Here's what a Shallaway Scholarship winner looks like...

Eli Quinn

Eli Quinn is a first-year university student and recent Shallaway graduate. He currently mentors our younger male-identified singers in Nobile and sings in our senior chamber choir, Exsultate.

Eli is also very active in the broader community: he served on The Holy Heart High School student council where he lead the Inclusive Music Program, was a member of the Relay for Life Committee, a member of the Best Buddies Program, and a leader of the Inclusive Sports Program. Eli also volunteers with The Gathering Place, volunteered with Choral Canada at Podium, and has been a Shallaway Apprentice for the past seven years.

Claire Donnan

Grade 12 student Claire Donnan is a member of our Exultate and Camerata ensembles at Shallaway Youth Choir. For the last five years, Claire has been an Apprentice to our Vivo ensemble, singers in grades 4-6. Claire says of the program: "Whether I'm helping with warmups, leading group exercises, or teaching dances, it has always been one of the best things in my life. While the performing is amazing, the best part of apprenticing has always been meeting and working with all the amazing kids."

Claire is an avid performer having won several awards in the St. John's Kiwanis Music Festival, has completed, with honors, Grade 9, 8, and 7 Royal Conservatory Vocal Exams, and has won the Caighlan Smith Writing Award.

Claire is a published CBC and CBC Kids writer having written articles spanning the topics of the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the pressures teens feel to send nudes, and climate change strikes happening around the world.

Paige Penney

Paige Penney is a 16-year-old singer-songwriter from St. John's and a member of Shallaway Youth Choir since age seven where she landed her very first solo in Shallaway’s rendition of "The Sound Of Music."

Paige has received a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for "Young Performer of the Year" and two MusicNL Award nominations: "Fan's Choice Entertainer of the Year" and "Pop Artist of the Year" for her Factor funded debut EP "Watch Out For Your Step," recorded in Nashville's Dark Horse Recording Studio!

She is a two-time winner of the MusicNL Newfound Talent Contest and won an Arts and Letters Award for her original song "Natural Disaster." Paige's first single and title track "Watch Out For Your Step" features Newfoundland folk trio The Once. Paige's second single "Shooting Star" features a co-write with Alan Doyle who is featured in the music video, directed by Roger Maunder.

Paige released a pandemic-inspired song, "When All Is Said and Done" in the summer of 2020 along with a music video featuring family and friends during quarantine. In 2018, Paige was asked to write a Christmas song for Shallaway and she wrote the song “One Star” which was released with a music video for Christmas 2020.

Maia McKeown

Maia McKeown is a grade seven student who is very active in the St. John's music community. Maia is a singer in our junior high ensemble, Jubilate, and studies violin, voice, guitar, fiddle, and piano.

In addition to all these musical activities, Maia enjoys basketball, orchestra, swimming, ballet and jazz, and martial arts. She loves to read, travel, and play different instruments.

With this very busy schedule, Maia still finds time to be the Assistant Concert Master of Calos Youth Orchestra Junior Strings, Library Assistant at the Bishop Feild Library, is a STEP (Suzuki Talent Education Program) Mentor, and holds an Apprenticeship with Shallaway Youth Choir, mentoring our youngest singers in Prima.

Emmajane Donnan

Emmajane Donnan is a grade nine student in St. John's who currently sings with our Camerata, Exsultate, and Lauda ensembles. Emmajane is a long-standing participant in our Leadership Program; for three years she mentored our youngest singers in Prima and this year holds an Apprenticeship with our junior high ensemble, Jubilate.

Emmajane is frequently seen in local theatre and vocal performances and is very active in her school community as a member of its choir and serves on the leadership committee.

Working with her church outreach program, Emmajane volunteers to prepare food hampers for the local community.