Some donors decide to create a named scholarship to benefit Interlochen students because they understand that talent is found in young artists from all socio-economic backgrounds and they want to make an Interlochen experience available to any deserving student.
Other donors seek to help Interlochen continue to recruit students with the highest level of talent, and they understand that scholarship dollars are often needed to bring these young artists to Interlochen.
Many also use scholarships to celebrate the lives of those who exemplify the spirit of creativity and vitality that comes with a passion for the arts---someone like Kelly Muzzi. She attended Camp in 1999 and 2000 as a theatre major. While at Camp she also took voice and cello lessons, painted artwork that was displayed in the gallery, and danced.
"Kelly absolutely loved Camp," says her mother, Andrea Thorne, "and planned to pursue a career in theatre, acting, directing, and teaching."
According to those who knew her, Kelly was a humanitarian as well as an artist. She won a Champion of Diversity Award in 2001 from the Birmingham-Bloomfield Task Force on Race Relations and Ethnic Diversity and an Eleanor Roosevelt Award from her high school in 2002. In her junior year at Bennington College, which she chose because it reminded her of Interlochen, Kelly worked with AIDS orphans in Kenya. In 2005, back at Bennington, she was the victim of a tragic accident.
"The last action she performed before leaving her dorm room that fateful day," Thorne relates, "was to send her proposal for her senior project to her advisor. She planned to write a play and direct a performance about some of the issues that plague the Detroit area---racism, poverty, lack of reliable public transportation. Through theatre, she wanted to inspire thoughtful dialogue that would improve the lives of those who are in need."
After her death, Kelly’s family wanted to memorialize the quality of her life. "She worked to eliminate barriers between people because she saw so few herself. The arts were her method of expression; she was truly fearless in her approach to living. She was strongly present in each moment. She was captivated by ideas of social justice, peace, environmental responsibility, healthy living and always open to learning more."
In December, 2007, Kelly’s family established the Kelly Muzzi Memorial Scholarship at Interlochen to preserve her memory and to inspire other young actor/humanitarians wishing to attend Camp. The scholarship is, they say, "a way Kelly’s life continues to inspire others, and it helps her family feel that her spirit of service continues in the world."
