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The National High School Heart of the Arts Award is annually conferred to eight section recipients as well as one national recipient. The recipient must be an individual from a high school that is a member of an NFHS-member athletic or activity association.
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The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has selected Brooklyn Wolthoff, a senior at Riceville Community High School in Riceville, Iowa, as the recipient of the 2026 National High School Heart of the Arts Award.
The National High School Heart of the Arts Award was conceptualized by the NFHS in 2014 to honor individuals who exemplify the ideals of the positive heart of the arts and represent the core mission of education-based activities.
Learning to read did not come easily for Brooklyn Wolthoff. No matter how hard she tried, the words refused to make sense. In first grade, she was retained and diagnosed with dyslexia. That early challenge could have defined her limits but instead became the first test of her resolve. Even with this diagnosis, Wolthoff pushed herself to excel, earning a 3.9 GPA, academic honors, and membership in the National Honor Society through determination and grit.
As her confidence grew, so did her passions. Wolthoff became a dancer and a cross‑country runner, embracing movement as both joy and expression. But in eighth grade, her path shifted dramatically when she was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and Ehlers‑Danlos Syndrome. Running was no longer possible. Rather than surrender what she loved, Brooklyn redirected her drive and found a new home in extracurricular speech.
The following summer brought yet another life‑altering challenge. Brooklyn’s stomach lost its motility, requiring a feeding tube and later a stomach port to receive proper nutrition. Still, she pressed forward. During her junior year, Brooklyn began experiencing seizures and was diagnosed with Neurological Functioning Disorder — a condition that took from her the ability to walk and to dance. Yet through every diagnosis, every loss and every moment of uncertainty, Brooklyn never lost her happiness, her positivity, her faith or her determination.
When she could no longer perform in certain speech events, Wolthoff coached the student who replaced her. When self‑pity would have been understandable, she chose purpose instead — writing speech programs about her dyslexia and her confinement to a wheelchair. When giving up would have been easier, Brooklyn endured extensive physical and occupational therapy, working eight hours a day to regain some ability to walk using hand crutches or a walker.
In her junior year, Wolthoff earned one of the highest honors in Iowa speech by performing at the Individual Speech All‑State Festival. There, she delivered an original oratory titled On Wednesdays I Will Dance. The message was not symbolic; it was a declaration that Brooklyn believes with her whole heart. She understands that dancing may look different now than it once did, but she will dance nonetheless, whether from a wheelchair or with crutches. She is determined to live fully and joyfully, no matter the obstacles placed in her path.
At Riceville Community High School, Wolthoff is known as the heart of the speech team — cheering loudly, encouraging relentlessly, and celebrating the successes of others even while carrying her own heavy burdens. She is also a choir participant, an all‑conference choir member, a consistent state speech contest qualifier, and a leader through the Leader In Me program and the school’s LightHouse team. She was a member of Homecoming Court and mentors elementary students as a Big Sister.
Beyond school, Wolthoff’s commitment to service is remarkable. She assists with local blood drives, helps plan the annual Ties and Tiaras dance for elementary students and parents, and supports numerous community fundraisers. She makes tie blankets for families at the Ronald McDonald House through the Knot Alone project, inspired by her own stay at a Ronald McDonald House during a medical diagnosis, and remains actively involved in her church youth group.
Wolthoff has always strived for a sense of normalcy in her high school experience. Rather than allowing misfortune to define her, she has transformed it into testimony. Through the arts, service and leadership, she demonstrates what is possible with a strong heart, a positive attitude and an unbreakable spirit — truly embodying the mission and meaning of the NFHS National High School Heart of the Arts Award.
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