The Christopher Wellington Moore Memorial Scholarship
Supporting a student at Oakland High School and McClymonds High School pursuing a degree in music and/or education
Christopher Wellington Moore (1964-1983) was born and raised in Oakland, CA. From a very young age, Christopher demonstrated a deep love for music, baseball (especially the Oakland A’s) and the outdoors. His mother, Camille Moore, and his grandmother, Aline Lewis Wellington, were both educators, and Christopher well understood the value of education. He was a loving son who deeply cherished his family. Throughout his life, Christopher enjoyed spending time alone, reading books, communing with wildlife, and playing his guitar. Christopher was a proud graduate of Skyline High School.
The Christopher Wellington Moore Memorial Scholarship is a $20,000 award to one graduating senior at Oakland High School or McClymonds High School in Oakland, CA who has been accepted to a 4-year university pursuing a degree in music or education. The award will be disbursed in four annual installments of $5,000 to the recipient’s chosen university.
The Christopher Wellington Moore Memorial Scholarship is open to newly graduating seniors at Oakland High School and McClymonds High School in Oakland, CA who have been accepted to a 4 year university pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in music or education. Eligible applicants must have a 2.5 GPA or higher.
Applications are now closed for 2025. Applicants will be notified of a decision by May 1, 2025.
Please follow these steps in order to apply:
- Click here to visit the online application portal.
- Create a login account.
- Complete the online application. Please note you can save a draft of your application and return at a later time before officially submitting it.
2025 Applications Are Now Closed.
Awardees will be selected by the following Selection Committee:
Fred Brill, Ed.D. – Fred has served in public education as a high school English teacher, principal, and superintendent for 33 years. He earned his doctorate in Education Leadership from UC Berkeley and taught in the equity-focused Principal Leadership Institute for eight years, publishing the text, Leading and Learning. He served as the regional director at NatureBridge, bringing underserved youth to our National Parks and currently sits on the Board of Jimiri, a non-profit dedicated to building friendships, understanding and empathy across racial lines among middle school students. Fred serves as an executive coach, education consultant, and freelance writer.
Linda Green is a violist and dedicated educator residing in Richmond. She teaches over 300 instrumentalists each year in the Oakland Unified School District, guiding 4th and 5th graders through violin, viola, and cello lessons in a variety of styles, including classical, hip-hop, fiddling, and blues. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes joy, creativity, and the belief that studying music enhances overall academic performance. She was the 2024 recipient of the Margot Power Award for Excellence in Music Education from the Berkeley Piano Club. As a free-lance violist, Linda performs with numerous orchestras including the Oakland, Marin, and Santa Rosa Symphonies, and was a member of the Carol String Trio. She served as the assistant principal violist of the Orquestra Nacional do Porto in Portugal and has participated in the Gateways Music Festival, performing at the Eastman School of Music, Carnegie Hall. and Symphony Center in Chicago. Linda also co-founded the Home of United String Ensembles and the MUSE VIVO Orchestra, sponsored by the Oakland Symphony.
Zack Pitt-Smith studied woodwind and jazz performance at Eastman School of Music, Berklee College of Music. He earned a B.A in Ethnomusicology from Brown University and a M.A. in Music Education from San Francisco State University. He has toured in Europe, South Africa, the former Soviet Union, and Latin America, most notably in Brazil. The latter has proven to be the richest in inspiration for Zack as he currently performs primarily in Brazilian instrumental genres. He has shared the stage with Jovino Santos, Harvey Wainapel, Marcos Silva, Gene Harris, Slide Hampton, Howard Johnson, James Williams, Henry Kaiser, the Beach Boys and Liza Minelli. Currently, Zack performs in the San Francisco Bay Area most frequently with his Brazilian instrumental choro ensemble Grupo Falso Baiano and Oakland Samba Revue. As an educator, Zack has been the director of bands at Edna Brewer Middle School in Oakland for fifteen years. He directs the Oakland Eastside All-Star Ensemble (OEASE) and serves on the local and state boards of directors for California Music Educators Association as Multicultural Representative and Urban Schools Programs Representative. He was recognized as the Oakland Teacher of the Year in 2013 and was a semifinalist for the 2022 Music Educator Grammy Award.