Twelve Douglas Anderson Students Reflect on Summer Scholarship Experiences Across the United States
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –– Oct. 27, 2025 –– Every year, the Developing Artist (DA) Foundation awards promising young students of the arts with a scholarship to accelerate their learning through arts-focused intensive studies. The DA Foundation recently celebrated the accomplishments of 12 students who received the prestigious DuBow Summer Arts Scholarship Grants. For 30 years, these grants have enabled students to attend summer intensive arts programs throughout the world, in which they work with world-renowned professional artists.
This year, the program awarded more than $53,000 in scholarships to its recipients.
“These summer intensives are transformative for Jacksonville’s emerging artists. In addition to meeting with professional musicians and leading academic instructors, students benefit from advanced training, performance opportunities and the chance to meet other talented young people from around the country. Most importantly, these experiences give students a glimpse of the many exciting possibilities for their future artistic pursuits,” said Jackie Cornelius, Executive Director of the DA Foundation. “A special thanks goes to the patrons for their support of these young artists.”
Students are nominated for the scholarship program by department leaders at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. Once accepted into the program, students apply and audition for programs in their field of study. Admission requirements vary depending on each institution’s criteria.
The most recent class of DuBow Arts Scholars began the 2025-2026 school year with new skills and confidence from their experiences in the following programs:
Bodhi Abercrombie (Guitar) attended the Guitar Foundation of America Convention — one of the most renowned classical guitar conferences in the world — held at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky.
Rory Ames (Piano) attended the Brevard Music Center Summer Jazz Institute in Brevard, North Carolina.
Alicia Baldwin (Visual Arts) attended the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, Maryland.
Leo Bowyer (Visual Arts) attended the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, Maryland.
Alexander Cisler (Band) attended the Kinhaven Music School Summer Camp in Weston, Vermont.
Allie Crumley (Vocal) attended the Florida State University Choral Camp in Tallahassee, Florida.
Chloe Giacchetto (Cinematic Arts) attended the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.
Karish Kato (Theatre) attended the Muny Summer Intensive in St. Louis, Missouri.
Trinity Perry (Dance) attended the Dance Theatre of Harlem Summer Intensive in New York City.
Jorge Daniel Penaherrera, III (Piano) attended the University of Miami Music Production Summer Camp in Miami, Florida.
Sam Schuster (Theatre) attended the MPULSE Summer Theatre & Drama Academy at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Allison Williams (Theatre) attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts Summer Drama Conservatory (UNCSA) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
When Trinity Perry reflected on her experience, she recalled both the technical progress and personal transformation that marked her three weeks in New York.
“Every day, I trained in ballet, pointe, modern and West African techniques. I also learned directly from professional company members, which was surreal. The ballet training was intense and pushed me in all the right ways, and I could really feel my technique growing stronger,” said Perry. “But it wasn’t just the dancing that made this summer unforgettable — it was the whole experience. I made friends from all over the world who love dance just as much as I do. We explored the city together and went to see ‘Swan Lake,’ the BAAND Together Dance Festival and even a Broadway show. Each performance inspired me in a different way and reminded me why I love what I do. Dance Theatre of Harlem created such a warm, welcoming, and professional environment. I left feeling more confident in myself not just as a dancer but as a person. Thank you again to Douglas Anderson and the DA Foundation. This opportunity meant everything to me, and I’ll carry this experience with me forever.”
The DA Foundation works year-round to support and partner with Jacksonville’s arts organizations, artists and the talented students of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. The school has maintained a 100% graduation rate since 2022, and more than half of the 2025 graduating class (50%) are pursuing higher-education degrees in the arts.
Karish Kato, who is a 12-grade student this year, credits her participation in the Muny Summer Intensive with inspiring her to take the next step in her artistic education.
“Our first two weeks included rehearsing for the musical ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ during the day and workshops during the afternoon. Working so closely with so many Broadway legends and rising stars showed me the work ethic required to be an actor. The following week, we had a day full of theatre classes at Webster University and a performance of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ night. This conservatory-style day taught me a lot about what I'm looking for in a university and gave me a taste of what college would be like,” said Kato. “This intensive afforded me the opportunity to learn and grow alongside so many other talented teens and helped me feel more prepared for my college applications this fall. I would like to sincerely thank the DA Foundation and faculty who helped make this unforgettable experience possible.”
For information about the Developing Artists Foundation, visit https://www.developingartistsfoundation.org.
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About the Developing Artists Foundation:
The DA Foundation, a non-profit corporation created in 1987, is committed to supporting the arts with a priority of supporting Douglas Anderson School of the Art’s (DA) critical art’s needs. As in most specialized arts schools the arts needs go far beyond what an individual parent-support group or the school district is able to fund, specifically in regard to the demanding arts departments’ needs; such as, master arts classes, collaborative partnerships, specialized arts equipment and projects, summer arts scholarships, arts teacher fellowships, arts events, public relations and arts programming. The DA Foundation is committed to providing critical funding necessary to ensure that the school is able to meet its mission of supporting arts in our community and providing DA students “cutting-edge” training and intensive arts study, as well as to ensure that DA’s arts programs meet the standards set by our nation’s top arts conservatories, art institutes and universities.
