NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Thea Foundation is excited to announce the winners of the 2022/2023 scholarship competition. Inspired by the theme “Prodigious Resilience,” 464 students from 87 cities across Arkansas applied for a chance at part of the $219,000 worth of scholarships.
“The level of talent the judges saw this year was spectacular. Thea works to support students and educators in all aspects of arts education, and this effort is obvious in so many of the submissions we received,” Dave Hawsey, Thea Foundation Board President.
The following 36 Arkansas seniors were awarded scholarships in five different categories:
Performing Arts
$10,000 - Campbell Yung - Little Rock Christian Academy, Little Rock
$9,000 - Christina Myers - Lakeside High School, Hot Springs
$8,000 - Mya Sanders - Hot Springs High School, Hot Springs
$7,000 - Faith Cureton - Van Buren High School, Van Buren
$6,000 - Brooklyn Courtney-Moore - Pulaski Academy, Little Rock
$3,000 - Peyton Lyons - Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville
$3,000 - Lucy Jolley - Robinson High School, Little Rock
$3,000 - Audrey Swain- Conway High School, Conway
$3,000 - Brennan Wilkins - Lakeside High School, Hot Springs
$3,000 - Emily Cross - Clarksville High School, Clarksville
Visual Arts
$10,000 - McKenzie Young - Sylvan Hills High School, Sherwood
$9,000 - Jay Decker - Cabot High School, Cabot
$8,000 - Skie Edwards - North Little Rock High School, North Little Rock
$7,000 - Roman Kresse - Central High School, Little Rock
$6,000 - Grace Moore - Life Way Christian, Bella Vista
$3,000 - Macy Brookhouser - Life Way Christian, Centerton
$3,000 - Isabella Hamilton - Central High School, Little Rock
$3,000 - Alyssa Jaggermauth - Arkansas Arts Academy, Rogers
$3,000 - Angelina Parker - Van Buren High School, Van Buren
$3,000 - Irien Rogers - North Little Rock High School, North Little Rock
Creative Writing
$10,000 - Clarke Preston - North Little Rock High School, North Little Rock
$9,000 - Olivia Lessel - Little Rock Christian Academy, Little Rock
$8,000 - Shelby Hill - Harding Academy, Searcy
$7,000 - Gautami Lohakare - Central High School, Little Rock
$6,000 - Alexandria Lowery - Riverview High School, Judsonia
$3,000 - Elizabeth Clark - Conway High School, Conway
$3,000 - Emily Staggs- Batesville Charter High School, Batesville
$3,000 - Faith Hilvert - Mountain Home High School, Mountain Home
$3,000 - Cassidy Tucker - Arkansas Arts Academy, Bella Vista
$3,000 - Natalie Waggoner - Haas Hall Academy, Fayetteville
Film
$10,000 - John Ghormley - Conway High School, Conway
$9,000 - Alexandra Duran - Rogers High School, Rogers
$8,000 - Bekah Jackson - Central High School, Little Rock
Fashion
$10,000 - Hailey Enggano - Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School, Little Rock
$9,000 - Eureka Smith - Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, Hot Springs
$8,000 - Avery Henley - Batesville Charter High School, Batesville
The complete list of the 36 scholarship-winning students who received support to pursue higher education beginning in fall 2023 along with samples of their work can be found on Thea Foundation’s blog. A majority of Thea Foundation’s scholarships are endowed. The name(s) or organization attributed with the endowment are also listed on the blog.
Thea Foundation is excited to also announce a change to next year’s competition that will allow even more students to compete. For students eager to get started, the theme for the 2023/2024 competition will be “Individual, and beautiful.” All rising seniors will need to submit their applications and work by November 1, 2023.
The annual competitions are for Arkansas graduating high school seniors, and remain a key resource for helping young people across the state receive financial help for higher education. Each of the five arts-based competitions provide Arkansas seniors with an opportunity to secure funding for college based on their talent alone. The organization’s first scholarship was awarded in 2002. The program is now endowed and has awarded more than $2.8 million in scholarships to Arkansas students since then.
About Thea Foundation
Thea Foundation’s mission is to advocate the importance of the Arts in the development of our youth. Three programs are implemented statewide to support this mission—Thea Scholarships, Art Closet and Arts Reconstruction. Since 2002, Thea Foundation has awarded more than $2.8 million in scholarships to Arkansas students and provided more than $1.9 million in art supplies and creative materials to underfunded schools through our Art Closet program. In addition, Arts Reconstruction is our focused effort to help teachers receive professional development and supplies to enable a better platform to advance in their own careers and schools. Our collective aim is to enrich young minds through the power of the Arts. Named for the daughter of Paul and Linda Leopoulos, Thea Foundation carries on the legacy of Thea Kay Leopoulos, who thrived academically, socially and emotionally thanks to her artistic pursuits. More at theafoundation.org, @TheaFoundation or Thea Foundation Blog.
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