USITT is excited to announce Nathaniel Ortega and Maya VanNoord as our 2026 Student Engagement Grant winners! Student Engagement Grants encourage and support emerging theatre artists. They are given annually and provide financial assistance to USITT Student Members. Funding for this award is generously provided by Howard Vincent Kurtz, Professor Emeritus of Costume Design and Costume Commissioner at USITT.

Congratulations to both of our award winners! Our Student Engagement Grant Award winners will be honored on Thursday, March 19, at our Awards Awards Awards ceremony in Long Beach as part of our Annual Conference & Stage Expo.

Nathaniel Ortega

Nathaniel Ortega is a Junior at UIW. He is focusing on becoming a Lighting Designer. During his first year at UIW, he served as a respected lights crew member for Sunset Baby and Portrait of a Madonna, as well as a light board op for Fade. During his sophomore year, he transitioned to the lights crew head for Betrayal, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Moors, and See How They Run. Now, in his junior year, he became the Head Electrician for The Nina Variations and Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley. He is currently working on Mary's Wedding as the Assistant Lighting Designer. He doesn’t know what his future holds but it will certainly be working with lights

"I would like to thank Justin Bennett and Tyler Cozart for sharpening my skills and being great mentors. Winning this grant means a great deal to me. It gives me the confidence that I’m on the right track and that I can achieve my goals."

Instagram: @nathanielo2562

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Maya VanNoord

Maya VanNoord is a sophomore at the Michigan State University Honors College studying for a BFA in Theatre Design and a minor in Arts and Cultural Management. She is the Vice President of a pre-professional theatre club; Second Stage Productions. Additionally, she is a member of the Spartan Marching Band as a performer in the Colorguard.

She began her costuming experience in her sophomore year of high school, quickly rising as the first recognized technician of the academic year by that theatre program. Despite being self-taught in design and sewing, she became the Head of Costumes for the next two years and designed ten shows in her time there. She also volunteers at the local recreation center as the stage manager in their summer theatre programs.

Recent works by Maya include Costume Designer of Second Stage Productions’ Stop Kiss, Ride the Cyclone, and The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. She was also the Assistant Costume Designer of The Seagull and Stupid F*cking Bird for the Michigan State University Department of Theatre. Current projects include Costume Designer of Into the Woods for Second Stage Productions, Costume Designer of R.A-Holes, Live in Front of a Studio Audience for the Michigan State University Department of Theatre, and Assistant Costume Designer of Million Dollar Quartet for Meadowbrook Theatre.

"Above all, I would like to thank USITT, the Board of Directors, the Awards Committee, and Howard Vincent Kurtz for this grant. I am incredibly lucky for the care and support of my parents and friends. I’d like to extend my gratitude towards Karen Kangas-Preston, Angie Wendelberger, and Ranae Selmeyer for their mentorship. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation towards the Michigan State University Department of Theatre and the Spartan Marching Band for the opportunities they have offered to me and the outlets to express my passions.

I am extremely grateful to USITT and Howard Vincent Kurtz for this grant and opportunity. As a multidisciplinary artist, I always feared that prioritizing my passions like marching band would hinder my time and potential as a designer. This grant bridges my passions for theatre design, music, and movement, while helping me develop the skills to bring visual storytelling to a new stage—literally and figuratively. I am extremely honored to receive the Howard Vincent Kurtz Student Engagement Grant, as it displays the support of the Awards Committee, the Board, and the entire organization. I’ve gained security in my goals for the future, and this grant allows me to begin achieving them without financial burden."

Website

Instagram: @maya.vannoord.designs

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Funding for this award is generously provided by Howard Vincent Kurtz:

Howard Vincent Kurtz has an extensive and diversified career in costumes, which has involved professional design, teaching, and curation. Kurtz holds a BFA in Technical Theater with a concentration in Costumes from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and an MFA in Theatre Arts with a dual concentration in Costume Design and Technology from Pennsylvania State University. He has created costumes for Broadway, Hollywood films, and television. Kurtz is Professor Emeritus of Theater at George Mason University, where he served as the Resident Costume Designer and Head of the Design Tech program. During that time, he was also Associate Curator of Costumes and Textiles at the Hillwood Museum and Gardens. Kurtz is a member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829 and has designed costumes at many regional theaters. In recognition of his exceptional professional work, Kurtz received the Helen Hayes Outstanding Costume Design Award in Washington, DC. He is a Fellow of the Costume Society of America and an active member of the United States Institute of Theatre Technology.