SDUSD announces winners of the 2022 VAPA Spotlight Awards
The VAPA Spotlight Awards celebrate Transforming Lives Through the Arts across San Diego Unified School District. These awards highlight outcomes that are aligned with the goals of the district’s strategic plan for the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA), originally adopted by the Board of Education in 2016. Awardees are nominated by the SDUSD VAPA community of students, teachers, parents, arts partners and administrators. Winners are selected by a committee that represents classroom teachers, VAPA leaders, the VAPA Advisory Council, and the VAPA Foundation.
The VAPA Foundation thanks North Island Credit Union and Gloria Rogers, their Vice President of School & Community Development, for graciously sponsoring $250 scholarships to student award recipients. Awardees will be recognized at the 2022 VAPA Spotlight Awards Presentation Event on Sunday, March 13, 2022 from 1:30-2:30pm in the 2nd floor lobby of the San Diego Civic Theatre. The awards presentation will immediately precede the 2022 High School Instrumental Music Honor Concert, which begins at 3:00pm.
This year’s VAPA Spotlight Award winners are:
Artistic Achievement Award
Benjamin Delgado, Student - Mission Bay High School
Andres Martinez, Student - Central Elementary School
Emma Schweitzer, Student - Canyon Hills High School
Nicole Warkentien, Student - SD School of Creative and Performing Arts
Artistic Growth Award
Jeanne Christensen, Teacher, Mira Mesa High School
Peter Ekong, Student - Canyon Hills High School
Jackson Vaccaro, Student - Green Elementary School
Artistic Innovation Award
Mishell Rudden, Teacher, Dingeman Elementary School
Creative Community Engagement Award
Andrea Lemaitre, Teacher - SD School of Creative and Performing Arts
Kayla Rodgers, Teacher - San Diego High School
Barbara Smith, Teaching Artist - McKinley Elementary School
Malashock Dance, community arts organization
West Coast Winter Guard, community arts organization
Creative Leadership Award
Brandon Corenman, Teacher - University City High School
Selina Gonzalez, Student - San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts
Theo Martien, Student - Mt. Everest Academy
Abigail Parra Rodriguez, Student - Canyon Hills High School
Jeff Sabins, Principal - Mira Mesa High School
Jessie Turner, Student - Canyon Hills High School
Rising Star Award
Krista Nelson, Teacher - Madison High School
Marielena Teng, Teacher - Challenger Middle School and Mira Mesa High School