Two Raleigh students win Triangle Rising Stars competition

ABC11 Together highlights the strength of the human spirit, good deeds, community needs, and how our viewers can help.

ByMARK FALGOUT WTVD logo
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Triangle Rising Stars
Triangle Rising Stars

DURHAM (WTVD) -- Two Raleigh high school students will be headed to New York City next month for a life-changing experience.



Maya Ison and Sterling Jones were named Best Actress and Best Actor as the 8th Annual Triangle Rising Stars show at the Durham Performing Arts Center on Tuesday night.



Ison and Jones will represent the Triangle as they travel to New York City to take part in nine days of workshops and coaching at part of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as The Jimmy Awards. The trip will culminate with the Jimmy Awards show at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre on June 25.



Ison played the role of Sarah in Enloe High School's production of Ragtime. She is a senior, and next year she will attend Boston University where she will pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts.



Jones is a rising senior at Broughton High School, and played the role of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast.



This year more than 150 students at 39 area high schools took part in the Triangle Rising Stars selection process. Ten actors and ten actresses made the finals and took part in four days of workshops, auditions and rehearsals before performing on the DPAC stage.



Best Actress Finalists


Allie Jessee - Cary High School


Anna Vtipil - Athens Drive High School


Averi Zimmermann - Athens Drive High School


Delia Vaisey - Chapel Hill High School


Elena Holder - Durham School of the Arts



Lexi Yauch - Clayton High School


Mya Ison - Enloe High School


Samantha Zarate - Jordan Matthews High School


Tara Clinkscales - Cary High School


Caroline Segars - Eastern Alamance High School



Best Actor Finalists


Aidan O'Connell - CE Jordan High School


Dylan Gibson - Durham School of the Arts


Evan Martschenko - Cary High School



Garrett Noga - Leesville Road High School


Kenneth Andrews - Graham High School


Adam Greene - Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School


Benjamin Richardson-Piche - CE Jordan High School


Sterling Jones - Broughton High School


Tyler Ellis - Clayton High School


Vishal Kasula - Athens Drive High School



Triangle Rising Stars also presented the Best Ensemble Award to Cary High School's The Secret Garden. The Best Musical Award went to Enloe High School's production of Ragtime.



Triangle Rising Stars
Copyright © 2025 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.