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: Chloe Rabinowitz Jan. 21, 2021
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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