Past Scholarship Winners

“Anything you can do; I can do better” is a familiar sibling taunt that no longer applies to this year’s SIGNA scholarship awardees. Kaitlyn and Ryan Brittenham became the first sister/brother pair to win SIGNA scholarships in the same year. Joining them in this years’ awards is Mitchell Gurney, whose brother Peyton, was a previous SIGNA scholarship winner.

 Kaitlyn Brittenham is an 18-year-old senior at Oakton High School who carries a 3.946 /4.00 GPA. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has participated in Theatre for four years. At the time of her application, she was in rehearsals for ‘Pippin” in which she plays a principal role. She is also a technical editor on Oakton’s Thespian Cabinet and has been involved in every aspect of Oakton’s Theatre both as a crew and cast member. Kaitlyn has enhanced her capabilities by taking chorus and piano classes and was described as a strong musician.

One of her passions is filmmaking and over the years she has made several short films and entered them in film festivals. Her short film “Family Recipe” won third place for best picture and the best editing award. She performed at the National Theatre in 2022 in her high school production of the Adams Family that was awarded a Brandon Victor Dixo Award for Best Musical. In addition, Kaitlyn has been doing video editing for years and has her own video editing business.

Described as prompt, prepared, and consistently involved, Kaitlyn’s superior work ethic brings a high level of professionalism to all her assignments. She was also described as incredibly friendly and as an ideal student. Attending George Mason as a film major this Fall, Kaitlyn is on her way to achieving her goal of being an accomplished film director. We wish her continued success.

Ryan Brittenham is a 20-year-old sophomore at George Mason University majoring in biology with a minor in English. He has continued his academic excellence from Oakton High School where he was elected President of the school’s honor council. The role of the council is to promote academic integrity and combat cheating.

At George Mason, Ryan maintained a 3.64 GPA, is on the Dean’s List, and was awarded a Mason Distinctive Scholarship. He also worked as a College of Science field interpreter where he teaches seventh grade biology students about ecology and biodiversity at local parks. Ryan has a wide range of interests which is evident in his transcript. In one semester he took courses in cell structure and function and one titled Metatheatrical Shakespeare. Outside the classroom, Ryan organized a team to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He enjoys running, hiking, and travel and has been to fifteen different countries and thirty-seven states. Ryan’s goal is to earn a doctorate in biochemistry and do biomedical research with an interest in how food and macromolecules impact peoples’ chances of getting cancer.

References describe Ryan as an intellectually curious student who has a strong work ethic that has never allowed his ambitions to cloud his kindness and generosity towards others. The board is confident that he will succeed in his future endeavors.