The power of public service lies in the ability to recognize a void and build a bridge to fill it. As the founder of Let Kids Create Inc., I am dedicated to addressing the profound "creativity gap" in under-resourced communities. While artistic expression is often viewed as a luxury, it is a fundamental human right. In many public school systems, budget cuts disproportionately target the arts, leaving students in low-income neighborhoods without the tools to explore their imagination. This is a critical social issue: when we deny children the arts, we deny them a voice, a sense of belonging, and a proven pathway to academic success. I am tackling this issue directly through my children’s book, "I Want To Be On Stage," which I authored and distribute for free to students in Title I schools. At Let Kids Create Inc., we've found that first grade is the "make or break" year for literacy. By providing first grade students with their very own book, we are injecting tangible educational assets directly into the homes of families who need them most. "I Want to Be on Stage" tells the story of three diverse children discovering the magic of theater, teaching young readers that they are allowed to be creative and find their voice. It inspires kids by showing them that their unique identities are worth celebrating, transforming the stage from a distant dream into an accessible tool for self-confidence. Our work is centered in Orange County Public Schools (OCPS), the eighth-largest school district in the nation. The scale of the challenge here is massive; we specifically target Title I schools where poverty rates range from 70%-100% economically disadvantaged. In these environments, students are often navigating adult-sized stressors. We meet them where they are by hosting free theatrical workshops that bridge the gap between reading and performance. My commitment to this cause is fueled by my own college studies; I am currently pursuing a degree in Drama (Musical Theatre) with a minor in the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. This allows me to approach my nonprofit with both artistic heart and the strategic mindset needed for long-term impact. My vision for the organization expanded after recently working with high schoolers within the New York City Public School system. Their resilience inspired me to launch our nationwide mentorship program, connecting high school students with mentors from prestigious institutions like UF, NYU, and Penn State. We provide the guidance and professional insight that students in Title I environments rarely have access to, showing them a clear pathway from a local stage to a collegiate career. The benefits of this work are backed by clear data: Florida students with arts credits achieve significantly higher GPAs and see dropout rates plummet from 30% to less than 6%. However, the most vital impact is unquantifiable. Theatre is a training ground for life. It builds a foundation for public speaking, eye contact, and professional communication, but it also fosters radical empathy, collaboration, and the emotional intelligence required to understand different perspectives! Receiving the Jeannine Schroeder Women in Public Service Memorial Scholarship would allow me to honor Jeannine’s legacy of using art to advocate for social justice. I am committed to a career in public service where a child’s background never determines their ability to create. Through Let Kids Create Inc., we are building a more equitable, literate, and compassionate world.

In both 2019 and 2023, I traveled to Title 1 elementary schools, through a local outreach program designed to bring theater to underprivileged communities, performing the famous show “Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.” We sang the classic songs “Conjunction Junction,” “Three is a Magic Number,” and “The Great American Melting Pot,” combining musical theater with the core academic subjects of math, science, grammar, and history! Children would come up to me after the show, and say how much they loved the play and performing themselves, to which I would respond, “You can! And you WILL!” Yet, I realized the majority of these kids wouldn’t have access to any kind of arts education or performance opportunities due to a lack of resources at their elementary schools or in their personal lives. After reaching over 8,000 pre-k to 5th-grade students in my senior year alone, I was inspired to do more in college. As a freshman at NYU, I am getting my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama while double minoring in the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology and Classic Civilizations - it is a dream come true, and I feel so blessed to be able to study what I love. Just this month (February 2024), I launched my own Nonprofit Organization entitled, LET KIDS CREATE INC.! My mission as a performer, but also as a strong believer in the benefits of arts education is to facilitate artistic opportunities for children who otherwise wouldn’t have access to or be exposed to the creative arts. As an organization, we envision a world where access to the arts is accessible to all children, and greater emphasis is placed on the positive impact creative expression can generate in society. One problem that I constantly noticed when traveling to Title 1 schools was their necessity for volunteers to come read with the children, as they were struggling to learn to read. Because of this, the first project with my nonprofit is a children's book titled "I Want To Be On Stage" coming this summer. Written by myself, and illustrated by Grace Ezzati, this children's book tells the story of three different kids finding their passion for theater, showing that no matter where you come from, you can get involved in the arts and learn to be creative, compassionate, communicative, and loved for who you are! The books will be distributed COMPLETELY FREE to students at these schools, and I hope we can raise the funding required by the summer to make this a reality! I always dreamed of being on Broadway and I have been fortunate enough to have signed with an NYC agent and am training at an incredible university getting me closer and closer to my dreams, but this year I have realized another dream - and that is to inspire other children the same way I was when I was put in my first theater camp at age 5. I want to highlight the developmental and academic benefits that the arts can have on young kids - but most importantly show everyone that they can embrace their creativity and perform no matter where they come from. I appreciate the Heather Rylie Memorial Scholarship’s goal of supporting individual artists dreams, as this career is not as easy one, and while this scholarship would be an immense help to me with my financial burden of education, if chosen I would like to donate 50% to my nonprofit to fund production of the children's book, and future projects such as field trips, masterclasses, paid tuition for theatre camps and more! “It's possible! Anything's possible!” - Seussical

My goal in life is to be a believable storyteller, creating environments where everyone can thrive. Pursuing a career where diversity is so celebrated makes theatre a unique and magical place. Attending NYU this fall, (lowest acceptance rate in the University’s history - 8%) I will be able to continue my rigorous academic and artistic studies in an environment celebrating people from everywhere. Preparing for college, I took academics very seriously in high school. I studied Latin for 6 years and in the International Baccalaureate program for my last 2, and plan to continue with Classics/Greek in college. However, I took it upon myself to branch out into the professional world, embracing any performance and learning opportunities that came my way. Recently, I closed a touring production of “Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr” with an OUTREACH program that travels to Title I schools throughout Central Florida to bring theatre to elementary students that wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to it. We sang classic songs such as “Conjunction Junction” and “Three is a Magic Number”. This experience was very meaningful to me and has inspired me to become a volunteer and develop larger outreach programming for more theatrical engagement with the kids. Every single time a child came up to me and told me how much they loved the show, I would respond with - this can be you! I also made my proffesional Shakespeare debut this year in Henry V. Never previously studying Shakespeare, I was challenged - especially working with such talented adults, but learning hands-on with them opened my eyes to a whole new world, and I am just itching to study more of his work this school year. I can't wait to soak up all the knowledge I can in college, continuing to spread my love for acting!