Florida
Records 46 through 60 out of 70

	Year: 2005 Candace A. Mitchell Gainesville, FL, Phillips Academy College Plans: Duke University, Columbia University, or Brown University   Candace Mitchell is a 2005 Level I Winner for writing in the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Recognition and Talent Search. She has won the Goodhue Prize, the Charles Snow Burns Poetry Prize, and the Library of Congress Literary Letters Contest Award; in addition, she has won third place in the English Teachers of Alachua County Fiction Contest and won first place in the English Teachers of Alachua County Holocaust Essay Contest. She was a semi-finalist in the Ayn Rand Essay Contest. Candace acknowledges her mother, Cecelia Mitchell, for providing guidance, support, and courage in her artistic pursuits. She has always been interested in writing, but was encouraged to find her voice after reading Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye.
	Year: 2005 Stephanie Simon Weston, FL, University School of NSU College Plans: University of Pennsylvania   I pride myself on being a well-rounded person. I have a multitude of pursuits, only one of which is academic success. I love sports, and I was a two-sport (soccer and softball) varsity athlete in high school. Journalism is one of my interests: I participated in both the student newspaper and political newsletter as a staff writer and editor. Community service is important to me, and I helped to raise over $600,000 for the Tourette Syndrome Association. Politics is my passion: I was president of my class for two years and I plan to become more seriously involved with politics on a national level. I plan to study philosophy, politics, and economics in college with hopes of later earning a law degree.
	Year: 2006 Krista Ettlinger Hollywood, FL, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School College Plans: Northwestern University   Krista is both a scholar and an artist. Her rigorous schedule of school and ballet training sometimes leaves her feeling like there are too few hours in the day, but she relishes the challenge of being a better student and a well-rounded person. She loves her ballet training, which she began at age six. She discovered a passion for this art form when she realized the power of expressing herself through dance movement. It is hard to believe that she once had such a lack of coordination and balance that her mom put her into gymnastics to learn how to walk uphill! She overcame that lack of grace through dance, going on to win first place at a regional Youth America Grand Prix Competition and becoming a Top Twelve Finalists in the Grand Prix finals in New York City last year. This year she is one of forty dancers selected out of hundreds of applicants worldwide to compete in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.
	Year: 2006 Shiv M. Gaglani Melbourne, FL, West Shore High School College Plans: Harvard College   My first distinction was one in which I ironically had no part in. I became the first recorded Indian child to be born in Namibia. I have been to over fourteen countries, but America is my home. Early on I thought I wanted to be an entomologist, but when I was six I visited a hospital and was inspired me to be an innovative physician researcher. I have completed seven medical research projects since 9th grade and have placed 2nd at ISEF twice and won the AAN Neuroscience Research Prize. My research has been published in journals such as Cell Transplantation. I am a Rickoid who was in RSI 2005 and I am a member of the 2006 USA TODAY First Academic Team. In addition, I was voted SGA President and Homecoming Prince of my high school. My hobbies include speech, tennis, football, video games, beach bumming, working out and kayaking.
	Year: 2006 Caitlin Kimball Winter Park, FL, Bishop Moore Catholic High School College Plans: Carnegie Mellon University   From a young age Caitlin’s loves have been God, her family, her friends, cookies, and of course: the theatre. Throughout childhood and into high school she’s found ways both in and out of school to express her love for the stage. Caitlin recently won the Silver Award in Theatre from the National Foundation of Advancement in the Arts Awards and performed Off -Broadway in New York with her fellow winners. The past two summers she has attend Ann Reinking’s Broadway Theatre Project. Caitlin has been seen in professional productions in the Orlando area, and in the Florida Thespian State Competition Caitlin has won the Critics Choice (“Best of Show”) in both 2004 and 2005. When she is not performing, Caitlin works at the Orlando Youth Theatre where she helps introduce kids to performing. Caitlin thanks her parents, friends, and God, who must have been having a really good day when he decided to bless her with such people and opportunities.
	Year: 2006 Steven L. Robertson Tampa, FL, Gaither High School College Plans: Undecided   As a child, I had an uncanny knack for breaking electronic things in a hurry. This may have started at age six, when I nearly electrocuted myself trying to “conduct an experiment” that involved a rechargeable battery, 110VAC power, and mildly saline water. It progressed quickly to computers. When we finally got one, I was warned about breaking it - which, of course, is what I unintentionally did. To avoid being permanently grounded, I had to learn how to fix my mistake quickly. When I broke it again, I had to correct it again, ad nauseum. Because of all of this, I now have an uncanny knack for repairing electronics in a hurry. I also greatly enjoy music, and take pleasure in listening, composing, and performing a great variety of works. I look forward to using my combined interests in the professional audio electronics industry.
	Year: 2006 Alexandra C. Villasante Miami, FL, Carrollton Sacred Heart College Plans: Duke University   Alexandra has earned many awards - a National Merit Scholarship, Princeton Club Book Award, Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award, AP Scholar with Distinction, Certificates of Academic Excellence, the Building Community Award, and the Wellesley College Book Award - and will focus on biomedical engineering and pre-med in college. Her extracurricular activities include Junior States of America, Interact, the school newspaper, National Honor Society, and a nationally ranked Junior Engineering and Technical Society (JETS) team. She participated in Duke’s Talent Identification Program (TIP) and Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY), interned at Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s office, and tutored children. Most significantly, during the summers she interned at her ophthalmologist’s office, sharing her experiences with children who had similar eye conditions to hers. Outside school, this fun-loving girl likes to go to the beach and hang out with friends.
