And the Award Goes to: Student Artist Tessa Abel

“I can say that one of the most inspiring aspects of being a teacher is seeing a student excel in the classroom and then finding success outside the walls of the school,” said Viera High School teacher Dr. Steven Hicks.

Tessa Abel had been one of Hicks’ most promising students. And that’s why he said it was so thrilling and satisfying to learn she both won a major award and a scholarship for her artistic talents. 

A senior at Viera High, Abel recently was the youngest winner of an ADDY — the advertising industry’s means of recognizing its best work — from the Space Coast chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF). The same group also awarded Abel the $1,000 AAFSC Bill Hill Scholarship award.

The ADDY-winning art had been Abel’s first commissioned work outside of class assignments, a drawing of the staff at The Viera Company in photo-realistic style. 

“My friend recommended me since I was in ACAD (Viera High School’s Academy of Communication, Art + Design). Having never taken my work outside the classroom, I worried my skills might fall short of expectations,” Abel said of initial nerves. “I’m constantly gushing about how helpful ACAD has been to my friends and family, so there was lots to prove with my first real-world application of the skills I’d learned.”

Hicks, who teaches Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver and Animate at Viera High, won his own ADDY this year, as well, for photography. But in subsequently learning about his former student’s accomplishments, he experienced a different sense of gratification.

“As proud as I was in the moment before our conversation, in winning an ADDY myself, I was instantly more proud of my student,” he said.

Abel credits her education and experience in the academy for preparing her for her first real gig.

“All those class assignments and certification tests certainly paid off... I’d learned all the skills I needed to stick the landing on my first job,” Abel said. 

“Planning, execution, and organization had all been covered in class, and I’m especially grateful to my teachers for emphasizing how to translate our knowledge into a real-life scenario. I especially loved having an interactive experience — communicating with the client to fine-tune the piece and better realize their vision was my favorite part.”

As for the scholarship, Abel plans to attend Eastern Florida State College next fall, where she will major in digital media and entertainment. 

“I’m incredibly excited to have our club leadership award this scholarship to a student who exemplifies a passion for creative endeavors, has an impressive scholastic resume, and showcased her talent as the youngest winner at this year’s American Advertising Awards,” said AAF Space Coast President Stephanie Byrd.

Byrd felt so strongly about Abel’s deservedness, she made it a priority for the club to consider the scholarship, which had not been awarded since 2012.

— EverythingBrevard  

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