Marking four years of collaboration between ICESI University, one of Colombia’s leading private educational institutions, and WSDG, a global leader in architectural acoustic consulting and media systems engineering, both organisations are proud to announce this year’s recipient of the WSDG Excellence Scholarship: Sara María de los Rios. As a final-year student in Music Production, de los Rios has been recognised for her outstanding academic achievements.
This prestigious scholarship, awarded in recognition of excellence, is made possible through this ongoing institutional partnership. The recipient, chosen by an academic committee, is awarded funds without restrictions regarding its usage.
On Monday, 25 November, ICESI University held a symbolic presentation ceremony to celebrate this accomplishment, including the handover of a ceremonial giant cheque by the faculty’s dean, Adolfo Jerónimo Botero. The presentation took place during the final concert of ensembles, an event that brings together students, families, and the ICESI community. As part of the celebration, a congratulatory video message from Sergio Molho, Partner & Director of Business Development at WSDG, was also shown to honour the winner.
“This annual recognition celebrates the incredible effort and dedication of our outstanding students, and this year, we couldn’t be prouder of Sara María for being selected,” says Carlos Andrés Bonilla, Director, Creative Production Centre 312, ICESI University. “Her achievement fills us with joy and is a true inspiration to everyone in our community.”
“The news came as a surprise, and I’m absolutely thrilled to have been selected for this year’s WSDG Excellence Scholarship,” says de los Rios. “This support will be invaluable for my final project, where I’ll be collaborating with musicians to create some amazing recordings. I’m deeply grateful for this honour and want to wish the very best to all the other students receiving this scholarship – it’s such an exciting journey for us all!”
“As an organisation, we firmly believe in the transformative power of education and the importance of nurturing young talent,” concludes Molho. “Collaborations like these with ICESI and other institutions allow us to give back and inspire future professionals in music production, media arts, and acoustics. We are honoured to play a part in these students’ journeys and look forward to seeing the incredible impact they will have on the industry.”
WSDG’s commitment to supporting education and fostering talent extends far beyond the WSDG Excellence Scholarship at ICESI. Through a range of prestigious scholarships, the organisation nurtures aspiring leaders in music, media, and design, providing invaluable support to students on their educational journeys. At Berklee College of Music in Boston, the Storyk/Molho Family Scholarship recognises outstanding achievement in music production. In New York City, the Harlem School of the Arts benefits from the WSDG Scholarship Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Media Arts. Similarly, Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, PA, features another iteration of the WSDG Excellence Scholarship, while the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY, offers the Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG) Award. These initiatives reflect WSDG’s unwavering dedication to empowering the next generation of creative professionals and advancing innovation in these dynamic fields.
