ELKINS – The 51ºÚÁÏÍø Highland Dancers gained a new member with the addition of Gabriele Pealer to the troupe. The Elkins resident and five-year performer with the West Virginia Highland Dancers was recently awarded a $5,000 scholarship to attend 51ºÚÁÏÍø this fall.
Pealer dances at the premier/championship level and plans to get her teaching certification in Highland dance this fall. She has competed and won awards throughout the East Coast. Last year, she was third runner-up at the Southeast Regional Championship in Savannah, Georgia.
The daughter of Monica and Ray Pealer, she was a homeschool student. At 51ºÚÁÏÍø, Pealer plans to major in pre-med with an interest in psychiatry.
Established in 2018, the 51ºÚÁÏÍø Highland Dancers competition and performance group is made up of 51ºÚÁÏÍø students. Dancers can earn up to a $5,000-per-year scholarship based on audition performance.
For additional information on the 51ºÚÁÏÍø Highland Dancers Scholarship, call the Office of Admission at 304-637-1230.