The AHS Theatre Without Borders team has been invited by the NEA Foundation to perform at the NEA GALA Annual Dinner for the first time which took place at the National Building Museum in DC, on Feb 12th. This event was held to honor the Hispanic Scholarship Fund for the distribution of over $450 million in scholarships..  
            Leslie Chekin and Nick Liacopulous, the ESOL teachers at AHS and their students were invited to acknowledge the excellence in Education GALA and the individuals who work in public schools all over america to educate and share a strong bond with their students. There was an awards ceremony to honor over 42 educators, and The NEA Foundation Award was presented to the finest service towards Public Education.
            “The audience included many prominent businesspeople, politicians, philanthropists, and educators,” said Chekin. “Their patience and attentiveness to our students helped make the evening memorable for us all.”
AHS is honored to accept this invitation, and proud to send send amazing talent to the GALA night to perform.
            The theatre students performed in front of 850 corporate and education leaders from across the nation. Chekin has also received one of the NEA grants for Student Achievement for the AHS theatre program, consisting of ESOL students who perform a variety of Shakespeare’s plays.
“We were very impressed with what her students said about the program’s impact,” said Susan Burk, the Special Projects Director from the NEA Foundation.
            AHS has been working with the NEA for almost six years now, and the AHS Theatre Without Border students were one of the four hard working groups that have been chosen to go and perform at the GALA event. The team has been practice for two months now and plan to do their best.
“We were very honored,” said Chekin. “The students have been working hard and we had to meet the requirements according to the producer of the event.”
            An opportunity as big as the GALA event just enhances the confidence of theatre students when it comes to pursuing a career in theatre or just becoming familiar with public speaking.
The students represented AHS on a national level and that too at an event that’s filmed. Students were very excited for this event, and many visited DC for the first time, as well as getting on a soundstage and using microphones.
            “It’s heartening for Mr. Liacopoulos and me as sponsors that a national organization like the NEA recognizes that AHS Theatre Without Borders empowers a diverse student population to explore performance opportunities that normally would not be accessible to them,” said Chekin.
This performance benefit the students back at AHS in the future as well because they will be far more experienced. Students had the opportunity to meet the directors, stage members, and the crew behind the event. One of the Theatre Without Border Members also got the chance to meet and talk to the GALA MC actor Esai Morales.