Sylvana Burgess, a native of Pine Bluff, recently completed her 12th grade year with honors at Pine Bluff High School.
She was one of four students honored May 3 by the Pine Bluff Branch NAACP ACT-SO Committee. ACT-SO, which stands for Afro-Academics, Cultural, Technological & Scientific Olympics program, is a youth initiative of the NAACP. The awards program took place at Bethany Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Pine Bluff.
Burgess received a Gold medal and monetary award for receiving a near perfect score of 99 points in the category of Visual Arts-Photography. She will represent Pine Bluff at the national competitions slated for July 9-13 in Charlotte, N.C. This is her final year of competing in ACT-SO, which is the largest academic Olympics program in the country for African American high school students.
Pine Bluff Branch NAACP President Ivan Whitfield gave opening remarks while Pine Bluff Mayor Vivian Flowers was the featured guest speaker during the local awards ceremony.
Flowers spoke on the need to undergird ACT-SO by joining the local branch of the NAACP.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“I want to say that we all need to support and uplift ACT-SO,” Flowers said. “And one way that we can do that is through membership. If we say that our young people are important to us, and you all know that’s a huge part of my agenda as your mayor, we have to invest in our young people.”
Burgess was not able to attend the awards program due to participating in a high school choir competition in San Antonio. Maryann Lee, chair of the Pine Bluff ACT-SO Committee, shared how much improvement and progress Burgess has made over the past few years.
“Sylvana Burgess started out with us four years ago,” Lee said. “The first year she never got past Silver, but she kept coming back. Every year she got better. So she decided that she only wanted to concentrate on photography. I wish you could see her work. She’s brilliant. All of our kids are brilliant. I love all of them!”
The mayor’s office also recognized the students for their achievements. Certificates were presented by Mar’Tavius Proctor, project director and communications coordinator for the mayor’s office, and Mesha Thomas, assistant to the mayor.
“I would like to present on behalf of the Office of the Mayor a token of our appreciation that serves as a certificate of achievement to each and every student who is being honored today. These serve as symbols of the work, the talent and the potential that we have in our young people. The mayor is proud of you, I’m proud of you and everyone in city hall is proud of the work that you guys are doing in ACT-SO and in the community,” Proctor said.
Barry Jefferson, president of the Arkansas State NAACP Conference, stressed the importance of encouraging young people as they strive toward accomplishing goals.
“We are so glad that you are supporting these young people,” Jefferson said. “They are our future. We need to have their back. We need to support them. We need to love on them. We need to talk to them on a regular basis.
“I left Drew County last week for their ACT-SO. I went to Little Rock three weeks ago for their ACT-SO, and I’m here because I think I need to be here to support young people and make sure that it’s not just your local branch that cares about you — it’s your state conference that cares about you. We got your back,” he added.
BURGESS’ PLANS
Burgess is multi-talented in photography, painting and drawing. Her primary focus is on organic photography with a current goal of capturing more raw emotions in her photographic images.
“This year I learned to put more emotion within my work,” Burgess said.
She added that there is “more to having a story instead of just taking pictures — actually having something that may be personal to me or something that connects with the judges or people who just see it,” she said.
Burgess continues to invest in herself to further perfect her gift. Last year, she purchased a new professional camera and image-editing software. Though she still considers herself to be a beginner, she is open to buying new equipment and photography applications as the need arises.
“As I grow in photography, that’s when I add one more item. And I have my own personal room that I can do photography in,” she said.
Burgess, who was named Prom Queen for the 2025 year, was heavily involved in numerous activities at PBHS including the Pom Squad, the high school choir and 4-H Club. She has been a member of 4-H since the age of five where she has had an opportunity to help implement the organization’s national focus on healthy living, leadership and citizenship.
“I spend most of my time in 4-H,” Burgess shared in a 2024 interview.
She has served as club president and a state ambassador where she assisted in planning, pursuing and providing input on community service needs and state meetings. She was later named as the secretary of the 4-H Club’s State Officer Team.
COLLEGE PLANS AT UAPB
Burgess plans to attend the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to pursue a double major in social work and art. As a social worker, she wants to help children by implementing art into their lives.
She revealed that she has already received seven scholarships totaling nearly $33,000 that include the UAPB Leadership Scholarship, Erica Williams 4-H Scholarship, Southeast Arkansas Male Chorus Scholarship, AR Academic Challenge Scholarship, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Book Scholarship and Jack Robey Scholarship.
Burgess still plans to stay involved in photography by joining a photography club, art club or taking classes that allow her to continue to sharpen her skills.
“I’m getting ready to do big stuff in college. That’s when I’m really going to do it all,” Burgess said.
Pine Bluff NAACP ACT-SO is accepting donations. Details: Maryann Lee, (870) 718-5330 or manager@indigobluepba.com.