POTTSVILLE, Pa. — With a stroke of a pen, 18 students representing Schuylkill County had their moment to sign their letters of intent for their choice of college.
But these aren't student-athletes. These high school seniors have their sights on careers in the fine arts.
"I've always had a passion for musical theater, and that is what I want to do for the rest of my life," said Sarah Malek.
This marks the second year for the fine arts signing day at the historic Yuengling Mansion in Pottsville, hosted by the Schuylkill County Council for The Arts.
"Art is definitely a sport; that is a great way to put it. And as much as athletes put into their trade how well they can dribble a ball or how well they can throw a ball. The arts, we put in the same amount of work," said Marley Mikovich, Executive Director of The Schuylkill County Council for The Arts.
For these seniors, graduation is just a few weeks away.
Sarah Malek from Pottsville High School plans on attending Fairleigh Dickinson University for musical theater.
"It's absolutely incredible because they do a lot for the sports students, but in this area, especially a lot of the arts students, we do just as much, and we do not get this much recognition," said Malek.
"There are a lot more critiques going on; what we consider to be our artwork, it gets put through a lot of critiques and judgments, so in my opinion, it's great to honor these kids," said Mikovich.
Anna Ringlaben from Tamaqua High School says she'll be attending Savannah College of Art and Design for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting. She says she hopes this signing day inspires more students to pursue their passions.
" There's a lot of discouragement of going into anything in the arts because of it's thing of not being "stable," but if you do what you love, it's a lot easier for you," said Ringlaben.
The Schuylkill County Council of The Arts hopes to honor even more student artists and musicians next year.