DES MOINES – As Iowa's high school seniors begin their final steps to graduation, three of them are getting a leg up on college with scholarships from the Iowa Arts Council.

Gov. Terry E. Branstad presented the 2017 Iowa Scholarship for the Arts awards to Katelyn Brockmeyer of Spirit Lake High School, Ajla Dizdarević of Waterloo West High School, and Shana Liu of Des Moines Roosevelt High School and Central Academy during a presentation ceremony today at the State Capitol in Des Moines.

“I am pleased to recognize these Iowa students today for all they have accomplished and wish them the best of luck as they pursue an education in the arts," Branstad said. "I'm happy to hear that these students will continue to grow and develop as they move on to college and fulfill their goals."

The Iowa Arts Council awards the Scholarship for the Arts annually to select Iowa high school students with a proven artistic ability in dance, literature, music, theater, traditional arts or visual arts who plan to attend an Iowa college or university during the next academic year and pursue a major in the arts.

Each student recognized today will receive $1,500 toward her 2017-2018 college tuition and related expenses as a full-time undergraduate at a fully accredited Iowa college or university with a major in one or more of the disciplines considered for the award:

• Brockmeyer of Spirit Lake will study art history at the University of Northern Iowa.
• Dizdarevi​ć of Waterloo will study English and creative writing at the University of Iowa.
• Liu of Urbandale will study piano performance and biomedical science at Luther College.