Four Hope College students earned honors in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Michigan State Chapter Auditions, held at Grand Valley State University on Saturday, Nov. 6.
Hope students earned two first-place awards, one second-place award and one third-place award. More than 240 students from colleges and universities from throughout the state participated.
° Sarah Ashcroft, a senior from Holland, earned first place in the College Senior Women category.
° Heather Benson, a junior from Muskegon, earned first place in the Advanced category.
° Katie McDougall, a junior from Flint, earned second place in the College Junior Women category.
° Skye Edwards, a sophomore from Morrison, Colo., earned third place in the Musical Theatre category.
All are students of Linda LeFever Dykstra, who is an associate professor of music and chair of the voice division at Hope.
A total of 13 students from Hope competed in the auditions, which provided cash prizes and a chance for the first-place winners to sing in an honors recital at the end of the day. In addition, all of the first-, second- and third-place honorees will have the opportunity to compete in the Great Lakes Regional Auditions in March, competing with other student winners from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Ontario, Canada.