NJSDA - Scholarship

Sara Gooch Bradford

September 10th, 1985 - Monday June 26th , 2006

Memorial Scholarship Fund

Life's Journey

Authors Peter and Cynthia Bradford

Sarah was born September 10th, 1985 at St. Vincent's Hospital, Staten Island, New York. She came to know Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord when baptized at St. Vincent's Hospital on the day of her birth. Her faith grew in Jesus as the years went by and she began to personalize her faith in the various circumstances that life presented to her. Always believing and striving in spite of some tremendous obstacles that God allowed along the way...

When the family moved to Colorado, Sarah was confirmed in her Christian faith at Word of Life Lutheran Brethren Church, Fort Collins, Colorado. While in Colorado, Sarah's love for the ballet originated and blossomed into sparkling life....

She began her dance and ballet training at the age of five with the Arvada Performing Arts Center. She joined the 4H Club of Colorado winning a Reserve Champion for her graceful and delicate ballet performance during the Colorado State Fair and later furthered her training at the Academy of the Colorado Ballet Company in Denver. She performed Mid-Summer's Nights Dream, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia and three years in the Company's Nutcracker Suite.

The family then moved to Hackettstown, New Jersey where Sarah continued her dance and ballet training with The Step Shoppe Unlimited under the direction of Anneliese Burns, performing in Once Upon a Time at Blair Academy. She danced as part of the The Skylands Dance Theatre performing in two dances at the Warren County Teen Arts Festival, where she was selected for the state festival in each dance. Sarah was also selected and attended the musical theatre intensive at Hofstra University during the summer of her sophomore year.

Sarah was a share time student attending both Warren Technical School and Hackettstown High School. At Warren Technical School, Sarah was among a group of performing arts students featured in a Star-Ledger article spotlighting "Young and Talented" New Jersey students. While at WCTS she sang and danced in Godspell, and performed in and helped choreograph Bye Bye Birdie. While attending Hackettstown High School she danced to "What a Feeling" at their annual talent show and acted the part of "Vi" in Footloose.

Sarah graduated Hackettstown High School on Thursday, June 19th 2003.Sarah also performed in Won't You Join the Dance? - Alice in Wonderland with the North Jersey School of Dance Arts under the direction of Christine Taylor and continued to train with them after high school while attending County College of Morris.

On a very rainy Monday evening of June 26th, 2006 Sarah was driving east along Interstate 80 when she lost control of her car, spinning into the right side of the median and rear-ending two trees. The impact ejected her from the car. According to the autopsy report Sarah died instantly and is now in heaven with Jesus Christ her loving Savior.

The Bradford family has begun two Memorial Dance & Arts Scholarship Funds:

The North Jersey School of Dance Arts Scholarship and the Hackettstown High School Memorial Arts Scholarship in honor and memory of their daughter.

Albert Einstein once wrote, " A Dancers is the Athlete of God." The Bradford family desires to thank all of Sarah's teachers and fellow students who are such athletes and who encouraged Sarah along the way...

We also want to give a special thank you to Christine Taylor for her gracious kindness to Sarah and our family by making her life journey and memory more public through North Jersey School of Dance Arts.

Photo Section

Sarah as a child in the Colorado Ballet Company's Nutcracker

As a child in the Colorado Ballet Company's Nutcracker

Sara Gooch Bradford - High School Graduation

High School Graduation

Application

This $1,000.00 scholarship will be awarded by Mr. and Mrs. Bradford following the 4:00PM performance of Pinocchio on June 1st 2008.

Please complete the following questions on a separate piece of paper and attach to the back of this form.

Deadline for application is May 7th, 2008

Name_____________________________________________________

Street Address______________________________________________

City______________________State_______________Zip___________

Age______________________ Years of training___________________

Amount and type of classes you currently take per week:

_______________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

1. Why would you like to receive this scholarship?

2. How would this scholarship help your dance career?

3. What are your future plans concerning dance?

4. How will this money be used?

a. Regular classes at North Jersey School of Dance Arts

b. Summer Dance Program (Vaganova Workshop)

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