2024 National High School Heart of the Arts Award Honors Iowa Student Leader

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has selected Anders Lovstuen, a multi-activity participant and exemplary student leader at Decorah (Iowa) High School (DHS), as the recipient of the 2024 National High School Heart of the Arts Award.

The National High School Heart of the Arts Award was conceptualized by the NFHS in 2014 and has since been utilized to honor those individuals who exemplify the ideals of the positive heart of the arts and represent the core mission of education-based activities.

Few others personify the spirit of education-based activities more fervently than Lovstuen, a speech standout and integral part of the Decorah High School community who refuses to be defined by his physical limitations. However, there’s a very strong case that Lovstuen, who was born without arms and legs, can be defined by another part of his body – his heart.

Intelligent, charismatic and known for lifting up those around him, Lovstuen has risen to become captain of the DHS speech and Envirothon teams, as well as a go-to member of the robotics team and the school’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter. He does all this while maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average (GPA) that made him a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, including him in a cohort that comprises less than one percent of all high school seniors in the United States.

Lovstuen’s extraordinary extracurricular talents show up – first and foremost – on the speech stage, where, as a four-year member of the team, he earned Iowa High School Speech Association (IHSSA) All-State honors in both Readers Theater and Improvisation in 2022 and 2023. Last year, his Improvisation group claimed the IHSSA’s highest honor, the Critic’s Choice award, crowning them the best performers out of 566 teams statewide. Along the way to these lofty accolades, Lovstuen remained true to form as a role model, helping to organize DHS’ district contest and epitomizing for younger teammates what it means to act, dress and compete with class.

Last year was also a memorable one for the Envirothon team, which reigned supreme in every category (soils/land use, aquatic ecology, forestry and wildlife) at the state competition. The team, known as “Decorah Nerd Republic,” went on to represent the state of Iowa at the North American Envirothon event hosted by the National Conservation Foundation, where they took home a top-20 finish. As captain, Lovstuen is also responsible for leading the team’s study sessions.

For the robotics team, Lovstuen is both a participant and a coach, focused on developing ideas for the robot and coordinating the team’s tournament interview process. His guidance paid off recently as the team captured the Judges’ Choice Award at the league tournament and also won its super qualifier competition.

Lovstuen has served as FFA chapter treasurer and as Growing Leaders Division chair and has also been a part of several FFA committees. An active participant at the chapter, district and state levels and an avid competitor at skills competitions, Lovstuen has earned awards in multiple disciplines including Oral Reasons (first place), Conduct of Meetings (third place, “Gold” rating in 2021), Treasurer’s Book (“Gold” rating in 2023) and Parliamentary Procedure (“Silver” rating), and helped his team take second place at the 2023 state dairy cattle evaluation contest. Lovstuen is involved with 4-H as well and was a member of an All-Star Dairy judging team that took fourth place at the North American International Livestock Exposition.

Although he can’t compete on the field or the mat, Lovstuen has still found a way to be a key contributor to the Decorah football and wrestling programs. He has kept statistics for the football team for the past six seasons and attends every wrestling practice as a manager. During matches, he provides broadcast commentary on the team’s Facebook video streams.

In addition to carrying his perfect GPA, Lovstuen tutors fellow students who are experiencing academic difficulties and has competed in the Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications (COMAP) High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling (HiMCM) in each of his four high school years. Two years ago, he was a part of the first team in state history to be HiMCM “finalists,” which placed them in the top seven percent of competitors in the country and clinched a berth in COMAP’s International Mathematical Modeling Challenge.

On top of everything else, Lovstuen is part of the DHS Student Leadership Committee and the National Honor Society and also writes for the school newspaper, The Decorah Dispatch, working as a liaison between the student body and administration. He also played a major role in organizing the “Viking Olympics” during Decorah’s homecoming week this past fall and functioned as the master of ceremonies for the all-school pep assembly.

About the Award

Along with the national recipient, six students and one performing arts educator were chosen by the NFHS National High School Heart of the Arts Award Selection Committee as section winners of the award. The 2024 National High School Heart of the Arts section honorees are listed below, accompanied by a brief description of their accomplishments.

Section 1 – Evan Boulay, student, Lincoln (Rhode Island) High School

Boulay is an active and compassionate member of the school community at Lincoln High School, and despite facing personal challenges, including his father's terminal illness, demonstrates grace and determination. Boulay excels in various activities as a member of Lincoln’s Select Chorus, varsity volleyball team, Unified volleyball team and as an intern in ceramics, where his strong desire to teach others is highlighted in the way he passionately shares his artistic skills and techniques with his peers. He embodies selflessness, maintaining his commitment to his passions and supporting others even during difficult times. Boulay's resilience serves as an inspiration to his peers and educators alike, showcasing his exceptional character and strength of spirit.

Section 2 – Kiley Mullins, student, Lovingston (Virginia) Nelson County High School

Mullins is a shining example of dedication and generosity; “the type of person who would stay late to brush up choreography and last-minute set tweaks for a show, then stay after that to paint a mural for the National Honor Society,” as her fine arts teachers put it. Mullins has demonstrated remarkable growth and versatility in the arts as a two-time Virginia High School League state champion in acting, while also excelling in directing, choreography, lighting design and stage management. Beyond her impressive achievements on stage, Mullins’ passion for serving her community is evident through her establishment of the Love Each Other Fund, which provides arts education opportunities for students in Nelson County Public Schools.