	Year: 2007 Rebecca Mock Lantana, FL, Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School College Plans: Maryland Institute College of Art   Rebecca plans to pursue a degree in illustration. She enjoys the thrill of a visual challenge and the satisfaction of solving it. Although she is a student of many artistic fields including fine art, filmmaking, and graphic design, her true passion is drawing. Rebecca has been interested in sequential art and storytelling from a young age, when she would pretend to be a gypsy or a fairy in her backyard. She would write books and draw comics of her adventures. The fantastical world of the mind has always been a source of keen interest to Rebecca, and her sketchbook the portal through which she travels to many worlds. Rebecca is a 2007 NFAA YoungARTS Awards Finalist and the president of her school’s Visual Arts House Council.
	Year: 2007 Milton Perez Miami, FL, New World School of the Arts College Plans: The Juilliard School   After being exposed to the power of acting at 6 years old while watching Jim Carrey in the “The Mask”, Milton made the decision to be an actor. His acting debut was as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Since experiencing his first theatrical role, he has yearned to learn more. One of his most memorable roles is that of Ross in The Elephant Man. Milton loves the feeling he gets from performing and hopes to one day be the inspiration for another 6-year-old who will one day be watching him on stage or on the screen. He inexhaustibly thanks his father and mother for giving him so much courage while letting him follow his bliss.
	Year: 2007 Bret A. Voith Miami, FL, Gulliver Preparatory School College Plans: Harvard College   My life is centered on a firm belief that compassion for others is essential. I first learned this lesson playing sports as a child, an activity I have continued through participation on varsity swimming and water polo teams. I thoroughly enjoy my commitment to young individuals through teaching elementary Sunday school. I have a devoted father and brother who support all that I do, whether it is an academic endeavor, an appearance on ESPN, or even a fledgling attempt to develop a golf game. I believe emotions can best be captured through music, though my personal musical talents are in want of improvement. After having an internship in corporate finance, I now desire to study economics and I am intrigued by the business world. I am determined to enact positive change in the world through any means possible.
	Year: 2007 Charles M. Zhu Tampa, FL, C. Leon King High School College Plans: Yale University   Charles M. Zhu was born in Toronto, Canada in 1989. Canada was too cold. He moved to Tampa, Florida. Unfortunately, Tampa is too hot. In the future, he aims for the middle, providing global climate change does not make a whole mess about it. It would have been nice if climate change had made Tampa cooler or Canada warmer, but that’s not how it works. Climate change never works the way you want it to. Charles M. Zhu is sick and tired of climate change being a real jerk and wants to change the climate in his own way. To accomplish this goal, Charles M. Zhu has engaged in competitive swimming, math-letics, improvised sweet licks on his mandolin, rapped sweet freestyle rhymes with his mouth, worked hard at school, founded a recycling program, and done his best to help others as often as possible. Charles M. Zhu is not sure how all this fits into his career goals, but he is happy about his experiences.
	Year: 2008 Anne L. Chen Wellington, FL, Suncoast Community High School College Plans: University of Miami Dual-Degree Honors Program   An award-winning writer and musician, and an excellent leader with great organizational skills, she dedicates the majority of her community service to nursing homes, playing the piano, serving refreshments and doing crafts. She has worked with Alzheimer’s patients in a project called Memory Lane, for which she received the President’s Volunteer Gold Level Service Award. In 2008, she was awarded as the Hero in Medicine by the Palm Beach Medical Society. Anne will continue to pursue health care as a profession.
	Year: 2008 Kyla D. Horn Cocoa Beach, FL, Cocoa Beach High School College Plans: Harvard   I plan to study biology, go on for my Ph.D., and pursue a career in research.
	Year: 2008 Mark H. Kavesh Bartow, FL, Bartow High School International Baccalaureate Program College Plans: Northwestern University- HPME   My name is Mark Kavesh, and I live in Lakeland, Florida. In college, I plan to study chemistry and dream of someday becoming a physician-scientist. Outside of school, my interests include playing the violin in the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, volunteering as a trial attorney at Teen Court, and conducting medical research. I also enjoy biking, jogging, and cooking challah French toast for breakfast on Saturday mornings. I am an avid classical music fan; the Paganini Caprices and Bruch Violin Concerto number among my favorite pieces. Becoming a Presidential Scholar holds the significance for me of joining an alliance of activism and solidarity. I believe that education can transcend boundaries, creating opportunities for myself and others to advocate resolutions to the most pressing social dilemmas of our time.
	Year: 2008 Joseph C. Parra Boynton Beach, FL, Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School College Plans: Maryland Institute College of Art   My visual arts background began when I was accepted into an arts magnet middle school. From there my skills developed and my interest grew. I decided that an art magnet high school would be the perfect choice for me. I wasn’t emotionally connected to my work until my sophomore year as I went through a tragic experience that left me separated from reality. Art allowed me to connect once again. I have been involved in many art activities, such as steamroller printmaking, painted clothing fashion show, and I have had my work displayed in many renowned galleries and shows. In my junior year I received the American Visions Award from National Scholastic, and I was also accepted into the Marie Walsh Sharpe Arts summer seminar in which 60 kids are chosen nationally. I was awarded Finalist in NFAA with the Gold Award. I’m going to Maryland Institute College of Art with a full scholarship.

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