2024 Barbara Benson Memorial Art Scholarships Winners
TUSTIN AREA COUNCIL FOR THE FINE ARTS
2024 Barbara Benson Memorial Scholarship
Student Biographies
Zoe Carter
Beckman High School Theatre
Zoe Carter from Beckman High School is a theatre artist who will attend San Diego State, majoring in Theatre Performance. Zoe says her mentor, drama teacher Antonio Moon, taught me not only about how to become a better actress but also how to navigate the acting world. Zoe believes “being an artist means knowing how to imitate life. Art imitates the hardships and the positive outcomes of life. Every aspect of life matters when it comes to arts”.
Ashley Lee
Beckman High Visual Arts
Ashley Lee is a visual artist from Beckman High School enrolling at the Fashion Institute of Technology with a major in Fashion Design. Ashley says, “To me, being an artist means creating out of self-expression. Art has consistently aligned with me expressing my identity beliefs, style, and creative ideas through something visually interesting”. Her middle school teacher, Miss Jane, helped her build a strong foundation to breathe life into her many ideas to progress in her art journey.
Grace Lin
Beckman High Graphic Arts
Grace Lin from Beckman High School is a graphic artist and will attend Art Center College of Design under the Illustration Entertainment Arts track. Grace was chosen as 2024 OC Artist of the Year in Media Arts. In the future, Grace sees herself as a concept artist , a storyboard artist for an indie studio, or to carve out something new for herself. She believes that “being an artist is having the power of creation sitting at your fingertips. I’ve always been fascinated by what lies just beyond our realities.”
Sydney Madolora
Legacy Magnet Academy Dance
Sydney Madolora is a dancer from Legacy Magnet Academy who will study Dance and International Relations at the University of Southern California in the fall. She credits her teacher from Southland Ballet Academy, Stella Viorica, with helping her find her unique perspective within structured choreography. Sydney says, “Dance is one of the oldest forms of human expression; it is a testament to our resilience, spirit, and grace”.
Edelweiss Pak
Foothill High School Instrumental Music
Edelweiss Pak is a musician from Foothill High School who will attend New England Conservatory in the fall majoring in Cello Performance. Edelweiss is motivated to become a teacher and be part of professional orchestra because of her private cello teacher, Coco Hu. Edelweiss quotes composer Rachmaninoff in her artist statement, “Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrXEoookzlo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z2fgzHD-ww
Kailey Yun
Beckman High School Instrumental Music
Kailey Yun from Beckman High School is a musician and will enroll this fall at the University of Southern California in Violin Performance. She credits her teacher, Margaret Batjer for helping her discover her identity as an artist, while highlighting her strongest traits and motivating her to be the best version of herself. Edelweiss says, “To be an artist is to be an honest musician. One of my best traits is the obvious passion, love, and admiration I have for music, each piece shining with various emotions that are not crafted or rehearsed”.
https://youtu.be/153aVv9Yoz0?si=ircNFrkK-uDFniNC