Local Poet to Attend World-Renowned Interlochen Arts Camp

INTERLOCHEN, Mich. (4/29/24)—Natalie Kwon, 16, of Danville, CA, will attend Interlochen Arts Camp, the nation’s premier summer arts program for aspiring artists in grades 3-12, this summer. Kwon, the daughter of Paul and Davina Kwon, will study Performance Poetry Intensive at Interlochen.

Natalie, a sophomore in high school, currently attends the Head-Royce School, a private co-educational college-preparatory K-12 school in Oakland, California.

Natalie has a passion for creative writing and poetry. Some of her literary accomplishments to date are:
* Awarded first prize in a creative writing competition sponsored by Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center.
* Published two poems in two separate books, ‘A Celebration of Poets’ at age 14 and ‘Quilted’ at age 15.
* Accepted to and completed Stanford’s Pre-Collegiate Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, and Poetry program.
* Accepted to and completed Literary Oxford’s Great Books Summer Program at Somerville College in Oxford University, United Kingdom.
* Accepted to and completed the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth’s Crafting the Essay course.
* Completed an AP English Literature and Composition: Poem course taught by a UC Berkeley professor.
* Completed a college Poetry Writing course at Diablo Valley College.
* Accepted to and currently participating in Stanford’s Neuroscience Journal Club initiated by faculty members in Neurosurgery and Neurology.
* Awarded a Certificate of Excellence after completing Neuroanatomy summer program at UC Berkeley.
* Accepted to and currently participating in Stanford’s Sejong Korea Scholars Program (20 exceptional high school students selected from throughout the United States).

Natalie also volunteers in her local community as a teen intern. For the past three years, she has applied and was accepted to intern, at Viva El Espanol, a Spanish immersion summer camp for kids ages 4-10, located in Lafayette, California. As a teen intern, she assisted staff with curriculum preparation, led Spanish language activities, and supervised children in arts, crafts, and outdoor activities. Natalie loves working with kids and aspires someday to become a pediatric neurologist.

Natalie has been playing the piano for 12 years, and as a classical pianist, she has performed in over 22 solo piano recitals at the Reeder Music Academy in Danville, CA.

Artistic students ages 8-18 from around the world convene at Interlochen to expand their capacity in music, theatre, dance, creative writing, visual arts, interdisciplinary arts, and film. Through daily classes and frequent performance opportunities, Interlochen students explore the full breadth of the arts, pursue creative breakthroughs, and forge lifelong cross-cultural friendships. Immersed in a multidisciplinary artistic environment, young creatives find reflection, rejuvenation, and inspiration on Interlochen’s pristine, 1,200-acre wooded campus.

“We are excited to welcome students to the 97th season of Interlochen Arts Camp,” said Trey Devey, President of Interlochen Center for the Arts. “It is truly thrilling to witness the remarkable growth that takes place at Interlochen as students discover their potential, take their talent to the next level, and share what they’ve learned with their family and friends.”

Founded in 1928, Interlochen Arts Camp has been at the forefront of arts education for nearly a century. The Camp’s global alumni community encompasses creative leaders in the arts and many other fields, including singers Norah Jones, Josh Groban, and Rufus Wainwright; Martha Graham Dance Company Artistic Director Janet Eilber; painter Laura Owens; New York Times theatre critic Jesse Green; Google co-founder Larry Page; Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver; Olympic ice dancer Naomi Lang Strong; actor Anthony Rapp; and cartoonist Cathy Guisewite, among many others. Approximately 13% of the nation’s professional orchestra musicians have roots at Interlochen, and alumni of Interlochen’s programs have been awarded more than 140 Grammy Awards.

In addition to hundreds of performances and presentations by young artists, Interlochen brings leading artists to its northern Michigan campus each summer as part of the Interlochen Arts Festival. Recent guests include Reba McEntire, Diana Ross, Chick Corea, The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Lady Antebellum, Harry Connick Jr., and many more.

About Interlochen Arts Camp
Interlochen Arts Camp is the nation’s premier multidisciplinary summer arts program, where emerging artists transform passion and potential into purpose. Guided by internationally renowned artists, campers ages 8 to 18 study music, theatre, dance, visual arts, creative writing, interdisciplinary arts, and film in a glorious, natural setting with like-minded peers. Learn more at camp.interlochen.org. Follow Interlochen Center for the Arts on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube at @interlochenarts.


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