Colombia – Colombia’s Icesi University and WSDG are proud to announce Ronald David Reyes as the recipient of the 2025 WSDG Excellence Scholarship, awarded to an outstanding student from Icesi’s Music Programme. Now in its fifth year, the scholarship reflects a shared commitment to recognising academic excellence and supporting the next generation of music and audio professionals emerging from Icesi.
Each year, the recipient is selected by an academic committee, with criteria focused on academic performance and the personal qualities that best represent the profile Icesi seeks to foster within the programme.
To mark the award, Icesi created a one-of-a-kind presentation designed to capture Reyes’ authentic reaction. He was invited to what appeared to be a research activity where he had to watch an audiovisual piece and then complete a short questionnaire. After being told he would be filmed and asked to sign a (staged) consent form, Reyes began watching the video “con atención” (fully focused) only for it to unexpectedly cut to a congratulatory message from Sergio Molho, Senior Partner and Co-CEO at WSDG, announcing that he had been selected as the scholarship recipient.
“On behalf of everyone at WSDG, I want to congratulate Ronald David Reyes, the winner of the WSDG and Icesi Scholarship for 2025,” says Molho. “We want to recognise him for his academic performance, effort and dedication, and we look forward to seeing the great things he will achieve as he advances in his professional career.”
“Each year, we select the recipient from among students in the Music Programme based on excellence and the personal qualities we value most,” adds Carlos Andrés Bonilla, Director, Creative Production Centre 312, Icesi University. “In Ronald’s case, the committee agreed he represents the profile we seek in music at Icesi, which is having strong academic results, a clear commitment to the institution, and technical ability. We’re delighted to recognise him with this scholarship.”
The surprise reveal left Reyes visibly emotional. “Es en serio?” he asked as the news landed, before laughing at how convincingly the ‘study’ had been set up, reflecting just how overwhelming and meaningful the recognition felt in the moment.
“At WSDG, we believe it’s vital to support and encourage the next generation of talent,” concludes Molho. “Through initiatives such as the WSDG Excellence Scholarship, we’re proud to champion students like Ronald, inspiring tomorrow’s leaders in music and audio and playing a small part in their journey as they shape the industry’s future.”
WSDG’s commitment to supporting education and fostering talent extends beyond the WSDG Excellence Scholarship at Icesi. Through a range of initiatives, the organisation supports aspiring leaders in music, media, and design. At Berklee College of Music in Boston, the Storyk/Molho Family Scholarship celebrates 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. Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) in Blue Bell, PA, features another iteration of the WSDG Excellence Scholarship, while Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY, offers the Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG) Award. Finally, through the AES Educational Foundation, WSDG also sponsors the Nancy Flannery Memorial Scholarship. Together, these programmes reflect the company’s dedication to empowering emerging creative professionals and advancing innovation across these dynamic fields.
