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Inaugural cohort of Miranda Family Fellows announced

June 28, 2023

The first five recipients of the Miranda Family Fellowship at Skidmore College have been selected. The new opportunity for students aims to create access to education and long-term support to advance careers in theater, dance, music, and arts administration, and help increase diversity within leadership in the entertainment industry.

Chiara Garcia-Ugarte ’25, Darren Jackson-Wilkins ’25, Sophie Kelly ’25, Reyn Ricafort ’25, and Javier Soto ’25 comprise the inaugural cohort.

“These exceptional young artists and leaders will thrive through the professional, developmental, and networking opportunities of the Miranda Family Fellowship Program and the mentorship of the Theater Department at Skidmore,” said Lisa Jackson-Schebetta, associate professor and chair of the . “These fellows will enrich the experience of our department, college, community, and profession.”

Skidmore was recently named a partner institution for the , a collaborative fellowship opportunity for emerging artists and arts administrators from underrepresented communities. At Skidmore, it is a two-year program for students during their junior and senior years.

Teisha Duncan, artist-in-residence in theater, will serve as one of the fellows’ faculty mentors.

“In addition to getting to know the students more as artists and people, I am excited to explore their artistic curiosities through the collective care of the cohort and the intentional expansion of their own visioning for themselves and their careers,” Duncan said. “There is indeed strength in numbers, and within the Miranda Family Fellowship, the students have access to a larger network of artists to share with across their disciplines. This is an opportunity for the fellows to indeed be students of their craft with the added support of consistent artistic mentorship that is diverse in its skillset, industry access, and professional experiences.”

Miranda Family Fellows receive financial aid packages that meet their full financial need, as well as a paid summer experience to conduct research, intern, or pursue a personal project in theater, dance, arts administration, or music. They will also have access to wrap-around programming that supports artistic development, increases understanding of the business aspects of the entertainment industry, and connects artistry with advocacy.

“To be able to connect our students, and our college, to the national network of the Miranda Family Fellowships at this crucial moment in American theater is both an honor and a delight for the Theater Department,” said Jackson-Schebetta.

Duncan is also thrilled by the possibilities. 

“I imagine this experience will exist beyond the artistic sphere and will extend to encompass the students’ contributions as global citizens, as they engage their power as artists to effect change and create worlds that center humanity.”

 

Meet the Fellows

Chiara Garcia-Ugarte ’25

Chiara Garcia-Ugarte is an art history major with minors in Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx studies and arts administration. Chiara, who is a dancer, is involved with the Skidmore live music club Lively Lucy’s, and has co-curated exhibitions for the Tang Teaching Museum and interns with its Registration Department, is also passionate about supporting Skidmore artists of all kinds.

With the Miranda Family Fellowship, I look forward to accessing their network to form connections with other aspiring arts professionals and create supportive experiences that I can share with my community.”

 

Darren Jackson-Wilkins '25

Darren Jackson-Wilkins, originally from Hackensack, New Jersey, is a theater major with a double minor in music and arts administration and is spending this summer as the programming intern for Saratoga Performing Arts Center. While theater has been a major component of Darren's life, he has been involved in advocacy as a founding member of his high school’s Social Justice Club and as the current outreach coordinator for Skidmore’s C.R.O.W.N. (Creation of a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair). Darren hopes to continue his education after Skidmore and pursue a career in acting or arts management and education.

My identity is integral to my artistic expressiveness, and I am so eager for this opportunity to sharpen my craft while expressing myself with the hopes of creating a connection for audiences who might see themselves in me.” 
 

Sophie Kelly ’25

Sophie Kelly is a queer, biracial theater artist from Littleton, Massachusetts, who is pursuing a major in theater and a minor in English. Sophie's concentrations are in playwriting and acting.

PHOTO: Sophie Kelly performs in the fall 2022 mainstage production of "Eurydice" at Skidmore's JKB Theater.

For me, the Miranda Family Fellowship means making theater and art more accessible to a broader audience and celebrating and accepting artists and performers of any and all identities.” 

 

Reyn Ricafort ’25

Reyn Ricafort is a theater major from Boston with a concentration in playwriting. Reyn hopes to utilize a love for storytelling to create stories that resonate with truth and profound social relevance, pulling from unique experiences as a queer Filipino-American immigrant. As the dramaturg for Skidmore’s fall mainstage show, Reyn is currently doing pre-dramaturgical summer research on campus and will be workshopping his first full-length play next semester.

I applied for the Miranda Fellowship because guidance during the transition into the industry is of utmost importance for theater artists who belong to traditionally underprivileged communities. The pursuit of truth and the compassion to receive and understand that truth is at the heart of what it means to create theater, and the advancement of such stories will be what helps remedy a nation seemingly divided by conflicting narratives.”

 
Javier Soto ’25

Javier Soto is a theater major from Santiago, Chile, who has been involved in several Skidmore productions, including the recently staged “After Jane and Somewhere: A Primer for the End of Days.” In addition to theater, Javier has worked as a student liaison for the Office of Student Diversity Programs, a camera operator for the Dance Department, a residential assistant, and a summer operations assistant for the Office of Conferences and Events.

This opportunity allows me to pursue my passion and grow as an artist even further. I am excited to immerse myself even deeper into what I love, embrace new challenges, and be part of an amazing group of fellows.”