Section 3 – Adam Elitzur, student, David (Florida) Posnack Jewish Day School

Elitzur is a remarkable student with a passion for music, technology, writing and service. As a senior at Posnack Jewish Day School, he has proven that if one puts their mind to anything, they can achieve any goal. Alongside his extensive extracurricular activities, including leadership roles in the school band, journalism, and community service, Elitzur created Song-lingo.com, a groundbreaking platform that teaches languages through music. This initiative has earned him accolades such as winning the Congressional App Challenge and recognition in the U.S. Capitol. Despite his demanding academic schedule, Elitzur's dedication to excellence shines through in every aspect of his endeavors.

Section 4 – Anders Lovstuen, student, Decorah (Iowa) High School

Section 5 – Tami Maytum, theatre director and speech coach, Malcolm (Nebraska) High School

As the Malcolm High School theatre director and speech coach, Maytum has cultivated a vibrant arts program that currently sees participation from 58 percent of the student body. Her dedication to her students led her to spearhead the creation of a theater space, "The Galley," and despite initial challenges, secure a $10,000 grant and raise $50,000 in additional funds to make her dream for the school a reality. Under Maytum’s leadership, the Malcolm High School theatre groups won Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) state championships in 2013 and 2022 and took runner-up finishes in 2016, 2021 and 2023, while the speech program captured an NSAA state title in 2021 and placed second in 2016 and 2017.

Section 6 – Seth Gilley, student, Stephenville (Texas) High School

Gilley has suffered from spinal muscular atrophy since he was a small child, but it hasn’t stopped him from being highly active in the theatre and choir programs at Stephenville High School. Known from an early age for his kindness and sense of humor, Gilley received the Stephenville athletic department’s “Heart of Gold” award as a third-grader. While he has since starred in roles such as Professor Callahan in “Legally Blonde” and the Duke of Weselton in “Frozen,” Gilley continues to “pay it forward” to Stephenville youth who are disabled and wheelchair-bound, as he always makes a special effort to greet and take pictures with them when his theatre group performs at local elementary schools.

Section 7 – Ellie McKinlay, student, West Valley City (Utah) Hunter High School

As the only blind student at Hunter High School, McKinlay faces a myriad of challenges just to navigate the school building and handle a standard course load, let alone concurrent college and honors classes and her involvement in concert choir, mixed chorus, Unified drama and Unified track and field. Independent by nature, McKinlay excels in the classroom (3.76 GPA) and in her activities. Although she cannot see the instructor, she has learned how to use nonverbal cues to perform with her musical groups. Assigned the role of the narrator in “Finding Nemo,” McKinlay carried around her script, which was in braille, until she had all her lines memorized, and even added her own choreography to the production.

Section 8 – Ethan Harris, student, Mountain Home (Idaho) High School

After joining the Mountain Home band program in junior high school as a percussionist, Harris, who was born with cerebral palsy, continued to work diligently at his craft last year as a freshman. While carrying a 3.8 GPA, Harris and his ensemble took second place in the small percussion ensemble division at the district festival, qualifying for the state solo and ensemble festival in process. He built on his efforts from last year by becoming a marching band section leader this past fall and is currently working toward earning a bass drum position on the drumline for the 2024 marching season as well as a return to the state solo and ensemble festival this coming spring.

Below are the other individuals who were nominated by their respective state associations for the National High School Heart of the Arts Award.

2024 State Winners

Arkansas – Gavin Anders, student, Lakeside High School, Hot Springs

Connecticut – Christine Manalo, music educator, Bethel High School

Georgia – Analiese Hamm, performing arts director, Echols County High School, Statenville

Illinois – Ciera Smith, student, Hamilton County Senior High School, McLeansboro

Maine – Katie-Lynn Taylor, student, Oak Hill High School, Wales

Massachusetts – Troy Blanchette, student, Millis High School

Minnesota – Juniper Kelly-Swing, student, Duluth East High School

Mississippi – Stephanie MacArthur, music educator, Gautier High School

Oklahoma – Julie Cryer and Michael Deutscher, music educator and student, Jenks High School

South Carolina – Carrie Jordan, student, Loris High School

Vermont – Dan Marlow, administrator, Bellows Free Academy, St. Albans

West Virginia – Braylin Baker, student, West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, Romney

Wyoming – Adam Guild, art educator, Star Valley High School, Afton

Award nominees were submitted by their respective state high school associations and were reviewed by the NFHS National High School Heart of the Arts Award Selection Committee, which is also made up of state association staff members. Section winners will receive their awards before the end of the current school year, while the national winner will be honored at the NFHS Summer Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, where a special award presentation will take place on the morning of June 28. Including this year, 12 individuals, one band and one theatre group have been chosen as national award winners.

The past recipients of the National High School Heart of the Arts Award are:

2014 – Leia Schwartz, student-athlete/performing arts student, Miami (Florida) Coral Reef High School

2015 – Ethan Gray, performing arts student, Chicago (Illinois) St. Rita of Cascia High School

2016 – Midland City (Alabama) Dale County High School Marching Band and Band Director Sherri Miller

2017 – Josephine Ross, student, St. Paul (Minnesota) Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School

2018 – Cecelia Egan, student, Riverside (Rhode Island) St. Mary Academy-Bay

2019 – LaRaine Fess, drama teacher at Beaufort (South Carolina) High School and the Beaufort High School Theatre Department

2020 – Cailin Martin, student, Newport (Rhode Island) Rogers High School

2021 – Kylen Running Hawk, student, Morris Area (Minnesota) High School

2022 – Lola M. Wade, theatre instructor, Pittsburg (Kansas) St. Mary’s Colgan High School

2023 – Adam Mewhorter, director of bands, and Casey Hubbard, student, Moore (Oklahoma) Southmoore High School

This press release was written by Nate Perry, manager of media relations at the NFHS, and Ken Burke, coordinator of performing arts and sports at the NFHS.