Starlight Seniors—Amari Lewis

Three members of Starlight's Vincent Legacy Scholarship family will graduate from high school in May. Since receiving their $2,500 scholarships in middle school, these young people have excelled not only in their training in the performing arts but in academic, leadership and other pursuits. We can't wait to see how they'll impact the world in the years ahead!

Our first Starlight Senior from the Vincent Legacy Scholarship program is Amari Lewis, who won her scholarship as a sixth-grader at Arrowhead Middle School in Kansas City, Kan., in 2014.

AMARI LEWIS
Senior, Sumner Academy of Arts and Science
Starlight Vincent Legacy Scholarship recipient, 2014

Proudest accomplishments during your senior year:
Performing with the Northeast Kansas District Choir and Kansas All-State Choir.

I also produced and staged a student-led Black History program at Sumner Academy.

Plans for your summer:
I will be preparing and readying myself for college and adulthood.

I also want to continue to perform with Stage Right Performing Arts and various other local theatre companies. That is a huge part of my life, and this summer will be the last time I get to participate in those activities.

Plans for your immediate future:
Attend Hampton University (Hampton, Va.) and double-major in Theatre Performance and Education.

I also intend to pursue a certificate in linguistics sometime after I earn my undergraduate degree.

Thoughts about Starlight and the Vincent Legacy Scholarship program:
Without Starlight's Vincent Legacy Scholarship program, I feel like I'd be such a different person. I wouldn't have such a well-rounded view of life or be surrounded by so many different types of people.

I will miss my Vincent Legacy family. I've grown so much because of it! I look forward to staying involved, making sure students are applying for the scholarships and, hopefully, when I get financially stable enough, I'll also be able to contribute to future scholars. What the Vincent Legacy Scholarship and family do for kids is super important, and I want to be a part of making such a big impact on someone else's life!

Want to hear more from Amari and others about how the arts and Starlight programs impact KC students? Watch this video we first shared last fall.