When the Dalton Education Foundation (DEF) team sent to notify Rebekah Park that she had won the Karen Lightbody Kirkman Piano Scholarship for 2007-08, the surprise was on them. The Dalton High School junior, normally in band class the last hour of the school day, was away at a track-and-field competition.

David Henry’s band class agreed to keep the secret for a day and all indications are that they did. When Rebekah came into class the next day, the “prize patrol” was present and the band members smiled knowingly with Rebekah seemingly oblivious to what was about to happen.

Priscilla Brown, DEF vice president, made the announcement that Rebekah had won and the multi-talented 11th grader put down her B-flat clarinet to stand and accept a piano scholarship.

Rebekah became the 12th winner of the award that was launched in 1996 in memory of Karen Lightbody Kirkman.

The scholarship provides $500 to help fund piano lessons for the winner.

One of the requirements of the Kirkman Scholarship is that applicants must agree to share their talents with the community either performing solo or accompanying orchestras, choruses, or vocalists. Rebekah has already established a reputation for sharing her piano talents at school, at church and in the community.

“I wish that I could change the way someone feels with my music. It would be a great honor to have someone motivated enough by me to learn how to play the piano,” Rebekah said.

Give Back to the Community

The late Karen Kirkman designed this piano scholarship in 1995. Battling cancer, she focused on how to replicate her contributions to the community. She decided to create a piano scholarship.

“We need to find Mrs. Kirkman’s replacement,” she said. By that, she meant that she wanted this scholarship to encourage and enable a promising piano student to pursue further piano studies and to use that knowledge and those talents for the benefit of the community.

A very talented pianist, Mrs. Kirkman donated countless hours of piano performance and accompaniment to schools, churches and civic groups. She was the caliber player who could have charged each time she sat down at the keyboard, but she chose to give back to her community.

Talent and excellence at the keyboard are key criteria for selection, but the “give-back-to-the-community” factor was equally important in Mrs. Kirkman’s eyes.