Stephen Hricko, a junior at the Pingry School, has devoted his life to the arts. He sings, acts and plays the piano. From the age of three, he could be found taking public speaking and acting classes at the Theater for Children in Maplewood, NJ. By the age of five, he was master of ceremony at the Rhapsody Academy’s annual recital at the Kean University Theater. He spent the next few years attending year long classes and summer camps at the Institute of Music for Children in Elizabeth, NJ. At the Pingry School, in fifth grade, he played the Mad Hatter in “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” In eight grade, he played the Prince in “Cinderella Jr.” and later, in freshman year, he played Horton in “Seussical”. He has attended the NJPAC Young Artist Summer Intensive (YASI) for the last four years. Recently, he has played Daedalus in “Flight of Icarus” which won first place at the Midtown International Festival short play lab at the Davenport Theater in New York City. Stephen is currently a varsity player for both: his wrestling team, and his water polo team, He is beyond excited to be honored with the Governor’s award for Excellence in Theater. He would like to thank NJPAC YASI, the Pingry Arts Department, and his family for all their guidance and support.