Earlier this week, sophomore Sarah Mohammed was named a poetry finalist in the 2021 National YoungArts competition. It is the highest award offered by the National YoungArts Foundation. Her work was selected after a thorough adjudication process carried out by a panel of artists in the appropriate discipline. Mohammed is now eligible to join 20 other writing finalists to take part in National Young ArtsWeek+, which will include virtual classes and workshops with leading artists in a variety of fields. There also will be performances and a virtual exhibition of the finalists’ works. 

This honor also means that Mohammed may be nominated to become a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. The National YoungArts Foundation, the agency responsible for selecting the scholars, nominates 60 artists every year to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.