Drum talents Ayeisha Mathis (photo) and Jeffrey Fajardo have been awarded the Berklee College of Music Presidential Scholarship, a grant established to bring the nation’s best young musicians to study at Berklee at no cost to them or their families.\"Since words cannot express how much this award means to me, I’ll have to voice my appreciation through the music I create. If it wasn’t for this scholarship, I don’t think I’d be in college right now.”
At just age 18, Ayeisha Mathis has accomplished a great deal in a short period of time. She has shared the stage with some of the top drummers in contemporary music, such as John Blackwell, Sheila E., Terri Lyne Carrington, Dennis Chambers, and Vinnie Colaiuta.
Jeffrey Fajardo is a drummer from Denver, Colorado who comes from a family of musicians. He began playing club gigs before his teens. While attending the Denver School of the Arts high school, he was part of the Jazz Workshop Orchestra that competed in the Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival Competition.
Fajardo was selected for the Colorado All-State Jazz Band and the 2004 Mile High All-Star Big Band. Fajardo\'s professional work includes performing with the Denver-based Latin jazz group Amanecer.
Berklee\'s Presidential Scholarship
The Presidential Scholarship Program is founded on the principle that all deserving, talented, and financially challenged students should be provided the opportunity to experience the unique benefits of a Berklee education.
Presidential Scholars represent the most talented individuals among all young musicians graduating from high school each year. Each will receive full tuition and room and board, which is renewable over four years of study.
Candidates must exhibit outstanding musical merit determined through a live audition.
To be considered for a Presidential Scholarship, students must audition through Berklee\'s existing scholarship audition program. Those who are identified as full-tuition scholarship candidates, based on musical merit, will be invited to submit a federal financial aid form. Those that demonstrate need will be considered for a Presidential Scholarship.
To apply, students should call the Berklee Scholarships Office at (617) 747-8681 or email scholarships@berklee.edu. Applications can be found on the Scholarships section of the Berklee website.
