Governor Jeb Bush and Columba Bush Honor 2021 Arts for Life! Scholarship Winners

22nd Annual Scholarship Program Honors 25 High School Seniors

Today, Governor Jeb Bush, 43rd Governor of Florida and chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd), and former first lady of Florida, Columba Bush, celebrated the 2021 Arts for Life! scholarship winners during a virtual celebration.   
 
Mrs. Bush, a passionate advocate for the arts and arts education, established Arts for Life! in 1999 to recognize the creativity and artistic talents of Florida’s high school students. In the program’s two decades, more than $600,000 in scholarships have been awarded to 526 talented students in recognition of their achievements in the arts.

“This year’s winning artists did far more than endure the pandemic’s disruptions. They excelled creatively in an extremely challenging year, expressing their art in beautifully unique and compelling ways,” said Mrs. Bush. “Jeb and I applaud this year’s talented winners, and we extend each and every one of them our sincerest congratulations.”

Arts for Life! annually awards cash scholarships to 25 graduating high school seniors who excel in the arts. The 2021 winners were selected from more than 600 exceptional visual and performing artists in public, magnet, charter, virtual and private schools, as well as home education programs across Florida, each vying for the prestigious award. This year’s scholarship winners were selected by a committee of respected experts in the scholarship’s six disciplines: creative writing, dance, drama, film, music and visual art.

The 2021 Arts for Life! scholarship winners are: 

Creative Writing

• Aileen Delgado – Miami Lakes Educational Center, Miami-Dade County
• Siena Duncan – Leon High School, Leon County
• Sylvia Nicholas-Patterson – Lakeland Senior High School, Polk County

Dance

• Nicholas LaMaina – A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Palm Beach County
• Kimora Miller – Somerset Arts Conservatory, Broward County

Drama

• Marlee Feacher – Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Duval County
• Ella Noriega – American Heritage School, Broward County
• Cameron Thomas – Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Duval County

Film

• Elizabeth Arceneaux – Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Duval County

Music

• Amanda Drake – Home Education, Collier County
• Connor Munroe – Ransom Everglades School, Miami-Dade County
• Annabella Paolucci – A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Palm Beach County
• Biana Pinchuk – New World School of the Arts, Miami-Dade County

Visual Art

• Sasha Bass – A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Palm Beach County
• Sarah Dean – State College of Florida Collegiate School, Manatee County
• Fabio Fernandez – New World School of the Arts, Miami-Dade County
• Anna Fischler – Fort Myers High School, Lee County
• Dara Girel-Mats – Design and Architecture Senior High School, Miami-Dade County
• Muchen Guo – American Heritage School, Broward County
• Katharine Guzman – Miami Arts Charter School, Miami-Dade County
• Jolina Jasperson – Howard W. Blake High School, Hillsborough County
• Jalynn McDuffey – Coral Reef Senior High School, Miami-Dade County
• Patrick Orbea – New World School of the Arts, Miami-Dade County
• Liana Santos – Tohopekaliga High School, Osceola County
• Sonya Shokhina – A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Palm Beach County

The Foundation for Excellence in Education would also like to thank Kyra Solutions, The Cobb Family Foundation, Kathleen Shanahan and Dr. Zachariah P. Zachariah for their support of Arts for Life!