Chair Sue Baker, along with Louisa Greene, juror and co-founder of Avon's Education Initiative, introduced the winners and presented $8,500 in scholarships to graduating high school seniors from Fairfield and Westchester counties.

Students, their families, and guests were invited to stay after the reception for a special Avon on Tour screening of the Academy Award-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher at the Ferguson Library in Stamford.

The program is supported by donations from Avon’s Annual Appeal and community supporters who believe in the power of film and education. Scholarship funds are sent directly to students’ colleges and universities to support their academic journeys.

The top three winners include:

First Place — $2,000
Joaquin Field, Stamford High School, who will be attending Syracuse University. His winning essay focused on The Voice of Hind Rajab.

Second Place — $1,500
Abby Meyers, Greenwich High School, who will be attending Yale University. Her essay explored Hamnet.

Third Place — $1,000
Jordan Alexander, New Canaan High School, who will be attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His essay examined Superman.

An additional $4,000 in Honorable Mention scholarships was awarded to eight students, with each receiving a $500 scholarship. The winners are:

• Abigail Sandoval, Stamford High School, University of New Haven — A Walk to Remember

• Riona McKersie, Greenwich High School, Mount St. Mary’s University (Maryland) — Train Dreams

• Nahim Cagua Llivipuma, Westhill High School, UConn Stamford — Nuremberg

• Yaniah Chisolm, Westhill High School, Spelman College — Sinners

• Genesis Fabian, Stamford High School, CT State Community College — Hamnet

• Clara Bonomo, Sacred Heart Greenwich, Muhlenberg College — Hoppers

• Angela Russell, Westhill High School, Cornell University — Project Hail Mary

• Alexandra Zodda, Byram Hills High School, Cornell University — Hamnet

Students were asked to submit a 500–750-word essay on “Film Matters” about a film they had seen in a movie theater, at a film festival, on a streaming service, or at another screening venue. The film could be a feature, documentary, animated, foreign-language, or short film. Students were invited to reflect on how the film affected them personally and to consider questions such as: Did the film change your perspective? Did it make you feel seen or understood? Did it inspire you to take action or think differently about the world around you?

This year’s winning entries spanned a wide range of films and stories, from historical dramas and literary adaptations to documentaries and major motion pictures. Through their essays, students explored themes of resilience, justice, empathy, identity, family, and the enduring power of storytelling.

The essays were judged anonymously by a panel of independent judges, including professional journalists, authors, educators, filmmakers, and community leaders. Each submission was evaluated on originality, writing quality, critical thinking, and the student’s ability to articulate film’s impact on their life.

Photos from the awards ceremony and the winning essays will be available on the Avon Theatre website at www.avontheatre.org/education.