Marion High School Alumni Association congratulates this year’s winners of the MHSAA F. Ritchie Walton Arts Scholarship: Elijah Inskeep, Lillian Weaver, Kaylah Spaulding, and Zoey Wayman, all members of Marion High School’s Class of 2026.

This scholarship honors Marion High School students for their accomplishments and involvement in arts education, and their plans to pursue a career in the arts. In total, $1,750 was awarded this year.

The MHSAA F. Ritchie Walton Endowment for the Arts was established in 2021, combining the MHSAA Giant Arts Endowment, founded in 2015, and the F. Ritchie Walton Endowment, founded in 2002 in honor of innovative music educator F. Ritchie Walton, who put Marion High School on the map with excellent music and theatre programs. Walton’s legacy lives on in the performing arts center named for him at Marion High School.

Elijah Inskeep, $500 scholarship winner

Elijah ranks third in the Marion High School Class of 2026, and he is a College Board AP Scholar with Honor. He was named an IASP Rising Star. He is a member of National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta National Mathematics Society and has competed in regional and national mathematics competitions. He has also served as a math tutor for fellow students. 

He is also a student of the CSA Arts Academy, an exclusive partnership between the Marion Community School of the Arts (CSA) and Marion Community Schools that provides pre-professional arts training along with the benefits of a traditional public school. 

Elijah is a member of the CSA Theatre compANY, a rigorous pre-professional program through Marion CSA, which offers training in theatrical performance and tech, dance, and vocal and acting technique. He is a multi-track student, meaning he has studied both performance and production. He has also studied dance for 10 years, and has served as a dance instructor. He has also served as assistant director and director of photography through the CSA film production program. Through the theatre company, he has been in the cast of more than 15 productions, many of which have been part of the Student Performance Series, which offers free shows for area school groups — meaning he has performed in front of more than 15,000 local students over the years. He has also worked as a set and lighting designer for the CSA Children’s Theatre and has served on the stage crew for CSA Civic Theatre, where he also volunteered on construction and renovation projects.

He is a member of the International Thespian Society (the theatre honor society), for which he has served as Vice President and Secretary for Troupe 12404 at CSA. He also has served as a mentor for younger theatre students.

Elijah has also participated in the Disney Imagination Campus program, completing the Disney Broadway Magic and Disney Immersive Storytelling workshops.

He plans to attend Northwestern University to double major in theatre and engineering. His career goal is to become a Disney Imagineer. 

Elijah is a 2026 recipient of two scholarships facilitated by the Marion High School Alumni Association: the F. Ritchie Walton Scholarship, and the Keller Family Science Scholarship, for a total award of $700. 

Lillian Weaver, $500 scholarship winner

Lillian is in the top 10 percent of the Marion High School Class of 2026. She is a member of National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta National Mathematics Society. 

She is also a student of the CSA Arts Academy, an exclusive partnership between the Marion Community School of the Arts (CSA) and Marion Community Schools that provides pre-professional arts training along with the benefits of a traditional public school. 

Lillian is a member of the CSA Theatre compANY, a rigorous pre-professional program through Marion CSA, which offers training in theatrical performance and tech, dance, and vocal and acting technique, including multiple methodologies. She also has been involved with lighting, scenic, and prop design, as well as directing and choreography. She has studied dance for many years, and has served as a dance instructor. Through the theatre company, she has been in the cast of more than 10 productions, many of which have been part of the Student Performance Series which offers free shows for area school groups — meaning she has performed in front of thousands of local students over the years. 

She is a member of the International Thespian Society (the theatre honor society), for which she has served as President and Clerk for Troupe 12404 at CSA. She was a national qualifier for the Thespy Awards in musical theatre solo. She also has served as a mentor for younger theatre students.

Lillian has also participated in the Disney Imagination Campus program, completing the Disney Broadway Magic and Disney Immersive Storytelling workshops. She was selected for Belmont University’s Vocal Arts Intensive, through which she was able to enhance her vocal training in Nashville, Tennessee.

She is also a local titleholder through the Miss America Organization, which has provided a variety of community service opportunities. She was a finalist and overall interview winner for Miss Indiana’s Teen.

Lillian plans to attend Viterbo University’s Conservatory for the Performing Arts to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in musical theatre and minor in arts administration and dance. Her career goal is to be a professional performer, and her dream is to be a Disney World character performer, a lead vocalist on Disney Cruise Lines, and a cast member of national theatrical tours and Broadway productions. 

Lillian is a 2026 recipient of the F. Ritchie Walton Scholarship, facilitated by the Marion High School Alumni Association, a $500 award. 

Kaylah Spaulding, $500 scholarship winner

Kaylah is also a student of the CSA Arts Academy, an exclusive partnership between the Marion Community School of the Arts (CSA) and Marion Community Schools that provides pre-professional arts training along with the benefits of a traditional public school. 

Kaylah is a member of the CSA Theatre compANY, a rigorous pre-professional program through Marion CSA, which offers training in theatrical performance and tech, dance, and vocal and acting technique, including multiple methodologies. She also has served as a mentor for younger theatre students. Through the theatre company, he has been in the cast of more than 10 productions, many of which have been part of the Student Performance Series which offers free shows for area school groups — meaning she has performed in front of thousands of local students over the years. 

She is a member of the International Thespian Society (the theatre honor society) Troupe 12404 at CSA. She earned a Superior rating in duet musical theatre in the Thespy Awards at the International Thespian Festival, where she was selected for the Grace Kelly Training Scholarship. 

She has also participated in the Disney Imagination Campus program, completing the Disney Broadway Magic and Disney Immersive Storytelling workshops. She earned the Best Actress Award at the Envision Film Festival at Taylor University, and she was selected for University of North Carolina School of the Arts’ Summer Drama Intensive. 

Kaylah plans to attend the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in acting. She is planning to enroll in a conservatory training program and is still comparing college offers. Her career goal is to be a professional performer, and she is also considering applied theater, which uses theatrical practices in non-traditional settings to address social issues and promote change. 

Kaylah is a 2026 recipient of the F. Ritchie Walton Scholarship, facilitated by the Marion High School Alumni Association, a $500 award. 

Zoey Wayman, $250 scholarship winner

Zoey is in the top 10 percent of the Marion High School Class of 2026, and she is a member of National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta National Mathematics Honor Society, and National Art Honor Society. She has also earned a Presidential Academic Achievement Award. 

Zoey is a musician with the MHS choir program, earning a Best Sophomore Performer and Outstanding Junior awards, as well as many ISSMA awards. She also served as president of the Varsity Choir. She was selected for the ICDA All-State Honor Choir. She was also selected as an Indiana Ambassador of Music for their 2023 and 2025 European tours. She was also selected for the IMEA Future Music Educators Colloquium. 

She has been in the cast of several theatrical productions through Marion High School and CSA Civic Theatre. She has also earned a photography award. She also was a member of the Marion High School cheerleading team. She has also studied dance since the age of 3, also serving as a teacher’s assistant. 

She plans to attend Indiana Wesleyan University to study music education and theatre. Her career goal is to be a choir director and college professor. 

Zoey is a 2026 recipient of two scholarship facilitated by the Marion High School Alumni Association: the F. Ritchie Walton Scholarship, and the Nellie and Rosie Business, Marketing, and Music Scholarship, for a total award of $750.

From left are 2026 F. Ritchie Walton Arts Scholarship winners Elijah Inskeep, Lillian Weaver, scholarship committee representative and alumnus David Rees, and winners Kaylah Spaulding and Zoey Wayman.