Congratulations to our first ODU Student Scholarship Winner: Bria Tyler

We are excited to announce the first recipient of the Melinda Vooss Artfully Yours Memorial Fund Education Scholarship. Please join me in congratulating Bria Tyler, Senior in PreK-12 Art Education major at Old Dominion University. This scholarship is an opportunity for Art Education seniors to showcase their dedication to the field and be recognized for their outstanding achievements as they complete their K-12 student teaching internship in Hampton Roads.

Bria is a passionate and dedicated student-teacher. She writes: “As a teaching artist, I am always searching for ways to enhance my knowledge and skills in order to benefit my students. My aspirations are to continue growing as an artist and educator and carry what I have learned back into the classroom in order to benefit my students.” 

Bria has many notable accomplishing including being awarded the Best in Show for the 2023 Baron and Ellin Gordon Galleries Student Juried Exhibition, which resulted in her solo exhibition in the Chrysler Museum Perry Glass Studio Vestibule 102 ON SHOW NOW. She took part in several prominent exhibitions, including ODU's Undergraduate Research Symposium, and the Barry Art Museum's Black History Month exhibition. Finally, she was nominated to the honor of the Student Worker of the Year and has held the position of the President of the Student Art Education Association for two consecutive years.

As Bria completes her BFA in Art Education at ODU, she also earned associate's degree Tidewater Community College in Early Childhood Education and Social Science, along with a certification in Child Development.

Bria shared the following letter upon learning of the scholarship award:

"I am writing to express my sincerest gratitude for being awarded the Melinda Vooss Artfully Yours Memorial Art Education Scholarship. As the first scholarship recipient, I want to thank you for this award, as I am honored to receive this recognition and grateful for the opportunity to pursue my passion for art education.

Melinda Vooss's commitment to her students and dedication to the field of art education is genuinely inspiring and has set a high standard for all who follow in her footsteps. Your commitment to carrying on the legacy of Melinda and supporting art education is genuinely commendable.

Thanks to your generosity, I can continue my studies in art education and develop my skills as an educator. This scholarship will help me achieve my career goals and positively impact the lives of my future students.

Once again, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for this honor. I strive to keep Melinda Vooss's legacy alive by incorporating her values of using art to help build confidence, self-awareness, expression, pride, and more into my teaching practices in the community and public schools, along with instilling the same love and passion for art that she had in all my students."

- Bria Tyler

As we celebrate awarding the first Melinda Vooss Artfully Yours Memorial Fund Education Scholarship, we are reminded of the foundation’s core mission: to inspire and empower future art educators while fostering creativity and confidence in young minds. Bria Tyler, our inaugural recipient, embodies these values through her passion and dedication to art education. We are excited to support her journey, knowing that her future work will carry forward Melinda’s legacy of using art to uplift and inspire students.

Together, we can continue to nurture the next generation of creative educators like Bria.