Jillian Michel and Isabella Reinoso-Velez are this year’s “Artistic Promise” ALBF Scholarship Winners from Governor Mifflin High School. Let’s meet them!

Ann and Jillian after the Governor Mifflin Awards Ceremony. No, Ann is not pregnant lol.

Name: Jillian Michel

High School: Governor Mifflin

Favorite Class: It was definitely my AP art class. It was by far the most fun, albeit stressful class.

Artistic style: I would say my artwork borders on the surrealist side, I enjoy darker works of art and art of things I find interesting, like incorporating skeletons. I like to put some of my personal struggles or feelings into my works to better understand them myself in a visual aspect.

What are your college plans? I plan to attend Montserrat College of Art, majoring in painting and minoring in art history and curatorial studies.

What helps you stay sane? Art definitely helps keep me sane, art has been an outlet to get out my frustrations and stress. I also write - I have written some poetry - or I work on my personal writing projects, which at the moment is a story-based video game.

What did receiving the ALBF Scholarship mean to you? Receiving this scholarship really meant a lot not only to me but to my family. I’m the only art student in my family of mostly STEM careers, and being recognized for the scholarship also just was a show that I’ve worked hard to get where I am and I was able to make it. The money will definitely help with the costs for college and I am eternally grateful for it!

Name: Isabella Reinoso

High School: Governor Mifflin

Favorite Class: Art

What are your college plans? I plan to go to RACC and then transfer to Kutztown

What helps you stay sane? Knowing that nothing is permanent and I control my life, no one else does.

What did receiving the ALBF Scholarship mean to you? The scholarship made me realize that I shouldn’t give up on my passions and that even though I didn’t believe in myself, someone else does, it gave me motivation to keep pursuing art.