Two Riverland Community College actors are the first from the college to be nominated for a student acting scholarship.

Following their performances in “The Crucible,” Claire Olson — who played Elizabeth Proctor — and Ellie Dyke who played Mary Warren — were nominated for the Irene Ryan Scholarship through the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

“It’s all very exciting,” Riverland theater director Lindsey Williams said.

The Irene Ryan Foundation awards sixteen regional and two national scholarships each year to acting students. This marks the first year Riverland is participating in the program, which features more than just the scholarship.

Williams and Riverland students attended the regional Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival in January at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.

“They had such a great time and were really inspired by it,” she said.

Along with Olson and Dyke, Riverland will be able to enter nominees from its 2015 spring play, “Legally Blonde the Musical,” and its fall 2015 play.

Those students will compete at the regional festival next January, which will also be in Minneapolis, with a chance to move onto the national competition.

Williams said now was a good time for Riverland to start participating in the program since the 2015 and 2016 regional festivals are both in Minneapolis.