More than a dozen Johnson County high school seniors are earning scholarships for their artistic talents.
There are 18 seniors who were recently named 2024 Shooting Stars, a recognition and awards program put on by the Arts Council of Johnson County that gives high school seniors scholarships for artistic excellence various types of media, ranging from the visual arts to music.
Who are the 2024 Shooting Stars?
Below are the 18 high school seniors who are 2024 Shooting Stars, according to a press release from the council:
- Honey Brown, Gardner Edgerton High School, 2D Visual Art, 1st place
- George Newham, Olathe North High School, 2D Visual Art, 2nd place
- Lucas Nguyen, Blue Valley West High School, 3D Visual Art, 1st place
- Alea Schorck, Blue Valley Southwest High School, 3D Visual Art, 2nd place
- Alexa Oatman, Gardner Edgerton High School, Photography, 1st place
- Elizabeth Ford, Blue Valley West High School, Photography, 2nd place
- Harrison Jones, Blue Valley High School, Literature, 1st place
- Alexa Newsom, Blue Valley North High School Literature, 2nd place
- Matthew Lee, Olathe Northwest High School, Strings, 1st place
- William Clark, Blue Valley West High School, Strings, 2nd place
- Ruby Wagner, Shawnee Mission East High School, Wind & Percussion, 1st place
- Maren Tims, Shawnee Mission West High School, Wind & Percussion, 2nd place
- Faryn Clevenger, Shawnee Mission West High School, Theatre Performance, 1st place
- Layla Ledford, Shawnee Mission East High School, Theatre Performance, 2nd place
- Kaitlyn Rongish, Shawnee Mission West High School, Voice, 1st place
- Noah Tarjan, Blue Valley North High School, Voice, 2nd place
Each Shooting Star receives a scholarship
- First place recipients win a $1,400 scholarship and each second place recipient gets a $700 scholarship.
- The program is able to award scholarships through donations from local foundations, corporations and individuals, the council says.
- In total, nearly 100 students were recognized for their artistic achievements at the 27th annual Shooting Stars gala, which was held at Midwest Trust Center on the campus of Johnson County Community College on April 7.
- Students are nominated by art teachers and finalists are required to either audition in front of judges or submit a portfolio of their work.
The Shooting Stars program is 27 years old
- Bob Endres, the former Arts Council of Johnson County chairman, started the Shooting Stars program in 1997, according to a press release.
- His vision was for the program to celebrate young Johnson County artists for their “artistic excellence.”
- “Arts and creativity are essential to every student’s educational experience,” Sarah VanLanduyt, the arts council’s executive director, said. “The Shooting Stars program celebrates student artists and their arts educators while also recognizing the important role that arts education plays in our schools and students’ development.”
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