Northwest Whitfield High School’s Drama Department, known as the Northwest Theatre Company, has long produced outstanding graduates. This year, theater students earned more awards and scholarship prizes than at any time in the program’s history. One student in particular, Scarlett Mumford, set a milestone by receiving the most musical theater scholarships by a single student.
According to the high school’s Fine Arts chair, Josh Ruben, Mumford’s tenacity and work ethic were key to her success.
“In sports, the arts or any endeavor, talent matters. Hard work matters more,” Ruben explained. “Most kids love performing, but Scarlett loves to rehearse as well. Applause can be a wonderful motivator,” he added, “but her love of the work is what makes her stand out.”
The scholarship application process can be arduous. Students write essays, gather recommendation letters and must demonstrate academic merit. Mumford did all of this while also presenting Broadway songs and monologues of outstanding artistic standards. In some cases, the performances were presented through video or online submissions. Often, she performed live before a panel of judges.
After months of study and preparation, Mumford submitted materials to a variety of colleges, arts institutions and granting agencies. So far, her list of scholarships, totaling approximately $20,000, includes:
— A Reinhardt University Theatre Scholarship.
— The Reinhardt University Excellence Scholarship for Musical Theatre.
— The Georgia Thespian Conference Theatre Achievement Scholarship.
— The Dalton Little Theatre Keith McDearis Musical Theatre Scholarship.
— The Jake Hargis Memorial Fine Arts Scholarship.
Mumford began performing in local community theaters in elementary school and continues to do so. At Northwest, she started out in the chorus and played supporting roles in musicals.
Last season, her performance as the nurse in “Romeo and Juliet” helped Northwest continue its streak of victories in the Georgia High School Association One Act Play Championships. She did so again in this season’s championship-winning “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” as Queen Titania. She then played the lead role of Alice in the the bluegrass musical “Bright Star,” earning raves from audiences around the region.
As a vocalist, she helped Northwest repeat as champions in the Georgia High School Association Literary Meet, for which she served as team captain. Literary features several arts and literature events, and Mumford performed as both the female soloist and as part of the ladies trio. For a school to win both the One Act and Literary championships in one season is a rare feat. Northwest has done it two years in a row.
Northwest has dozens of scholarship recipients every year. Awards are given for academics, athletics and community service. Other Northwest Fine Arts students earned awards this year for music, visual arts and drama. In addition, several graduates earned awards in multiple disciplines.
Submitted by Josh Ruben, Northwest Whitfield High School Fine Arts chair.