Admiral arts honored with unique senior signing day
Those characteristics inspired the creation
of the school’s first ever Arts Signing Day, which took place Monday, May 4, inside the FHS library.
“Just being an observer of our Fine Arts program, whether it’s at Empty Bowls, watching them perform on the field on Friday night or at an orchestra concert, thinking how special and talented these kids are, I wanted them to have a moment to celebrate their next steps and that they continue to invest in the arts,” Vaughn said.
“As a former Fine Arts teacher myself, I taught musical theater and chorus for 25 years,” added fellow assistant principal Kimberly Mink. “So it truly is the culmination of watching these kids grow from elementary school to middle school to high school and being able to recognize that the arts have a piece in that journey. It has impacted them in such a positive way that they’re continuing to pursue that after high school.”
During the ceremony, 11 Farragut seniors were recognized for their intent to pursue the arts in college.
The event unfolded in the same manner as athletic signing days, as Vaughn spoke with FHS athletic director Donald Dodgen while preparing for last Monday’s festivities.
“I talked with our athletic director, wanting that same idea of investing time and energy and next steps paying off,” Vaughn said.
Two Farragut seniors, Teagan Nelson and Maverick Queern, will pursue animation degrees at the Savannah College of Art & Design.
Fellow seniors Hayes Kappel and Maggie Doyle will take part in the marching bands at the University of Kentucky and University of Tennessee, respectively, while another, Anna Kate Harris, will be in the School of Music at The University of Alabama.
Anna Bishop will continue her success onstage at UTK, where she will hone the skills developed in the Admiral Performing Arts Company while Julianna Hrivnak will continue her ceramics passions with a degree in studio art at Tennessee. Another Rocky Top Admiral is Joey Nieman, who plans to participate in the UT Singers program.
Another FHS senior, Aiden Miller, will participate in the marching band at Middle Tennessee State. Madison Romer will be studying Fine Arts at Pellissippi State Community College, and Brixan Schlomer plans to take part in the Famous Maroon Band at Mississippi State University.
Students took photos together after the ceremony, as each one was recognized with an individual photo and moment to sign his or her paper.
But none of it would have come together without the desire to recognize these students and the paths they have chosen.
“Mrs. (Kimberly) Mink, Kemper Smith, Beth Duncan, we all brought our brains together to make this happen,” Vaughn said. “It was a lot of moms coming together to think, ‘How would we want our children celebrated?’ And I think that’s what you’re seeing.”
