2023 Joseph P. Spereno Scholarship Winner
Sarah Westcott
Sarah is part of the Oswego High School graduating class of 2023. Sarah has been involved in music for her entire life, as her older brother and sister were both active members of the Oswego Marching Buccaneers/ Color-guard, or band, chorus, and orchestra. Sarah participated in choir since third grade, and was accepted into Chamber Singers at Oswego High School her junior year. Sarah often participated in extra-curricular music events in her high school music career, such as All County chorus her sixth grade, eighth grade, freshman, junior and senior years; Area All State treble choir her junior year and Area All State mixed choir her senior year; Conference All State mixed choir also in her senior year. Sara often participated in Drama at OHS as President of the Drama and Musical clubs, and has plans to carry on with theater in college. Sarah is attending Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam pursuing a degree in music education on the choral track.
2023 Joseph P. Spereno Scholarship Winner
Anna Cloonan
Anna Cloonan is a member of the Oswego High School's graduating class of 2023. Ann has been playing flute for nine years, and piano for eight years. She was a member of the Oswego High School Wind Ensemble for four years, and a featured soloist with the Oswego Marching Buccaneers. Anna has been a member of the OCMEA All County Band since sixth grade, Area All State Band since freshman year, and was accepted into the NYSSMA Conference All State Symphonic Band her senior year. She also held the role of the principal flutist for one year in the Syracuse Symphoria Young Artists Orchestra. Alongside her participation in numerous ensembles, Anna has taken private flute lessons with Kristen Jorgensen for eight years. Last summer, she was given the opportunity to study with the flutist Professor Amy Porter for one week at the University of Michigan. Anna is continuing her music education at Cornell University where she intends to major in Music Performance and English.
2019 Joseph P. Spereno Scholarship Winner
Andrew Bornheimer
Andrew Bornheimer is a member of the Oswego High School’s graduating class of 2019. Andrew, the youngest of nine children, has been a member of several music groups and sports teams throughout his high school career. Andrew has been a part of the Oswego High School’s Wind Ensemble for four years, where he plays the French Horn, along with being a member of the Chamber singers for three years, and a trumpet player in the Jazz Bands. He has also been a member of the JV and Varsity Soccer teams, and the Track and Field team. Andrew has participated in several extracurricular events, including being a member of the Youth Conservatory at SUNY Oswego, All-County Band and Chorus, Area All-State Band and Chorus, Conference All-State for choir, and most notably, All-Eastern for choir. Andrew has participated in several theatrical groups. He has completed shows with the Baldwinsville Theater Guild, the Oswego Children’s Theater, the Oswego Player’s Theater, the Oswego Opera Company, the Oswego High School’s Drama Club, and the Oswego High School’s Musicals. Some of his most recent productions were Kiss Me, Kate, as Fred, and Picnic as Hal Carter. Andrew is attending Nazareth College starting in the 2019 fall semester with plans to graduate with a B.F.A in Musical Theater in 2023.
2017 Joseph P. Spereno Scholarship Winners
Leah Mullen, 2017 Scholarship Winner
Leah Mullen is a senior this year at Oswego High School. Leah takes private voice lessons from Mihoko Tsustumi. She plans to take what she has learned from Mihoko and apply it to her upcoming college auditions, and eventually the professional world of classical music. This year she is applying to several conservatory style music colleges, looking to get her BFA as a vocal performance major. Leah enjoys music of all styles, but her favorite style to sing is classical music. She loves to sing opera arias and art songs. Leah's love for classical music has driven her to pursue a career in opera performance, where one day she hopes to be singing in opera houses all over the world.
Sophie Woods, 2017 Scholarship Winner
Sophie Woods has shared her music with Oswego and the surrounding areas over the past several years. She performs both as a solo artist and with her band, The Millers and has played at venues such as Bistro 197, Old City Hall, Gibby O’Connor’s Irish Pub, Dinosaur Barbeque and Shifty’s Bar and Grille. In high school, she was a featured artist on News Channel 9’s Extraordinary Talent Segment. She is currently studying Music Therapy and classical guitar at Molloy College in Rockville Centre, NY. She has thrived in her education in the New York Metropolitan Area and serves as the Music Department Student Representative at Molloy College.