Emily’s Hope is honored to announce Zuri Cleland as the 2025 recipient of the Emily’s Hope Art Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship, managed through the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, supports graduating high school seniors in South Dakota who plan to pursue a degree in the visual arts.
Zuri, a senior at Sioux Falls Roosevelt High School, will attend the University of South Dakota this fall to study art. In her application, Zuri shared how creating art has helped her manage anxiety since middle school.
“The only time my mind and hands were truly steady was when I was painting,” she wrote. “No matter what was racing through my mind, as soon as I started drawing or painting, my mind would go blissfully silent.”
Zuri’s relationship with Emily’s Hope began when she was recognized as a runner-up in the organization’s first Youth Art Competition, which promotes healthy, drug- and alcohol-free living through creative expression.
The Emily’s Hope Art Scholarship honors the legacy of Emily Groth, a talented young artist whose life was tragically cut short by fentanyl poisoning in 2018. Emily’s paintings and pottery live on as a testament to the healing power of art—a power this scholarship seeks to nurture in future generations.
“Emily poured her soul into her artwork, and we see that same spirit in Zuri,” said Angela Kennecke, founder of Emily’s Hope and Emily’s mother. “It’s incredibly meaningful to see this scholarship support a young artist who also finds strength and peace through creativity.”
To learn more about the Emily’s Hope Art Scholarship and how it carries forward Emily’s legacy, visit: https://emilyshope.charity/our-impact/scholarship.
About Emily’s Hope
Emily’s Hope is a nonprofit organization working to eliminate the stigma surrounding substance use disorder and to save lives through evidence-informed education, compassionate support, and financial assistance for recovery. Founded by award-winning journalist Angela Kennecke after the tragic overdose death of her daughter Emily, the organization has become a national voice for prevention and hope. Emily’s Hope offers a K–12 substance use prevention curriculum used across the country, the Grieving Out Loud podcast, and on-the-ground initiatives such as naloxone distribution, a Post-Overdose Response Team, and a Youth Prevention Coalition in South Dakota. The organization also provides treatment scholarships to help individuals access care. Learn more about Emily’s Hope at emilyshope.charity.
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