12 Local Students Nominated As Presidential Scholars In The Arts
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Twelve local students from Los Angeles and Orange County have been nominated to become 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, honoring artistic and academic excellence.
The announcement was made Thursday that the students will compete with 60 nominees from 19 states. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars will ultimately choose 20 honorees, recognizing their "academic and artistic accomplishments, demonstrated leadership, community service and outreach initiatives, and overall creativity.
The local nominees are:
-- Chloe Hoffman, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts;
-- Theodore Taplitz, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.
-- Shaman Magic Aponte, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts;
-- William Lula, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts;
-- Ella Fields, Charter High School of Arts;
-- Michelle Lu, Orange County School of the Arts;
-- Oliviana Marie Halus-Griep, Laurel Springs School;
-- Charlotte Sedaka, Viewpoint School;
-- Joseph Karz, Brentwood School;
-- Kacey Kim, Harvard-Westlake School;
-- Chiemeka Offor, Harvard-Westlake School;
-- Allison Park, Harvard-Westlake School;
"National YoungArts Foundation is proud to nominate these 60 extraordinary artists to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars," foundation Executive Director Jewel Malone said in a statement. "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 students are competing in 10 artistic disciplines chosen by the National YoungArts Foundation that include: Classical Music, Dance, Design Arts, Film, Jazz, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice, and Writing.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
