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The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts Dean鈥檚 Circle will recognize six exceptional students during the presentation of the annual Dean鈥檚 Awards at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 9, in Kennedy Auditorium on the 91直播 campus.

This year鈥檚 award recipients include Kristen Mercer, junior music education major from Spring; Kiersten Hart, junior filmmaking student from Fort Worth; Cassandra L. Flores, junior graphic design major from Richmond; Levi Grant, junior music education student from Longview; Joshua 鈥淩eed鈥� Sellers, junior music education major from Cypress; and Kelsey Lesseig, junior theatre major from New Braunfels.

Award recipients are selected annually by the faculty of their respective schools on the basis of their potential to further develop their artistic goals and serve as role models, according to Dr. A.C. 鈥淏uddy鈥� Himes, College of Fine Arts dean. The Dean鈥檚 Awards not only recognize the recipients for what they have already accomplished, but the awards are also designed to inspire them to reach deep from within to aspire to a higher level of excellence, Himes said. The awards were established by the Dean鈥檚 Circle, an external support organization of community members founded in 2008 and 鈥渄edicated, in part, to nurturing potential young artists within the College of Fine Arts,鈥� Himes said.

Past Dean鈥檚 Award recipients have gone on to have successful careers in the arts.

鈥淭ransformational is a word sometimes overused these days,鈥� Himes said, 鈥渂ut, there is no better word to describe the Dean鈥檚 Awards. These students come to us often being the first from their family to attend college, and sometimes not even sure they made the right career choice. But, they leave us transformed into confident young men and women, ready to assume leadership roles in their chosen disciplines. It is very rewarding for me to see them achieving success on a national level years after they received the award.鈥�

Mercer will receive the John N. and Margaret Staley Scholarship in Fine Arts. During her time at 91直播 she has performed with the Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, Lumberjack Marching Band, Trombone Choir, Swingin' Aces Jazz Band and PURPertual Motion Winter Guard. She currently leads 91直播's first ever female trombone quartet. She is also serving her second term as the treasurer for Phi Rho Psi, a color guard sorority founded at 91直播. She is the recipient of the Paul Stroud Memorial Band Scholarship for the current academic year. She has received the Academic Excellence award and has been on the Dean's and President's lists since her first semester at 91直播. Upon graduation, she intends to either attend graduate school or start her teaching career.

Hart will receive the Ruth Buzzi Honorary Dean鈥檚 Award in Filmmaking. She currently works for the 91直播 Athletics Creative Media Team specializing in videography and editing. Kiersten鈥檚 love for videography began at a young age. In high school she participated in SkillsUSA and earned state competition rights for four years, earning third place in TV Production. Her short film entries were chosen twice for the New York High School Film Festival. Since coming to 91直播, Kiersten has produced videos for programs across campus while serving as the Creative Director for Student Activities Association. As a freelance photographer and film producer, she has created content for athletes, the equine community, sororities at 91直播 and University of Texas at Arlington and weddings. Kiersten is pursuing a bachelor鈥檚 degree at 91直播 and was named to President鈥檚 List for fall 2020. She aspires to be a creative video producer for a college or professional sports team. She would also like to continue building her own business as a freelance creator.

Flores will receive the Ed and Gwen Cole Memorial Dean鈥檚 Award in Art. Since transferring to 91直播 from Wharton County Junior College, she has maintained a 4.0 GPA, earning a place on the President鈥檚 List for three semesters. In her first semester at 91直播, she participated in printing, organizing and distributing T-shirts for high school students during 91直播 School of Art鈥檚 annual Art Day. She is a member of the 91直播 Art Alliance and is working on organizing this year鈥檚 Spring Show for the School of Art. She is among a group of 91直播 art students who are painting murals in dorms on campus. She is vice president of one of 91直播鈥檚 cultural clubs in which members watch and analyze movies from other countries in an effort to educate themselves on culture and history.

Grant will receive the Dean鈥檚 Circle Dean鈥檚 Award in Music. Studying trombone under Dr. Deb Scott, he has been a member of many music ensembles at 91直播 including Wind Ensemble, The Swingin鈥� Axes jazz band, trombone choir and Lumberjack Marching Band. Since coming to 91直播, he has expanded his musical skills by learning the bass trombone, which he currently plays in Wind Ensemble and the Swingin鈥� Axes. He has been a member of the President鈥檚 List every semester and currently maintains a 4.0 GPA. He received the Pi Kappa Lambda Scholarship as a sophomore for outstanding grades and has also received the Dirk Wheeler Memorial Music Education Scholarship and the Perry and Martha Brittain music scholarship. He has given private lessons throughout his time in college with his students making the TMEA All-Region Band. Upon graduating, he hopes to attend graduate school and continue his learning and musical growth.
 
Sellers will receive the Dr. Robert G. Sidnell Memorial Dean鈥檚 Award in Music Education. During his time here, he has maintained a 4.0 GPA and received the Pi Kappa Lambda award for Sophomore with the Highest GPA. He has been an auditioned member of the 91直播 Men鈥檚 Choir, Chamber Choir and the A Cappella Choir, for which he is the tenor section leader. He has performed with the 91直播 Opera in 鈥淭he Pirates of Penzance鈥� and had a lead role as Eisenstein in the School of Music鈥檚 production of 鈥淒ie Fledermaus.鈥� He has been the historian and is currently the president of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, and he is currently the treasurer for the 91直播 student chapter of the Texas Choral Directors Association.

Lesseig, a junior from New Braunfels pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre with an emphasis on acting and directing and a minor in filmmaking, will receive the George and Peggy Schmidbauer Dean's Award in Theatre. Upon transferring to 91直播 from the University of Oklahoma, Kelsey has acted in several Mainstage productions, including 鈥淭he Wolves,鈥� 鈥淐urse of Plenty鈥� (as part of the biennial Festival of New American Plays), 鈥淩ideshare/Overshare鈥� and, most recently, 鈥淭he Maids.鈥� She worked on the paint crew for 鈥淭itus Andronicus鈥� and the floor-run crew for 鈥淧ride & Prejudice.鈥� In addition to performing in stage productions, Kelsey is the historian of Speak Up, 91直播鈥檚 devised theatre troupe, and has competed with the group for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. She is a member and vice president-elect of the Beta Phi cast of Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theatre Honor Society. She is a student mentor in the School of Theatre Peer Mentor program.

The student awards are made possible because the Dean鈥檚 Circle believes in investing in the future and is willing to contribute and raise the money needed to fund these $3,000 individual awards each year for a total of $18,000, Himes said. For more information about the Dean鈥檚 Circle, contact Himes at himesac@sfasu.edu or at (936) 468-2801.