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.

By: Jan. 21, 2021
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National YoungArts Foundation Announces Nominees for 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts

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

Andrew Harris

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 GraceKimberly

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

Stephen Savage

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

Alyssa Sunew

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



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