Woodbridge, Va., Resident Shannon Tipton to Attend International Music Festival

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Woodbridge, Va., resident and College of Saint Elizabeth student Shanon Tipton will participate in the Assisi Performing Arts Festival this summer.

MORRISTOWN, NJ (02/08/2011)(readMedia)-- Woodbridge, Va., resident and College of Saint Elizabeth, 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J., student Shannon Tipton, '13, will be packing her bags, dusting off her passport, and practicing her Italian as she prepares to attend the Assisi Performing Arts Festival with fellow CSE student Alexandra Altonjy, '11. This summer they will be visiting the medieval Italian town.

Tipton, a music major, was awarded the scholarship to defray the cost of her participation in the festival from July 7 to 23, 2011. To receive the scholarship, she took part in a voice competition, in which she was required to sing a sacred area, an opera aria, and an American Broadway musical selection. CSE music faculty members Pamela Stein and Jarred Tafaro prepared her for the competition.

"In order to audition, we had to prove that we play a role in our parishes, which is something we both do," says Tipton. "The festival promotes careers in church ministry. That was something they were advocating. I am interested in music and liturgy. To experience different liturgies, in different languages, and in different churches really touches me and influences my decision about what I want to do."

While both these college students anticipate exciting, future careers, they are thinking more about the immediate future that includes their trip to Europe.

"It is neat enough to go to Italy, but it is even better to go with your friend," says Tipton.

Buon viaggio!

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.