Hastings College Honors 30+ Students in Arts Awards

Hastings College wrapped up its spring semester by honoring over 30 students who transformed their passion for music and theatre into excellence.

The Department of Music and Theatre held its annual recognition ceremonies in late April and early May, celebrating students who showed outstanding artistry, scholarship, and service. Music awards were announced at the Music Finale Extravaganza on May 3, while theatre honors came during the Beaux Arts Awards on April 29.

The music program made history by creating its first Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Ambassador of Music Award. The inaugural honor went to Dr. Robin Koozer, a professor emeritus who spent decades leading students as a music professor and department chair. The award will now carry his name permanently, recognizing people who champion the performing arts through leadership and innovation.

Among the music students honored, Angie Amaya of Hastings took home five awards including Outstanding Senior in Music. Elliot Maschka of Englewood, Colorado, won the Hastings Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition and earned the Elmer Christensen Keyboard Award. Dylan Shaw of Colorado Springs received the Outstanding Performer honor alongside two other distinctions.

The theatre department honored 10 students with colored masks that mark different achievement levels. Maxwell Blankenship of Queen Creek, Arizona, earned Player of the Year plus two other major awards. White masks go to promising first-year students, scarlet masks recognize devoted upperclassmen, and purple masks celebrate juniors and seniors with exceptional grades and artistic merit.

Six new members joined Alpha Psi Omega, the national theatre honorary society, including students from Nebraska, Colorado, and Lincoln.

The Ripple Effect

These ceremonies do more than hand out trophies. They create a culture where artistic dedication gets recognized alongside athletic and academic achievements. When colleges celebrate student performers publicly, they signal that creativity matters just as much as test scores.

The decision to name the ambassador award after Dr. Koozer shows students that their mentors' work has lasting impact. Future musicians and actors at Hastings will see his name and understand that investing in others creates a legacy that outlives any single performance.

Recognition like this often inspires younger students to push harder in their craft, knowing their effort won't go unnoticed.