Trio of Mt. Lebanon grads win art scholarships

Members of the Mt. Lebanon Partnership Arts’ Initiative Scholarship committee found themselves in a quandary.
“We had a tough time, because you are all amazing,” Steve Denenberg told the three finalists. “Every time one of you would walk out of the room, we’d say, ‘She’s got to be the winner.’ And then the next one would walk in: ‘She’s got to be the winner.'”

Harry Funk / The Almanac
Harry Funk / The Almanac
Celebrating their scholarships are, from left, Paulina Braverman, Alyssa Scott and Hannah Wu.
He and his wife, Wendy, are part of the group responsible for choosing the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship for a Mt. Lebanon High School graduate who will be attending an accredited higher education art program in the fall. They were among the contingent visiting the school shortly before commencement to present the award.
“Can you give me the envelope, please?” Steve asked fellow committee member Bill Callahan, who handed him more than one. “Why are there three?”
It took a few seconds for Paulina Braverman, Alyssa Scott and Hannah Wu to realize what had happened, and they proceeded to shout with excitement.
“We couldn’t decide, so we wanted all three of you to win,” Denenberg told them. “We raised enough money to give all three of you the full amount.”
The committee judged applicants’ entries in the categories of talent, creativity, originality and future art plans. As per the criteria, all of the winners are headed for art schools: Hannah to the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City, Alyssa to the Rhode Island School of Design, and Paulina to the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design in Ann Arbor, Mich.
“I’ve had the privilege of teaching these three students since middle school, and I’ve gotten to watch them grow and develop as young ladies but also as artists,” high school art teacher Jennifer Rodriguez, who previously taught at Independence Middle School, said.

Harry Funk / The Almanac
Harry Funk / The Almanac
Opening their scholarship notifications are, from left, Paulina Braverman, Alyssa Scott and Hannah Wu.
Rodriguez, who also chairs the school district’s secondary fine arts department, complimented their talents, especially in the two-dimensional media in which all of them concentrate.
“These three girls are very deserving,” she said, “because they’re not only wonderful artists, they’re wonderful people with strong work ethics.”
Denenberg acknowledged Rodriguez’s role in the students providing such impressive credentials to the committee.
“You guys are the luckiest people in the world to have a teacher like her,” he told them. “You will never have one like her again.”
A raffle during last year’s Mt. Lebanon Artists’ Market initially provided money for the scholarship, and donors stepped up once committee members decided to make three awards.
Joining Callahan and the Denenbergs on the committee are Anne Frederickson, Judy Neely and Abby Palladino.
For more information about the Mt. Lebanon Partnership, visit www.mtlebopartnership.org.

Harry Funk / The Almanac
Harry Funk / The Almanac
From left are Jennifer Rodriguez, Hannah Wu, Paulina Braverman and Alyssa Scott.