The fine arts are thriving across the nation, state and in Killeen ISD as evidenced by 50 high school seniors signing letters of intent this week to pursue creative courses of study at the college level.
Killeen ISD Fine Arts began Monday a series of five ceremonies spread across three days celebrating the commitments of seniors on the verge of graduation already committed to study band, choir, theater, orchestra, visual arts and other fields in the arts.
At Chaparral High School, 21 students participated in the signing ceremony and at Harker Heights High School another six signed letters of intent.
Additional ceremonies are slated this week at Ellison, Killeen and Shoemaker high schools.
In each ceremony, KISD Fine Arts Director Morganne Davies described the growth of art as a career field in Texas the past 25 years and the statistics that support the academic value of studying fine arts.
A total of 175 KISD high school seniors active in fine arts programs participated in a survey that showed 75 percent accepted to a four-year university and a combined total of $1.6 million in earned college scholarships.
This year’s 50 KISD seniors participating in signing ceremonies is an increase from 38 last year.
Signees are either accepted into a college-level fine arts program or have gained acceptance into a college ensemble or other fine arts group through audition or are entering directly into the workforce in a fine arts career.
About 950,000 Texans, or 1 in 14 workers are employed in creative fields. Since 2012, Texas’ arts and culture industry has grown 63 percent, pouring $73 million into the state economy, fine arts leaders said during the ceremonies.
From a student standpoint, fine arts students have a 46 percent greater chance at passing Texas Success Initiative standards, are 20 percent more likely to earn dual credit during high school and 87 percent more likely to attend college.
The growing gallery of photos of KISD fine arts signings in available for viewing and download at www.killeenisd.org/photos
Monday KISD fine arts signees include the following:
Chaparral HS
Alyza Dorsey Oklahoma City University
Anaiah Chamberlain Stephen F. Austin State University
Kaitlyn Dooley Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Ava Morgan Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University
Lameika Boulding Rowan University
Hadassah Moon University of Houston
Armie Melton Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Marlee Luther Marymount Manhattan
Brayden Reynolds Central Texas College
Isaac Brock University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Zachary Repine University of Houston
Amani Mitchell Texas State University
Zane Conway University of Houston
Lya Bailey University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Kaelyn Reynolds Texas Women’s University
David Marin Soto Temple College
Serenity Ruiz University of North Texas
Kayoni Harrell Stephen F. Austin State University
Finn Brantley The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Zyon Thompson Central Texas College
Sam Harris Angelo State University
Harker Heights HS
James “Sebastian” Lowe University of North Texas
Hannah Thompson University of Texas at Austin
Laila Torres-Mendoza Temple College
Uriel Benitez Berklee College of Music
Benjamin Saban Contreras Texas State University
Jade Akech University of North Texas