Emilia Pereira, South Florida State College

Emilia (Emmie) Pereira is a committed young artist who has volunteered at the Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC) on the South Florida State College (SFSC) Highlands campus since 2011. She has been a docent for shows including “Journeys Stories,” an exhibit featuring local immigrants’ stories presented in conjunction with the Smithsonian’s “Journeys” project. Emmie was central to the MOFAC Wildflower Wayside Shrines Trail, a self-guided walking trail that explores the unique ecology of the pristine Florida scrubland on the SFSC Highlands Campus. Six shrine boxes on the trail, created by artist Mollie Doctrow, honor its endangered plant species. She also assisted with the installation of a trail exhibit at Archbold Biological Station in Lake Placid, Florida. She has served in multiple roles with the SFSC Art Club from 2010 to 2013, participating in their “Teaching the Community” pottery classes. She has helped the local community directly through various outreach and support projects, including coloring books, painting donations, design of parade floats, and painting the school gym. An outstanding student, she is enrolled in the SFSC Honors Program, has been on the Presidents List from Fall 2010 to Fall 2012, and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa.