Dr. Jeffrey Walker, MD, is a retired Duke University-trained neurosurgeon and founder of the charity program “WALKER’S RISING STARS.” Established in 2003, WALKER’S RISING STARS has raised over $100,000 in scholarship awards for young creatives and their teachers, the real frontline heroes, across five artistic disciplines nationwide. Dr. Walker’s goal is to raise money through philanthropic donations, which are essential to continuing his mission of honoring and rewarding exceptional young creative talent and teachers. WALKER’S RISING STARS aims to eliminate student loan debt by creating a platform for these rising stars to get the recognition and funding to shine.

To donate, please click the “DONATE” link above. 100% of your donations will help fund WALKER’S RISING STARS’ essential needs to continue operating its mission. Alternatively, you can donate by purchasing items from the “SHOP” link above. All proceeds from the sales of the products go towards funding the charity. Please give only what you can; no amount is too small or too big, every dollar makes a difference. WALKER’S RISING STARS wouldn’t have made it this far without your generous contributions. So, I wish to thank you, but not for me, for them, for your support and patronage of the next generation’s rising stars.

Sincerely,
Dr. Jeffrey Walker, MD

Below is the story of how WALKER’S RISING STARS came to be, from how it was inspired and its history from inception to its current state. With your help, we can continue the journey with our combined efforts to celebrate and reward this nation's well-earned and underserved young talents and teachers...

In the early ‘90s, my wife and I became involved with a charity founded by Dick Clark that helped retired singers live with dignity. Through that, we were invited to the American Music Awards, where we had the surreal experience of sitting among the stars and attending after-parties where we met performers we had admired for years.

At one of those events, I learned about a program that gave talented high school students the chance to perform at a major theater in LA—a moment designed to inspire a lifetime of artistic pursuit. That stuck with me. As a Duke-trained neurosurgeon and a father of three teenagers, I was constantly asked to support various causes. One day it occurred to me: why not create a charity centered on what I genuinely love—my children, education, and the arts?

Education shaped everything I have—my career, identity, and ability to give back. I’ve always loved the arts: I filled our homes in Florida and Telluride with art, spent weekends at music and film festivals, and watched my daughters dedicate a decade to dance. Yet I saw how little recognition arts students often received, even as schools began cutting arts programs due to low graduation rates.

So I created Walker’s Rising Stars—a scholarship competition celebrating the best young artists in music, theater, dance, visual arts, and vocal performance. With the help of community sponsors and the Pinellas Education Foundation, we awarded over $100,000 in scholarships each year. Our first show was in 2004 at the Mahaffey Theater, and for over two decades, it became a beacon for youth talent in our county.

Though the scholarship amounts changed slightly over time, I also established a multi-million-dollar endowment to keep the program alive well into the future. Medicine has always been an art—I’ve long believed the brain is my canvas. This program is my way of giving young artists the encouragement, recognition, and opportunity they deserve to follow their passions.