National YoungArts Foundation Announces Nominees for 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts
Highest honor bestowed to talented high school seniors from 19 states and representing 10 artistic disciplines.
National YoungArts Foundation today announced the nominees for the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, one of the nation's highest honors for high school students who exemplify artistic and academic excellence. YoungArts is the sole nominating agency for this high honor and the 60 candidates, representing 19 states and 10 artistic disciplines, are all YoungArts award winners. The students have been nominated to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program following the first week of National YoungArts Week +, the virtual adaptation of the organization's annual signature program, National YoungArts Week. Open to YoungArts award winners at the Finalist level, 2021 National YoungArts Week + included virtual classes and workshops during which the artists were further evaluated for nomination to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. From January 25 to 30, National YoungArts Week + program continues with streamed performances, writers' readings and an online exhibition allowing audiences across the country to meet and experience these outstanding artists and their work.
The candidate applications will be reviewed by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, which will ultimately select 20 high school seniors to be recognized as U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts for their academic and artistic accomplishments, demonstrated leadership, community service and outreach initiatives, and overall creativity.
"National YoungArts Foundation is proud to nominate these 60 extraordinary artists to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars," said Jewel Malone, Executive Director. "This past year has brought great challenges to us all, but seeing these artists persevere and overcome such immense uncertainty, change, and upheaval has given us all hope. We look forward to seeing what each of them accomplish next."
The 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts nominees are:
|
Name |
Hometown City, State |
School |
YoungArts Winner Year and Discipline |
|
Kevin Albinus |
Winston-Salem, NC |
University of North Carolina School of the Arts |
2021, Voice |
|
Shaman Magic Aponte |
Los Angeles, CA |
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts |
2021, Film |
|
Jebreel Bessiso |
Miami, FL |
Design and Architecture Senior High School |
2021, Visual Arts |
|
Yuqi Bian |
Interlochen, MI |
Interlochen Arts Academy |
2021, Visual Arts |
|
Isaiah Boozer |
Greenville, SC |
South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities |
2021, Theater |
|
Maria Carpenter |
Wenham, MA |
The Governor's Academy |
2020, Design Arts |
|
Rush Carson |
Key Largo, FL |
New World School of the Arts |
2020, Dances |
|
Isabela de la Grana |
Miami Springs, FL |
Doral Performing Arts and Entertainment Academy |
2019, Film |
|
Madelyn Dietz |
Interlochen, MI |
Interlochen Arts Academy |
2021, Writing |
|
Ella Fields |
Los Angeles, CA |
Charter High School of Arts-Multimedia and Performing |
2021, Film |
|
Wyatt Florin |
New York, NY |
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts |
2021, Dance |
|
Oliviana Marie Halus-Griep |
Los Angeles, CA |
Laurel Springs School |
2021, Voice |
|
Concord, MA |
Middlesex School |
2021, Photography |
|
|
Joyce He |
Livingston, NJ |
Livingston High School |
2021, Design Arts |
|
Alisha Heng |
Glen Oaks, NY |
Stuyvesant High School |
2021, Film |
|
Samuel Higgins |
Milton, MA |
Milton High School |
2021, Voice |
|
Calvin Hinds |
Wayland, MI |
Interlochen Arts Academy |
2021, Voice |
|
Evan Hoefer |
St. Petersburg, FL |
Shorecrest Preparatory School |
2021, Theater |
|
Chloe Hoffman |
Los Angeles, CA |
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts |
2021, Film |
|
Grace Huh |
San Jose, CA |
Lynbrook High School |
2021, Classical Music |
|
Ramya Iyer |
Omaha, NE |
Westside High School |
2020, Design Arts |
|
Carynna Joseph |
North Lauderdale, FL |
Coral Springs High School |
