A Special Kind of Leadership - Dr.Jeffrey Hodgson of the New World School of the Arts

A Special Kind of Leadership

January 3, 2017 - Our speaker today was Dr.Jeffrey Hodgson of the New World School of the Arts, Lee Michael Morrison, our former distinguished speaker chair and fellow Rotarian, introduced Dr. Hodgson who was influential in Lee’s life as a former artistic director of NWSA’s Wind Symphony program.

To paraphrase Lee’s introduction, Dr. Hodgson is one of those special kind of leaders who works behind the scenes, always encouraging, always patting those he supports on the back, and always taking a back seat so his students and staff can take the spotlight.

Rotary Scholarship

Dr. Hodgson, an accomplished pianist himself, began the lecture introducing Daniel Ochoa, the Rotary Scholarship Recipient, who is a freshman in the visual arts program, specializing in graphic art design.

Daniel, a well rounded artist and a Miami native, had the highest marks in visual design for NWSA, and is currently involved in the WARP program which is an intensive study that meets for 10 hours per week.

Educational Partnership 

The NWSA isn’t just a high school program promoting and helping to produce music, theater, dance and visual arts talents, but also works closely with Miami Dade College and the University of Florida as a 4 year college program.

In fact, one of the benefits of the NWSA is being on a college campus studying with college faculty. And, those in the high school program earn 24 credits towards their college degree. Additionally, there is a 100% graduation rate, and in 2015, a $24.6 million scholarship was awarded to 115 of NWSA’s graduates.

ROI of Arts Degrees

NWSA will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, an accomplishment that is rare in Miami. It’s programs like the NWSA that continues to enlighten us about the Return on Investment with Arts degrees, which is a needed, vital resource, equivalent of Law, and Medical degrees.

The study of the Arts expands the mind, enriches communities, laying down the foundation of lasting legacies often defining cultures and international societies, visually, as well as musically.

Thank you Dr. Jeffrey Hodgson and congratulations on the NWSA's 30 year anniversary!

Article by Jeff McNabb