For Claudia Amato, choir has been with her every step of her life – it is her spiritual calling. Claudia, a member of the PHS A Cappella choir and the PHS Chamber Singers, comes from a musical background. Her mother, Laura Olivares, also sang in the exact same groups during her time at Plainview High School. It should be no surprise, then, that Claudia Amato is the Clay Warren Memorial Scholarship winner for the 2023-24 school year.
For Ms. Olivares, this scholarship hits a little closer to home. Ms. Olivares sang with Clay Warren at PHS before he passed away in a car accident. Claudia says, “My mom knew Clay and I’ve also known Mr. Warren for quite some time, so to get this scholarship is very meaningful to me, it’s a blessing.”
For the Warren family it is always a difficult decision to pick a winner for the scholarship that honors their son. They are thankful for all the students that applied for the scholarship and are dedicated to the PHS Choir program. The Clay Warren Memorial Scholarship reflects a student’s hard work in the choir program. “The scholarship is awarded to a student in the PHS A Cappella choir who participates in class, is active in the community, and has a caring spirit like Clay had”. The Warren family not only wanted to build a legacy for their son through the scholarship, but also hopes the students and community recognizes the importance of the choir program and how much it builds character for students who participate in choir. 2024 is the 22nd consecutive year that Mr. Warren has proudly presented the Clay Warren Memorial Scholarship. Mr. Warren says that being able to give this scholarship to a deserving student gives the family a great sense of joy each year.