Friends of Northwest School of the Arts

Today is the day — someone is going to win $2,500! Join us on Zoom at 1:45 pm to see who is the lucky winner of our PTO’s big raffle!

Zoom link:
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/87564523335?pwd=FAlaeCuF4boj0vFdsXnbkC9larTtU7.1

Huge thanks to everyone who purchased tickets and donated to our fundraiser!

It is officially Teacher Appreciation Week and NWSA PTO would like to thank all of the amazing teachers and staff for the wonderful work they do!

NWSA Takes the GOLD! 🏆

🎓 Rising Seniors = Big Pride! 🎓

Class of 2027 families, now’s the time to grab your senior yard sign and get ready to celebrate all summer long ☀️

Don’t wait until it’s too late—order before the end of the school year!

👉 https://www.friendsofnorthwest.org/store/product/YS-NWSA-SENIOR

Let’s show our senior pride all over town 💙

Friends of Northwest PTO - *Senior Yard Sign Friends of Northwest PTO

✨ Alumni Spotlight ✨

Meet Mahalia Latortue-Pridgett — NWSA Class of 2012.

You've been watching Abbott Elementary. She's been helping make it.

Mahalia is a TV development coordinator and director's assistant on one of the most celebrated shows on television right now.

From the halls of NWSA to the writers' rooms and sets of Hollywood — this is what's possible.

We're building something to bring alumni like Mahalia back to campus for the students who are sitting in those seats right now. If you believe in what NWSA produces, consider supporting the PTO: https://tinyurl.com/NWSAPTO

More to come. 🎭

✨ Alumni Spotlight ✨

Meet Warner Watkins — NWSA Theater & Dance Alum 1998.

Warner didn't follow a straight line after graduation. He performed in community theater, took the stage in a production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, learned stage swordfighting at the Carolina Renaissance Festival, and pursued a BFA. Then 9/11 happened — and everything changed.

He answered the call. Warner has served the federal government since 2002 and the U.S. Air Force from 2006 to 2013.

But here's the thing — he never stopped using what NWSA gave him.

"Whether I am communicating with different stakeholders or conducting research exercises where I play the part of a 'bad guy' to test security, my theater background is a major asset. It is essentially method acting with a lot of improv."

Today, Warner volunteers with student playwrights and actors, and is watching his own children grow into musicians, artists, and dancers.

In his words:
"NWSA did not just teach me how to play a part. It gave me the confidence and communication skills to serve my country and my community."

This is the other side of an arts education that doesn't get talked about enough. The skills are real. They go everywhere you go.

We're collecting alumni stories — and building something to bring them back to campus. More to come. 🎭

Warner (right) and Vann Doubleday in a performance of Forever Plaid. Class of '98

Help us keep this going!: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/support-the-arts-at-nwsa

✨ Alumni Spotlight ✨

Meet Donnie M. Everett — NWSA Class of 2005, Dance.

Donnie didn't just pursue his passion after graduation. He's been living it on one of the world's biggest stages — performing in Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil for over a decade, making him one of the longest-standing cast members in the show's history.

In his own words:
"NWSA will always be the place that gave birth to the artist in me."

This is what NWSA does. It doesn't just teach — it transforms.

We're building something for the students walking those halls right now — so they can look back 20 years from now and say the same thing Donnie does.

If you'd like to give us some TLC: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/support-the-arts-at-nwsa

More to come. 🎭

Meet Tiffany (Bond) Ball — NWSA Class of 2000, music major, and one of the school's very first 6th-through-12th-grade students.
Tiffany didn't go on to a career in music. She built a career in people — rising through HR at Wells Fargo to become Chief of Staff in Talent Acquisition.
When we asked what NWSA gave her, she didn't hesitate:
"Being taught at NWSA taught me to love and respect others, and to approach everything I do with a strong work ethic and perseverence."
Twenty-five years later, those values still show up every single day in how she leads.
That's the NWSA difference. Help us keep it going by donating today.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/support-the-arts-at-nwsa

🎨 Introducing: — Our Stories
When we put out a call to Northwest School of the Arts alumni this week, we expected a few responses.
We got 80 and counting!
Eighty people — dancers, musicians, actors, artists, executives, educators, entrepreneurs — who all walked the same halls, trained under the same teachers, and carried something from this school into the rest of their lives.
Over the coming weeks we're going to share their stories. Some went on to Broadway. Some went to Wall Street. Some stayed right here in Charlotte. All of them have something to say about what NWSA gave them.
Follow along. Tag an NWSA alum who should be in this series. And if you want to support the students who are writing their own stories right now —
https://tinyurl.com/NWSAdonate or join our raffle
🎟️ tinyurl.com/NWSARaffle2026

🎓 Class of 2027 Families — Don’t Miss This! 🎓

It’s time to celebrate your rising senior! Senior yard signs are now available, and they’re the perfect way to show your pride all summer long ☀️

📣 Order yours before the end of the school year so you can display it proudly throughout the summer!

👉 Order here: https://www.friendsofnorthwest.org/store/product/YS-NWSA-SENIOR

Let’s make this milestone year extra special and fill our community with senior pride 💙

Friends of Northwest PTO - *Senior Yard Sign Friends of Northwest PTO

Awesome job Nyla!! 🌟💫✨

Nyla Martin Audition | Ain't No Way | American Idol 2026 Nyla Martin Performs Ain't No Way by Aretha Franklin On American Idol 2026 (Season 24)Contacts - [email protected]