The winner of the 2023 Washington Center Anacker Scholarship for the Arts is Jayden White! Jayden is graduating from Rochester High School where she has participated in Concert Band, Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, and as the Drum Major for Marching Band. Jayden plays the oboe and trombone and plans to study Music Education and fulfill her long-time dream of becoming a Music Teacher. In addition to her own music pursuits, Jayden volunteers her time with high school band students and mentors beginning musicians. According to the RHS Director of Bands and Choirs, Kelsey B. Kosin, Jayden “leads the way for our younger players to learn and grow within our program.” As another mentor put it, “Helping other students feeds her passion in music.” The Washington Center is thrilled to award Jayden with the Anacker Scholarship to support her future education.
First awarded in 2014, the Washington Center Anacker Scholarship for the Arts recognizes, encourages, and supports a Thurston County Scholar’s study in the field of the arts. The scholarship was endowed by former Washington Center Board President Sally Anacker, who believes the arts exist to enrich our lives. “If the arts exist to enrich our lives… then the Washington Center’s mission must surely be not only to provide the various art forms but to nurture the pursuit of them in our young people,” said Anacker.