2021, Voice |
|
Joseph Karz |
Los Angeles, CA |
Brentwood School |
2021, Classical Music |
|
Sophia Kickhofel |
Apple Valley, MN |
Apple Valley High School |
2020, Jazz |
|
Kacey Kim |
Los Angeles, CA |
Harvard-Westlake School |
2021, Visual Arts |
|
Sarah Grace Kimberly |
Friendswood, TX |
Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts |
2020, Voice |
|
Kelsey Lewis |
Queens, NY |
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts |
2021, Dance |
|
Arden Lloyd |
Amherst, MA |
Amherst-Pelham Regional High School |
2021, Voice |
|
Daniela Lopez |
Miami, FL |
New World School of the Arts |
2021, Visual Arts |
|
Zosia Los Leznicka |
Interlochen, MI |
Interlochen Arts Academy |
2021, Classical Music |
|
Kelly Lu |
Santa Clara, CA |
Saint Francis High School |
2021, Design Arts |
|
Michelle Lu |
Irvine, CA |
Orange County School of the Arts |
2021, Voice |
|
William Lula |
Los Angeles, CA |
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts |
2021, Film |
|
Alyvia Luong |
Fort Wayne, IN |
Carroll High School |
2021, Photography |
|
Jalynn McDuffey |
Miami, FL |
Coral Reef Senior High School |
2021, Visual Arts |
|
Chiemeka Offor |
Los Angeles, CA |
Harvard-Westlake School |
2020, Photograpy |
|
Allison Park |
Los Angeles, CA |
Harvard-Westlake School |
2021, Classical Music |
|
Is Perlman |
Miami Beach, FL |
Design and Architecture Senior High School |
2021, Visual Arts |
|
Arya Pratap |
Fremont, CA |
Saint Francis High School |
2021, Dance |
|
Jordan Rice |
Dacula, GA |
Homeschool |
2020, Theater |
|
Landon Robinson |
Dallas, TX |
Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts |
2021, Theater |
|
Chelsea Rose |
Durham, NC |
Durham School of the Arts |
2021, Theater |
|
Nia Sampson |
Houston, TX |
Bellaire High School |
2020, Writing |
|
Isabella Santoni |
Scottsdale, AZ |
Paradise Valley High School |
2021, Writing |
|
Port St. Lucie, FL |
Homeschool |
2021, Classical Music |
|
|
Charlotte Sedaka |
Los Angeles, CA |
Viewpoint School |
2021, Writing |
|
Kasey Shao |
Cincinnati, OH |
Walnut Hills High School |
2020, Classical Music |
|
Maya Sta Ana |
Freehold Township, NJ |
Howell High School |
2021, Theater |
|
Katy, TX |
Seven Lakes High School |
2020, Theater |
|
|
Theodore Taplitz |
Los Angeles, CA |
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts |
2020, Film |
|
Elyse Thomas |
Miramar, FL |
School for Advanced Studies - Wolfson |
2021, Writing |
|
Whitney Toutenhoofd |
Boulder, CO |
Fairview High School |
2021, Photography |
|
Parker Van Ostrand |
Sacramento, CA |
C.K. McClatchy High School |
2021, Classical Music |
|
Katherine Vandermel |
Closter, NJ |
Bergen County Academies |
2021, Writing |
|
Jeremy Villas |
Woodmere, NY |
Professional Performing Arts School |
2021, Dance |
|
Tyler Wesley |
Blythewood, SC |
South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities |
2021, Theater |
|
Audrey Yin |
Exeter, NH |
Phillips Exeter Academy |
2021, Film |
|
Alora Young |
Brentwood, TN |
Hillsboro High School |
2021, Writing |
|
Avery Zerr |
Kent, WA |
Kentwood High School |
2021, Dance |
|
Serrina Zou |
San Jose, CA |
BASIS Independent Silicon Valley |
2021, Writing |
The U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts nominees are actors, dancers, singers, songwriters, classical musicians, jazz musicians, photographers, filmmakers, visual artists, designers and writers. Once selected, the 2021 awardees will join an distinguished group of YoungArts and U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts alumni including Tony Award-nominated performer and choreographer Desmond Richardson; Los Angeles Music Center President Rachel S. Moore; novelist and National Book Award Finalist Allegra Goodman; Grammy Award-nominated violinist Jennifer Koh; BRAVO's "Work of Art" winner Abdi Farah; OBIE Award-winning actress Donna Lynne Champlin; Tony Award-nominated choreographer and educator Camille A. Brown and RCA Records award-winning singer-songwriter and Grammy Award-nominated artist Chris Young.
The 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts will be announced in the coming months. For additional information, please visit: http://www.ed.gov/psp
