Photo courtesy Carole Howard
Regina Sikes, 17, a senior at Pagosa Springs High School, has been awarded a scholarship from the Jim and Elizabeth Sullivan Foundation for the Arts, which provides support for local youth with a talent for music, dance or visual arts.
The presentation was made on September 8 by (left to right) Lorri and Tim Sullivan to Regina, with Dan Burch, PSHS music director, in attendance.
Regina is the daughter of Viana and Kevin Sikes, who moved with their family to Pagosa from Rio Rancho, NM, a year ago. Her voice and piano teacher is Venita Burch.
Tim Sullivan, a hugely popular singer-songwriter who regularly plays with his band in Pagosa for his fans’ dancing enjoyment, administers the scholarship fund on behalf of his parents, for whom it is named.
Regina’s taste in music is comprehensive, ranging from Ella Fitzgerald to Patsy Cline to Bruce Springsteen. Her dad says, “She sings in the shower, she sings everywhere. In fact, our neighborhood is filled with her beautiful music.” She also performs with the Community Choir and Curtains Up Pagosa.
In addition to Regina, multiple Pagosa youth have benefited from scholarships from the Sullivan Foundation in recent years. They include members of the Pagosa Springs Girls Choir, Kathleen Isberg’s piano student Jovanka Ponce de Leon, and Venita Burch’s voice student Gustavo Palma and piano student Mark Holladay.
