Meet LPS Focus Program Scholar: Tucker, Arts and Humanities

Lincoln Public Schools Focus Programs are a customized high school experience rooted in connection and opportunities. 

LPS offers almost a dozen focus programs for our scholars to choose their journeys like Lincoln High School senior Tucker. 

Tucker is deeply into art and loves experimenting with it. He lets his creative mind shine through videography and graphic design. 

The young artist was able to incorporate passion for creativity and design into his school day by attending one of LPS’ oldest focus programs – Arts and Humanities.

Read more about Tucker’s Arts and Humanities experience in this Q&A as he is October’s featured Focus Program Scholar. 

Name: Tucker
Home High School: Lincoln High School
Grade: 12
Focus Program: Arts and Humanities 

Why did you choose Arts and Humanities?
I chose Arts and Humanities because it was a smaller school where I could get more experience in art and in the community. Coming into it I really liked the energy it had, and I felt like I could be myself here. 

What do you like most about Arts and Humanities?
The opportunities for greater artistic exploration, the unique classes, the community and the unique traditions that only exist here really define the experience of being here.

What makes Arts and Humanities different?
There’s an energy here that can’t be replicated. Coming in and participating and being around the students and teachers, you can feel the creative energy in the building. That energy can be attributed to the interest of the students and the community that we’ve built here.

How do you get to explore your passions or interests at Arts and Humanities?
I get to experiment with a lot of new things. If I want to try something new there are resources to do so, and teachers to support your ideas and provide insight and advice to further explore your ideas. 

How has attending Arts and Humanities empowered you as a student?
I know my creative processes much more, which lets me more accurately understand my work both in and out of school. There are also a lot of experiences that I’ve had here that have changed me as a person and let me know myself more.

What are your relationships with other students and staff like at Arts and Humanities?
Everyone knows everyone. There's only about 90 people in the school and so you’re bound to interact with everybody at one point. I also know my teachers a lot more than I would at a normal high school, and so that really lends itself to the community that we have here.

How has being a part of a LPS Focus Program added to your high school experience?
It’s definitely a lot more fun. I’ve done a lot of things that I couldn’t have imagined coming in, like interacting with professional artists and filmmakers, getting involved in the community, and leading long-term projects. It’s really enriching to have experiences like that.

How has Arts and Humanities prepared you for the future?
I have a completely different mindset than I did when I first came here due in part to the way that Arts and Humanities teaches its subjects. I also have a lot more experience in different creative fields, and meeting professional creators that give great advice on how to succeed in not just creative fields, but in the future in general.

Why are Focus Programs like Arts and Humanities important to high school students?
They’re very important for students who want to engage with their interests in a community that will support them. They’re important for people who thrive in smaller communities where they can know their teachers and peers well and get inspiration from them. 

What is the greatest thing you’ve learned since attending Arts and Humanities? 
The greatest thing I’ve learned is the understanding of my creative processes – something that I will take with me going forward in life. Also, an understanding of the humanities mind frame, that way of thinking about the world, I know will stick with me for a very long time.

Choose your passion. Choose your community. Choose your future with LPS Focus Programs. 

Learn more about Arts and Humanities at https://arts.lps.org/. 

Don’t forget to also explore LPS Focus Programs by looking at upcoming events at home.lps.org/focus. 

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