Gianna DeGraba, a sophomore at Penn State Wilkes-Barre from Dallas Pa., was the recent recipient of the Irene Thomas Memorial Award. This award is sponsored by Arts at Hayfield -- a nonprofit, community-arts support organization housed on campus -- and is given to an academically accomplished student who has demonstrated commitment to the arts.
Gianna is a Dean’s List student whose artistic interests include dance, community theatre, and singing. Gianna is co-founder of Dallas High School’s first dance team. She is a student at the Joan Harris Center for the Gifted and Talented where she studies ballet, tap and jazz. She has won numerous dance awards from “Stars on the Rise” competitions in Tannersville, Pa., and New Jersey.
Gianna has performed at the Little Theater of Wilkes-Barre for six years and also has been studying vocal for six years with Holly Major. She is majoring in communications and is a member of the Four Seasons Club and THON, which raises money for childhood cancer research.