The next piece in Penn Today’s 2025 President’s Prize winner series recognizes two recent Penn graduates who are leveraging the President’s Engagement Prize to provide West Philadelphia-based high school students with equitable access to art mentorship, creative skill-building workshops, and professional networking opportunities.
2 min. read
Who
Ejun Mary Hong double-majored in fine arts and cinema and media studies in the College of Arts & Sciences
Jack Nicholas Roney double-majored in architecture and fine arts in the College
What
Since graduating from Penn last May, 2025 President’s Engagement Prize winners Ejun Mary Hong and Jack Nicholas Roney have launched LensBright—an expansion of the Participatory Art Action Mentorship program, a weekly Penn-led art mentorship initiative that immerses local public high school students in various art fields. They are working to help provide equitable opportunities for under-resourced Philadelphia youth who want to explore creative pursuits and professional careers in photography and videography.
“LensBright builds on the Participatory Art Action Mentorship initiative that Ejun and Jack developed with Sayre High School,” says PennPresident J. Larry Jameson. “Their program provides access to art tools, hands-on workshops, and real-world connections.”
Through LensBright (formerly PIXEL), they are building bridges between lens-based art industries and public high school students who may otherwise not have equitable access to these learning and networking opportunities. Powered by Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships, the team is engaging students with art mentorship through immersive workshops and skill-building exercises. Hong and Roney are hosting a photography competition judged by industry experts who provide constructive feedback to help guide the students’ creative development. Students are also participating in a community film project mentored by professional art educators and photographers, challenging them to work collaboratively as they would in creative industries.
Why it Matters
Public high school students in the greater Philadelphia area may face barriers in accessing art technology and experiential learning opportunities. LensBright helps students pursue creative ideas and connect with industry professionals, empowering them to envision and work toward potential careers in lens-based art fields.
The Prize
The President’s Engagement Prize is a competitive prize awarded annually to Penn fourth-years who have designed a local, national, or global engagement project to be completed during the first year after they graduate. The prize includes $50,000 for living expenses for each student recipient, plus up to $100,000 for project implementation expenses.
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