Cool Kid Sanna Legan is named 2018 US Presidential Scholar in the Arts

Sanna Legan's artwork has earned her one of the nation's highest honors. This senior at New Roads School in Santa Monica is one of only 20 students named a 2018 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. She heard the news while on campus.

"I started crying in the middle of the hallway," Legan said. "Just like ugly, ugly, sobbing, and then had to go back in and finish my Spanish final."

The 18 year old now gets to go to Washington D.C. for 10 days, while her work is shown at the Kennedy Center. She calls herself a "Conceptual Social Justice Artist," primarily creating three-dimensional artwork that focuses on women's rights issues through sewing.

"I talk about eating disorders, beauty and cosmetic surgery, sexual assault and the silence that surrounds that," said Legan. "It's the duty of an artist to create art that will better society."

"She draws beautifully, eloquently, lyrically and she could be a wonderful painter," said her teacher David Schoffman, "But it's her concepts! She's always in a dialogue with herself."

"She's not only using the opportunity at New Roads to develop her talents and her voice, but she is using that to impact the world," added Luthern Williams, the Head of New Roads School.

Legan is attending Carnegie Mellon University in the fall, and this "Cool Kid" also has a message for other artists.

"Never give up your dream. If you work as hard as you believe in what you do, then people will recognize that," said Legan.