As the price of attending college keeps rising, more and more scholarships pop up to help students. One scholarship has supported “outstanding student performers” since 1972.

Three Baker students were nominated for their parts in BU productions to compete for this “life-changing” scholarship. The Irene Ryan Foundation awards 19 regional awards and two fellowships annually.

Sophomore MacKenzie Sammons, senior Abby Jones and sophomore Jesse Miller will perform scenes and monologues at the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival Region 5 Conference on Sunday in an attempt to win a scholarship.

“Being nominated doesn’t necessarily make you special,” Jones said.

This is the second consecutive year that both Jones and Miller have been nominated.

“It’s somebody recognizing that you put in all this hard work and they see that you deserve the opportunity to compete to win the scholarship. They recognize what you’ve done and they’re giving you another opportunity.”

Each of the nominees chose a partner to aid in their competition. Sammons chose junior Cheyenne Queen. Although Queen does not qualify for the scholarship, she believes that the festival will still be beneficial for her and her future in theater.

“It adds a lot of networking,” Queen said. “I have been able to work with a director and playwright from New York because I was his stage manager. I get to work with all these people and it gets your name out there. People will remember you and get your name.”

In addition to the Irene Ryan Scholarship auditions, there will also be a Stagecraft Showdown where teams compete in hanging lights, changing costumes, hanging stage drapes and tying common knots.

Although sophomore Taylor Winkler isn’t a theater major, she enjoys the art of performance. She is one of 10 Baker students attending this year’s theater festival and she is a part of the Stagecraft Showdown team.

“I’m not a major — I just do it because I like to do it,” Winkler said. “I enjoy the art and what goes in to a show, be it the acting side or the text side. I usually enjoy the people I work with and you get close to one another. I’m most looking forward to getting to hang out with a lot of my friends and see some shows.”

Almost 300 teams from across the region will be at the festival from Sunday to Jan. 25. Throughout the week, theater students will be attending hundreds of workshops.

Students will also be able to see other schools’ productions and award-winning lighting, scenery, costumes and sound work.

For the students attending, it’s a good way to get a different perspective.

“I hope to learn a few new things about theater via the workshops and just watching my peers and other schools compete,” Winkler said. “I hope to have a good time while I’m there and get to hang out with a bunch of different theater people and see cool shows.”