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Raritan Valley Community College Music students Sarah Stefaniak, Cynthia DiMarco, and Alex Kesselhaut received several top honors at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Eastern Region Student Auditions and Conference, held March 6-8 at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA.

The NATS Eastern Region comprises Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Quebec.

Sarah Stefaniak, an alumna of RVCC’s Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) in Music program, and Cynthia DiMarco, a current student in the College’s AFA in Music program, tied for First Place in the Musical Theatre Auditions category. Stefaniak performed “What Remains” by Drew Gasparini; DiMarco sang “Get Out and Stay Out” from 9 to 5: The Musical.

Stefaniak also won First Place in the Commercial Music category, performing “Excuses” by Ande Estrella.

Alex Kesselhaut, a current student in RVCC’s Music program, won Third Place in the Commercial Music category, singing “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane.

Praising his students’ efforts at the regional conference, Dr. Will Berman, RVCC Instructor of Music, said, “Moments like this are a reminder of what is possible when students are given the opportunity and support to pursue this work seriously. I look forward to continuing to build on this momentum and helping our students reach even more milestones like these in the future.”

After placing in the Eastern Regional Conference, the RVCC students now qualify for the NATS National Student Auditions.

RVCC’s AFA in Music prepares students to transfer into Bachelor’s Degree programs in Music at four-year colleges and universities. The RVCC degree features two tracks: Applied Music and Music Production. The Applied Music track is designed for students interested in pursuing careers in Performance, Music Education, or Music Therapy, while the Music Production track is for students who wish to pursue careers in Audio Engineering, Music Production, and related fields.

For additional information about studying Music at RVCC, contact Dr. John Sichel at john.sichel@raritanval.edu or visit https://www.raritanval.edu/academic-programs/academic-departments/arts-and-design.

RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 17, 2026

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #78