High School music student Wooldjina Present, soprano, receives prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award Scholarship
New World School of the Arts high school senior Wooldjina Present, soprano in the music division, is among the 2020 recipients of the coveted Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award Scholarship. Along with the other winners, Wooldjina will receive $10,000 to help offset the cost of continuing her classical music studies at a high level and will have the opportunity to perform on From the Top’s national broadcasts. “On behalf of the music division, we are so proud of Wooldjina and wish her all the success afforded to her by receiving this award,” said Dr. Daniel Andai, Dean of Music at NWSA.According to Dr. Jennifer Tipton, adjunct faculty at NWSA and Wooldjina’s private voice teacher, “Wooldjina is an incredibly talented, hardworking, and driven singer. Over the past four years, she has sought out opportunities that expand her musical and academic education. The Jack Kent Cooke Award will allow her to travel to audition for colleges across the country.”
“I am so honored to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award from From the Top,” said Wooldjina. “The financial assistance, leadership opportunities, and workshops and activities will undoubtably help shape my future in the most positive way possible. Thank you to everyone who supported me in making this dream become a reality.”
With 21 Presidential Scholars in the Arts since 1989, and 89 YoungArts Finalists / 346 YoungArts Winners since 2002, New World School of the Arts (NWSA) students continue to leave their artistic mark in our community. Among the 171 YoungArts Finalists selected this year are seven NWSA students joining the ranks as in their respective artistic fields and selected by an esteemed discipline-specific panel of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process. In addition, NWSA students received three YoungArts Honorable Mentions and nine Merit Awards for a grand total 19 awards.
The 2019 edition of The One Festival at New World School of the Arts is upon us - and with twenty-four plays, this is the biggest festival in the NWSA Theatre division's history. The One Festival is a collection of fifteen-minute plays written, directed and acted by BFA seniors. In four programs over the course of two weeks, the themes of these plays are relevant, varied and personal and will take audiences on what is on the conscience of these artists. From drag queens to beauty queens, the American race war, chronic depression, facing fatherhood, the impending future of technology on humans, women in prison, Jackson Pollock and Russian nesting dolls; The One Festival is an important display of vibrant artistic styles and intricate stories about the human condition. 
The New World School of the Arts High School music theater students will present the award-winning musical Side Show just in time to welcome the holiday season. With book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Henry Krieger with additional book material by Bill Condon, the musical is directed by NWSA theater faculty member Matthew Buffalo. “I have always been drawn to the music of Side Show,” explained Buffalo. However, as I started my directorial research, the message of the show drew me in even further. On the surface, Side Show can be seen as a heartwarming musical about the love of two sisters and the fascinating world of the freak shows of the past. After taking a closer look at the core of the musical, you will find a beautiful story of acceptance.”