Young Artists Take the Spotlight: Vote for GMSD’s March Fine Arts Student of the Month

Eight talented elementary students from across Germantown Municipal School District have been nominated for the March Fine Arts Student of the Month, presented by Joy Williams, Affiliate Broker with Main Street Realtors.

Each month, this recognition highlights students who demonstrate outstanding artistic ability while also modeling the qualities that make a well-rounded student. Nominees are selected based on artistic talent, creativity, and character. In addition, they maintain strong academics, positive attendance, and a supportive outlook toward their classmates and school community.

Receiving a nomination is an honor in itself. Teachers across the district shared why these young artists stand out not only for their creativity, but also for their dedication, leadership, and love of learning.

Here are the March Elementary School nominees:

Natalie H. Chavez Martinez – 5th Grade Music, Farmington Elementary
“Natalie demonstrates an exceptional level of dedication to learning the guitar and consistently exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding student in Guitar Club. She approaches each rehearsal with focus and purpose, remaining organized, on task, and committed to improving her musicianship. Through consistent effort and practice, she has mastered all of her beginner guitar chords and performs with a smooth, graceful strumming style that reflects both skill and discipline.

She is dependable and eager to learn, and I can always count on her to practice and prepare new material. Beyond her own progress, she is generous with her time and frequently helps other students who may be struggling to understand what we are learning. Her willingness to support her peers demonstrates both leadership and a genuine love for music.

She takes great pride in her work and maintains an organized binder where she carefully keeps all of her music, even preserving the very first music sheets she received years ago. Her dedication, responsibility, and enthusiasm for learning make her truly deserving of this recognition.”
— Derek Brookshire, Music Teacher, Farmington Elementary

Roman Opie – 5th Grade Visual Arts, Farmington Elementary
“What stands out most about Roman artistically is his exceptional neatness and attention to detail. He takes great care in his work, ensuring that each element is thoughtfully completed. He also demonstrates strong creative thinking by incorporating his own original concepts and ideas, which adds depth and individuality to his artwork.

One project that especially stood out was our recent self-portrait assignment. This can be a challenging project, as many students struggle with accurately observing and representing their own features, but Roman approached it with confidence and focus. He did an outstanding job capturing details with great care and precision.

His background was particularly impressive. He created an intricate pattern with a strong optical illusion effect that added depth and visual interest to the composition. The combination of technical skill and creative thinking truly made his work exceptional.

Roman’s passion for art clearly extends beyond the classroom. He was genuinely excited to take optical illusion art pages home, which shows that his interest in learning and creating continues outside of school. When students seek out opportunities to practice and explore on their own time, it deepens their skills, strengthens problem-solving abilities, and builds creative confidence. His enthusiasm and self-motivation will continue to support his artistic growth and development as a learner.”
— Kaitlyn Seahorn, Art Teacher, Farmington Elementary

Elena Liriano – 4th Grade Music, Riverdale Elementary
“Elena is a wonderful music student who is always on task. She recently completed our unit on recorders and was a fantastic player.

Elena stands out this month because she is in the cast of Riverdale’s spring musical. It was amazing to watch her shine on stage this week. She is very confident and truly in her element when performing, and I love that this example was shared with younger students.”
— Megan Woodring, Music Teacher, Riverdale Elementary

Davis Crittendon – 5th Grade Visual Arts, Riverdale Elementary
“Davis consistently demonstrates outstanding creativity and enthusiasm in the art room. His artwork reflects a unique and imaginative approach, and the level of craftsmanship he brings to each project goes well beyond what is typically expected of a fifth grade student. Davis approaches every assignment with originality, care, and a positive attitude. Always wearing a smile, he is a wonderful role model for his classmates and inspires others with both his artistic talent and encouraging spirit.

Davis recently completed a project inspired by Roy Lichtenstein’s artwork that incorporated his own name into the design. His solution stood out as particularly original and thought-provoking. Davis demonstrated a strong understanding of the visual style while also taking creative risks to make the piece personal and engaging. The final work reflected both careful attention to detail and an inventive approach to the assignment.

Davis also practices art outside of the classroom. He actively applies what he learns in class to his own work, and his consistency in practicing art shows.”
— Melissa Cychowski, Visual Arts Teacher, Riverdale Elementary

Khanya Dikuua – 5th Grade Music, Forest Hill Elementary
“Khanya lives and breathes music. Her love for singing shines through everywhere she goes. She is always humming a tune or preparing for her next performance. Khanya is an active member of the fifth grade choir and has even been featured as a soloist, confidently sharing her beautiful voice with the audience.

Over the summer, she traveled to Africa, where she had the incredible opportunity to step into a recording studio and record original music with her uncle. Born in Namibia, Khanya proudly carries on her father’s passion for Afro-Pop music and brings that same energy and creativity into our music classroom.

In addition to her musical talents, Khanya is an outstanding student academically and a joy to have in class. Her talent, enthusiasm, and positive spirit make her a wonderful choice for Fine Arts Student of the Month.”
— Peter Simons, Music/Choir Teacher, Forest Hill Elementary

Brittan Webb – 4th Grade Visual Arts, Forest Hill Elementary
“Brittan shows exceptional craftsmanship in everything she creates. She pays close attention to details and always works very carefully. Brittan’s cactus still life shows a great understanding of the element of art form, as well as color mixing with tints and shades. I think Brittan has a great passion for the arts. She participates in both the art club and the choir.”
— Reese Kouger, Visual Arts Teacher, Forest Hill Elementary

Lydia Nguyen – 5th Grade Music, Dogwood Elementary
“Lydia’s approach to learning is quiet, calm, and highly focused, which allows her to quickly understand and apply new concepts. She listens carefully during instruction and pays close attention to details, enabling her to catch on quickly to new techniques and musical ideas.

Rather than rushing, Lydia works thoughtfully and consistently, making sure she truly understands what is being taught. In both class and Steel Drum Band, she puts forth a strong effort to keep up with the music, practice challenging parts, and ask questions when needed so she can improve.

Her steady focus and strong work ethic help her make continual progress and set a positive example for other students.”
— Joseph Smith, Music Teacher, Dogwood Elementary

Emma Hong – 5th Grade Visual Arts, Dogwood Elementary
“Emma is a fifth grade student at Dogwood Elementary who excels in art both inside and outside the classroom and stands out for her creativity, attention to detail and the thoughtful care she brings to every project.”
— Ashley Luyendyk, Visual Arts Teacher, Dogwood Elementary

Community members are invited to help celebrate these talented students by casting their vote for the March Fine Arts Student of the Month.

Voting closes March 26, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. CST.

Cast your vote!