KO musicians Alex Gumkowski ‘26 and Sarah Balog ‘27 were awarded the Spinella Prize, given to a student(s) who will take risks and challenge themselves to their limits while being kind, sensitive, and passionate. 

The award honors Joseph Spinella, class of ‘97, a talented drummer and artist who loved life and embodied the Kingswood Oxford core values of honesty, integrity, respect, and caring beyond self. Spinella pushed himself to improve as a human being daily and was never afraid to take a risk or a chance to see what he could learn from an experience. He passed away suddenly of a brain aneurysm in the spring of 2016. In honor of their son’s love and passion for music, the Spinella’s developed the Spinella Prize, which supports a Kingswood Oxford student(s) looking to increase their own knowledge and abilities as a performer.

Congratulations to Alex and Sarah!