Kiayana's Imagine This Scholarship

Funded by
$2,200
2 winners, $1,100 each
Awarded
Application Deadline
Aug 16, 2024
Winners Announced
Aug 26, 2024
Education Level
High School, Undergraduate
1
Contribution
Eligibility Requirements
Field of Study:
Performing/cultural art studies
Education Level:
High school or undergraduate student
State:
Florida

Music, dance, and other cultural interests and pursuits are catalysts in the world, inspiring artists and ordinary people alike. 

Creativity is often undervalued in our increasingly technological world. What young artists need today is for the social and cultural arts to be nurtured and for young creatives to be uplifted throughout their educational journeys. In light of the high costs necessary to pursue higher education, providing financial aid is essential in cultivating the next generation of great artists.

This scholarship aims to ignite creativity through education by supporting artistic students in their collegiate pursuits. 

Any high school or undergraduate student in Florida who is pursuing performing arts or cultural art studies may apply for this scholarship opportunity. 

To apply, submit an essay or a video telling us about experiences that have affected your decision to pursue the arts and how these experiences will help you in your future career.

Selection Criteria:
Ambition, Drive, Passion
Published July 9, 2024
Essay Topic

Please tell us about any experiences that have influenced your decision to pursue a career in performing arts and how these experiences will help this career choice.

0–600 words

Winning Applications

Maria Gonzalez Marcano
University of Central FloridaWinter Garden, FL
Growing up in Venezuela, music was a very constant and prevalent part of our culture. Ever since little, I was grateful I discovered a passion for music at such a young age. Everything about it, the complexity, emotion, but mostly the dedication behind it fascinated me. Not long after being able to walk and speak, my tiny fingers fell upon the keys of a piano, and that was just the beginning of everything. To my disadvantage, piano did not end up being my pursuit, although I wish it had been, it was not possible at the time due to financial circumstances (it is still a dream of mine to play consistently). The four strings of the violin were what opened my eyes to the wide yet beautiful world of music. During my beginner years, I stumbled upon a very interesting skill that I found out about at the age of 10, “perfect pitch”. Nowadays, perfect pitch is what drives my listening experience, whether it be classical, pop, rock, blues, or sole music. At the same age of 10, however, my family and I decided to seek new opportunities in a new country, a new community, a new culture, the U.S. Terrifying? Yes. Impossible? Never. Freshman year of high school and my attention completely shifted to something similar yet so different from classical music, musical theatre. It was incredible to see how all that I’ve ever liked and loved to watch blended into one. Although my career in musical theatre began quite a few years after my musical one, they both hold the same level of importance in my current life. I have been grateful and lucky enough to be part of shows that challenge me to use both of my skills combined, allowing me to build upon my experience that will help me along the journey I have chosen. Being part of the theatre community has taught me that through teamwork, storytelling becomes a breeze for the audience to enjoy. Through my 4 years of high school theatre, my favorite productions were not the ones that looked the most extravagant or expensive, but instead the ones that were genuine, authentic, and simple- evidently enough, these were also the ones that gained the most attention from the public too. Being able to study a character, learn about their background, given circumstances, and put your own version of that on a stage is simply incredible- even more incredible if accompanied by a violin. Studying musical theatre, however, is not as easy as it seems. In order to incorporate both things I love, I decided to shift my focus once again and major in Theatre Studies, aiming to achieve my Bachelors degree. As much as I would want everything to be perfect and simple, the decision to study what I was passionate about was not easy. It took years to convince myself and my parents that this is what would drive me through society, and that no matter what the financial outcome was, there would always be a way to do what I wanted. For years, they suggested careers like business, accounting, engineering, etc- careers that I knew I would not thrive in, because I would not be happy throughout the process. At the end of the day, I chose my passion over everything, knowing that with dedication, effort, but most importantly resilience, everything that I want for the future is possible.
Lia Ottinot
Jacksonville UniversityCoral Springs, FL

FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is Aug 16, 2024. Winners will be announced on Aug 26, 2024.