Scholar Performance
Tessa was featured with her chamber group on the national radio program 'From the Top'.
Scholar Films
Harun's most recent film, In the Name of the Son, is based on his experiences growing up in wartime Bosnia
Caisa Sanburg
“Outside of school, being a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar carries a lot of responsibility and prestige. I feel that I must represent the Foundation well every day in everything that I do. By doing this, I have become a better person. I also feel that I have been able to impact people in a positive way because of the principles I hold myself to. Being a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar has, and always will be, a great honor.”
- Program: 2011 Graduate Scholarship Recipient
- Resides: San Antonio, TX
- Hometown: Eckert, CO
- Age: 24
- Four-year College or University: Mesa State College
- Graduate School: TBD
- Academic/Career Pursuits: Archeology, Arts / Music / Performance, Astronomy, Aviation, Mathematics, Sciences, Technical theater, Forensic science
- Other Interests: Astronomy, Aviation, Design, Outdoor / Mountaineering / Camping, Performing Arts / Theatre, Sciences, Sports, Reading, Rock Climbing, Parkour, Martial Arts, Photography, Scrabble, Astronomy, Paleontology, Archaeology, Geology, Baseball, Mathematics, Music (drums)
Biography
Profile: Caisa Sanburg has jammed a lot into her 23 years. She finished high school at age 14, undergrad at 19, and has been working ever since while she sorted out what she wanted to do with her life and if graduate school would be in her future. The theatre bug bit Caisa several years ago . . . not so much performing on stage, but backstage, making sure everything (lights, props, scenery) all worked. In graduate school, she plans to pursue an M.F.A. with an emphasis on Theatrical Lighting Design. She already has years of experience, most recently at Sea World in Texas where she serves as an Electronic Systems Technician, no easy position for a 23-year-old to attain. In her spare time she was a martial arts instructor, a discipline she still practices and which she credits for making her well-rounded. Caisa was both a Young Scholar and College Scholar and now has completed the “Jack Kent Cooke Trifecta”, earning Graduate Scholar status.
Inspiration: Caisa’s professor for scenic and lighting design classes at Mesa State, David M. Cox, inspired in her a love of technical theatre, “and pushed me to discover my creative side.”
Aspiration: She hopes to become a better lighting designer, and gain contacts in that field, although her resume boasts some terrific accomplishments in this field already.
Making a Difference: “I was an undergraduate mathematics major when a friend of mine asked me to design the scenery for a local production of Much Ado About Nothing. I decided that I should take a class in Scenic Design in order to better understand what I was doing. I became hooked on designing for theatre after that single class.”
Accolades: Caisa’s GPA at Mesa State College was 3.99 out of a perfect 4.0. She did nearly as well at well at other universities where she enrolled through correspondence at age 12 –
Interesting Fact: Caisa enjoys learning accents and dialects.
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