The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. has selected Abigail Stopper ’07 for its prestigious internship program. She will serve as an intern in the development department as part of the Kennedy Center Institute for Arts Management until May 2008.
Stopper graduated cum laude from Scripps College with degrees in French Studies and Dance. While at Scripps, Stopper received the Padelford French Award and the Lucile Morrison Dance Scholarship and spent a year in Paris studying the art and dance. She has completed extensive dance training at Boston Ballet, Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, Ballet Idaho, and Le Centre de Danse du Marais. In the future, Stopper hopes to contribute to the growth of international arts exchange programs and the development of arts diplomacy.
While at the Kennedy Center, Stopper will be an intern in Major Gifts, the branch of the development department that secures annual gifts of $25,000 and greater. The office works with Kennedy Center Trustees in order to raise funds for its annual campaign and other programming activities. Stopper is gaining hands-on experience by participating in prospect identification, cultivation, and solicitation. Additionally, she is working with donor stewardship, including preparing meals for donor correspondence, as well as assisting in special event planning.