Patrick Campanella, a senior at Howell
High School, has been named as New
Jersey’s student arts advocate of the year by Art Pride NJ, the state’s arts advocacy organization. For making a difference in his community through the arts, Campanella will be honored at the Governor’s Awards in Arts Education event on May 5 in Trenton.
According to a press release, Campanella is one of the most exceptional students in the Freehold Regional High School District. He is a member of the district’s Autism Spectrum Program and through his art he has created a bridge between the district’s autistic students and its general education population. He has hosted art shows at Howell High School and sells his work through Artsonia, an online worldwide student art museum.
Campanella is also a major contributor to the creation of the school’s yearly Autism Awareness ribbons, he has created a mural in the media center of Howell High school, and he recently received the Meritorious Achievement Award from the VSA New Jersey Awards Committee in Visual Arts.
“He has taught all of us at Howell High School that autistic students can accomplish great things and be important contributors to all that makes us a school community,” Principal Zina Duerbig said.