Ari, age 8, is an energetic and passionate young artist with a love for dance, voice, acting, and drums. After two years with Culture for One and multiple Arts Scholarships awards to study at Ifetayo in Brooklyn, Ari was accepted into the prestigious American Ballet School, affiliated with the NYC Ballet. With support from a loving foster mom, Ari is flourishing in a safe and nurturing environment.

Deanna joined Culture for One at the age of 9 after experiencing early childhood trauma. Passionate about singing and dancing, Culture for One awarded many Arts Scholarships to the Harlem School of the Arts. Through hard work and dedication, Deanna was accepted into the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts—the first big step toward realizing her dreams.

Fran is a multi-talented college student, seamstress, costumer, ceramicist, and CFO Arts Scholarship recipient. As the first participant in Culture for One’s partnership with AmeriCorp/iFoster, Fran interned as a staff member with the programming team, helping to create the organization’s first ceramics workshop. Fran is studying fashion design at Brooklyn College.

Nickson is Culture for One’s “Renaissance Man,” and a recipient of multiple Arts Scholarships in classical piano and music theory at Third Street Music School. Additionally, Nickson is a decorated runner — in 2023, he was ranked as the second fastest in New York State. A regular attendee of Cultural Excursions, he has found a sense of family within the Culture for One community. Nickson is studying at City College on a full scholarship.