Douglas Anderson Students Jahneen Alexander and Journey Spencer Earn National Awards at NAACP’s ACT-SO Competition

Sept. 30, 2026 — Jacksonville, Fla. — Two students from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts earned awards at the 2026 NAACP Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) National Competition. 

Classical pianist Jahneen Alexander, a senior at DA, received a silver medal  in Classical Instrumental Music; modern dancer Journey Spencer, a junior at DA, took home a bronze medal in Modern Dance from the competition held in Chicago in July.

“Art isn’t just a hobby, it's a necessity to feed the creativity of the mind,” said Ty Ponder, co-chair of Jacksonville’s NAACP ACT-SO program and an alumnus of DA (class of 2006). “Jahneen and Journey’s achievements, as well as those of all the students from Jacksonville who participated in this competition, reflect an exceptional commitment to their craft and strength of character.”

ACT-SO is a year-round achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African American high school students in the ninth through twelfth grades. The National ACT-SO Competition, held annually during the NAACP National Convention, allows students to compete for scholarships, prizes and recognition in a variety of categories including music, dance, visual arts, writing, mathematics and science.

Thirteen students from Northeast Florida — including 11 from DA — traveled to Chicago to participate in the National ACT-SO Competition with support from the Developing Artists Foundation. Prior to advancing to the national event, each student won a Gold Medal in one of 33 categories at the regional Jacksonville NAACP Chapter’s ACT-SO competition.  

In Chicago, Alexander performed Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor. “To me, it tells a story about tragedies Beethoven endured, and expresses it in this movement. It moves me in an emotional way and gives me a glimpse of how Beethoven was feeling at the time,” she said. “In the piece, there were so many ups and downs and crescendos and decrescendos and a climax that couldn't be forgotten. It's a powerful story that captivated my ears and heart, and I shared it through my fingers."

Spencer’s silver medal-winning modern dance performance, “Grotto,” was choreographed by DA alumni Faith Norton. “The piece is a fusion of contemporary dance and acrobatics,” explained Spencer, who credited Norton with pushing her to perform beyond her own expectations.

In addition to Alexander and Spencer’s recognition, all 13 students of the Jacksonville ACT-SO National Delegation received Superior Evaluations from the national judges.  Spencer and Josef Wright, a junior in DA’s musical theatre program, were also selected to perform during the 2026 National ACT-SO Awards Ceremony under the creative direction of internationally acclaimed choreographer and creative director Anthony Burrell.

“The Developing Artists Foundation is honored to support ACT-SO and incredibly proud not only of Jahneen and Journey, but of all 13 students who represented the Jacksonville NAACP chapter and had the courage to share their art with the world,” said Jackie Cornelius, Executive Director of the Developing Artists Foundation. “The success of these students is both a reflection of their hard work as young artists, as well as this community’s investment in arts education. It is our hope that together, we will continue the important work of supporting and celebrating young artists to reach their full potential.”

Journey Spencer

Jahneen Alexander