(South Florida – April 8, 2025) Gary Schweikhart, board president of the Carbonell Awards, South Florida’s Theatre & Arts Honors, today announced the three young winners of the 2025 Jack Zink Memorial Student Scholarships. The selection of recipients is based on talent, experience and demonstrated commitment to either theater or journalism, with one winner from each of the three participating counties.

“The Jack Zink Memorial Scholarships are awarded to graduating high school seniors who have achieved a minimum 2.5 GPA and are intending to enroll in college to pursue a degree in theater or journalism. Each of the three winners will receive $2,000 when they have enrolled in college,” said Javier Siut, a member of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, who co-chairs the Carbonell’s Scholarship Committee along with longtime Carbonell Judge Nancy Cohen.

DeJaya Hardy – Miami-Dade County

A senior Miami Norland Senior High School, DeJaya Hardy has long been interested in writing and public speaking. She co-anchored her middle school’s TV program, served as editor of her high school’s newspaper The Viking, and even launched her own personal community service project (Press On) and The Gardens Gazette. She is looking forward to a career in journalism, where it her ultimate dream is to make a lasting impact in all aspects of media and storytelling. “With this scholarship, I will be able to pursue a degree and a future career that will allow me to amplify voices, particularly those from underrepresented communities like my own in Miami Gardens," she says.

Alexa Isabel Lasanta – Palm Beach County

A senior at the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Alexa Isabel Lasanta has been performing professionally since she was six and made her Broadway debut in the National Tour of The Sound of Music when she was eight. Locally, she has helmed major roles at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Slow Burn Theatre Company, The Wick Theatre, and Zoetic Stage. “The Carbonell Scholarship is an incredible honor that fuels my passion for the arts and supports my journey toward higher education. This recognition inspires me to continue growing as an artist and making a meaningful impact in my community.  I am deeply grateful for this opportunity, and it motivates me to pursue my dreams more strongly,” she says.

Jack Bear Ryan – Broward County

A senior at American Heritage High School in Plantation, Jack Bear Ryan has been in love with musical theater since he was nine and was cast in Annie Jr. The 2024 recipient of South Florida Cappies' Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Musical, he is president of his high school's acapella choir. In addition, he loves to play keyboards, compose orchestral and 8-bit music, and delve into music theory and computer programming. “Storytelling through drama and music is my language—whether told through characters on a stage or musical notes on a page—and theater has given me an opportunity to shape my ideas into an immersive experience for others. Thank you very much to the Carbonell Awards,” he says.

The annual Carbonell scholarship is named for Jack Zink (1947-2008) who was a major voice in South Florida entertainment coverage for more than three decades. During his long career, he was employed as entertainment editor, columnist, critic and reporter at each of South Florida’s major newspapers—The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, The Miami Herald, The Palm Beach Post & Evening Times, and The Fort Lauderdale News. Mr. Zink was the founder and a past president of the Carbonell Awards, a past president of The American Theatre Critics Association, and during his lifetime was a recipient of both the Sun-Sentinel newspaper’s highest honor, The Fred Pettijohn Award, given annually to the publication’s top reporters, and South Florida’s George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts.

The 48^th annual Carbonell Awards Ceremony will be held on Monday, November 17, at FAU’s University Theatre in Boca Raton, at which all three of this year’s Jack Zink Scholarship recipients will be celebrated.

Carbonell Awards Seeks Scholarship Sponsors 2025

The Carbonell Awards is seeking sponsors for each of the three Jack Zink Scholarships 2025—or $2,000 per recipient. This is the perfect opportunity to invest in the future of theater and/or journalism by helping to underwrite the education of an extraordinarily talented college freshman. To learn how you can give a helping hand to a star of tomorrow, please contact Carbonell Board members Ellen Wedner ([email protected]) or Terry Colli ([email protected]). Scholarship sponsors will receive two free tickets to this year’s Carbonell Awards and will be publicly acknowledged.

About The Carbonell Awards

The Carbonell Awards fosters the artistic growth of professional theater in South Florida by celebrating the diversity of our theater artists, providing educational scholarships, and building audience appreciation and civic pride by highlighting achievements of our theater community. More than 20 professional theater companies in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties participate in the awards process every year. The Carbonell Awards also celebrate the accomplishments of local artistic leaders by presenting several Special Awards.

Along with New York’s Drama Desk and Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Awards, the Carbonell Awards are among the nation’s senior regional arts awards and predate others, including Washington, D.C.’s Helen Hayes Awards. The Carbonell Awards are named after Manuel Carbonell, an internationally renowned sculptor, who designed the original solid bronze and marble award in 1976, the signature trophy that is given annually to Carbonell Award winners. Over nearly 50 years, the Carbonell family has donated more than $250,000 in awards. For more information, please visit www.carbonellawards.org.

Attached Jpegs:

1)   DeJaya Hardy

2)   Alexa Isabel Lasanta

3)   Jack Bear Bryan (Photo Credit: Lorraine Ryan)

Available for Interview:

Javier Siut

Carbonell Awards Vice President

Co-Chair of the Jack Zink Scholarship Committee

[email protected]

Media Contact:

Gary Schweikhart

PR-BS, Inc.

561.756.4298 / [email protected]