Congratulations to the brilliant Isabella Nilsson, Audrey Spensley, and Rachel Page on being crowned 2016 United States Presidential Scholars in the Arts this morning.
From the website:
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by executive order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. Each year, up to 141 students are named as Presidential Scholars, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students.
The 20 Scholars in the Arts, all YoungArts Winners, were nominated to The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars by YoungArts for their artistic achievement, and then selected based on academic achievement, personal characteristics and leadership and service activities. The award, presented on behalf of the President of the United States, is one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students and symbolically honors all graduating high school seniors of high potential.
Each year, the U.S. Presidential Scholars are invited to Washington, D.C. for several days of recognition activities. The scholars meet with government officials, educators, authors, musicians, scientists and other leaders. Scholars also visit museums and monuments in our nation’s capital and attend recitals, receptions and ceremonies held in their honor.
In addition to these activities, the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts have the opportunity to display their artwork in an exhibition and perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
2016 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR IN THE ARTS — ISABELLA NILSSON
/ PROSE EDITOR
Isabella Nilsson is a senior at Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and plans to study English at Columbia University. She is a graduate of the Iowa Young Writers Workshop, a National YoungArts Finalist in Short Story, and a National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Medalist in Short Story and Creative Nonfiction. Her writing can be found in Aerie International and Scholastic’s Best Teen Writing of 2015, as well as Hathaway Brown’s own nationally-recognized Retrospect. Isabella joined the prose staff last year, and currently serves as a Prose Editor.
2016 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR IN THE ARTS — AUDREY SPENSLEY
/ SUMMER MENTEE & POETRY READER
Audrey Spensley is a senior at Avon Lake High School in Avon Lake, Ohio, and will be a freshman at Princeton University in the fall. She has been named a Foyle Young Poet of the Year and a National YoungArts Finalist for Poetry, and her work has received four national Gold Medals and a Best in Grade Award from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Her poetry is published in or forthcoming from Magma, The Blue Pencil Online, and The Best Teen Writing of 2015, among others. Audrey participated in the 2014 Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program under the direction of Alexa Derman, and currently serves as a Poetry Reader for The Adroit Journal.
2016 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR IN THE ARTS
& 2016 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR IN ACADEMICS — RACHEL PAGE / CONTRIBUTOR
Rachel Page is a senior at Woodrow Wilson Sr. High School from Washington, DC, and will be a freshman at Columbia University in the fall. She has been recognized by the National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards—most recently receiving a coveted Scholastic Gold Medal for Writing Portfolio—as well as by the National YoungArts Foundation, PEN/Faulkner, and The Washington Post. Prior to being recognized as a YoungArts Finalist in Writing (Short Story), she contributed one of her prize-winning pieces “Islands” (an excerpt of which is available above) to Issue Fourteen of The Adroit Journal.
Congratulations, Isabella, Audrey, and Rachel!
