She is one of the 60 YoungArts winners nominated for the prestigious award.
Indian American student Shreyah Mohanselvan is one of the 60 aspiring artists nominated for the 2018 US Presidential Scholars in the Arts that is bestowed on high school students who excel in both academic and artistic areas.
Mohanselvan, a senior at the Gahanna, Ohio, -based Columbus Academy, which is a college-preparatory school for students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade.
The students are selected from 25 states based on their excellence in nine artistic disciplines. The 60 students, who are called YoungArts winners, are nominated to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.
The names of the students nominated will be reviewed by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. They will select 20 students from the list of YoungArts winners as US Presidential Scholars in the Arts.
The award is given for academic and artistic accomplishments, demonstrated leadership, community service and outreach initiatives, and overall creativity.
The winners of the US Presidential Scholars Program will be honored at the National Recognition Program in Washington, D.C. on June 20, along with other 141 US Presidential Scholars from across the country.
The winners will be awarded a Presidential Medallion and will participate in a series of recognition activities during their stay in Washington.
Shreyah Mohanselvan, who served as the Student Council President at the Columbus Academy last year, has excelled in science and engineering. A member of the robotics team of the Columbus Academy, she helped build and design the docking system, doing outreach, and scouting. She is also a member of the Science Olympiad team and competed in SciOly.
Mohanselvan, a resident of New Albany, is a dancer who has proved her skills in five different styles of dance, ranging from ballet to classical Indian dance styles. Mohanselvan plays violin in the Columbus Academy Advanced Orchestra, serves as a student orientation leader.
“Dance has always been my passion,” she said to CityScene. “I started learning ballet when I was 4 years old at the New Albany Ballet Company. Shortly thereafter, I started learning the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam.”
“The National YoungArts Foundation is proud to partner with the US Presidential Scholars Program to acknowledge our nation’s most talented graduating high school seniors,” said Carolina García Jayaram, YoungArts President and CEO.
The 2018 US Presidential Scholars in the Arts will present their work at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through a special exhibition curated by YoungArts Exhibition Manager Luisa Munera, and a performance directed by YoungArts alumnus and Theater National Selection Panelist Michael McElroy, who is a 1985 winner in Theater.
“These young leaders excel in everything that they do, from their artistry and inquisitiveness to their academics and activism. YoungArts congratulate each of the nominees on their accomplishments, and we look forward to announcing the selected arts scholars this spring,” Jayaram added.
Convocation Address BY Shreyah Mohanselvan