Our Scholars
J. Sanford Miller Family Arts Scholars, Class of 2027
Samman Akbarzada, Creative Writing
Samman Akbarzada is an Afghan refugee and the author of two books "Life is a Movie," her debut novel, and "A Glimmer in the Dark," a collection of poetry. Her words capture the suffering, heartbreak, gratitude, and redemption that mark a life lived on the blade of conflict with love and empathy as her constant guiding light, aspiring to foster empathy and understanding among readers.
She plans to major in psychology and serve as a trauma-focused therapist for refugee women, while pursuing her love for creative writing as well. Driven by a profound desire to bring hearts closer through her art, Samman seeks to amplify the voices of under-served communities. She serves as an interpreter for the International Rescue Committee and is actively engaged with C'ville Tulips, a program dedicated to empowering refugee women through literacy. Additionally, she tutors girls in Afghanistan online through a non-profit organization.
She believes fervently in the transformative power of art and poetry to dissolve barriers, dismantle walls, and unite humanity. Samman aspires her work to serves as a testament to the beauty of shared experiences and the profound connections forged through storytelling. Through poetry, she invites us to transcend differences, embrace vulnerability, and celebrate the inherent beauty of our shared humanity.
Riley LeBlanc, Creative Writing
Born and raised in Virginia Beach, VA, Riley LeBlanc plans to double major in English and Studio Art with a concentration in cinematography. She hopes to pursue screenwriting after college and has plans to explore filmmaking while at UVA. Having been a dancer her whole life, she's always had a love for the arts and the arts community, but her true passion is writing, which she explores through writing short stories and reading extensively. At Virginia, she continues to perfect her craft with creative/fiction writing classes and contributes to the arts community as a dancer in Rhapsody Ballet Ensemble. She's honored to be a part of the Miller Arts Scholars Program and is looking forward to learning from her fellow classmates.
Cai Luzak, Creative Writing
Cai Luzak is a current undergraduate from Virginia Beach, VA who plans to major in English with a concentration in literary prose. Before college, he was heavily involved in the local theatre scene in his hometown, performing in several professional, community, and school-sponsored productions. His love for writing started in high school through a shared interest in reading classic literature, plays, and screenplays. At UVA, Cai is an active member of several theatre and performance CIOs as well as the UVA Drama Department. Cai mostly works in the short story format; his writings often dealing with archetypal characters in familiar situations undergoing changes through a subversion of common tropes. His personal view is that art is where we turn to when wondering if anyone else has felt what we're feeling. Through the Miller Arts Scholars Program, Cai hopes to connect with other like-minded individuals who share his passion for the arts. He is infinitely grateful for everyone who has helped him to where he is today.
J. Sanford Miller Family Arts Scholars, Class of 2026
Riley MacKenzie, Creative Writing
Riley is from Briarcliff Manor, New York and is currently pursuing a degree in both English and Media Studies. She has always loved reading and began honing in on writing during her high school years. She fell in love with literary fiction by reading authors such as Sally Rooney, Jamaica Kincaid, and Carmen Maria Machado. In her undergraduate studies, she has become dedicated to writing short stories and one day hopes to publish a short story collection. Riley has also experimented with other forms of creative writing through UVA courses, including creative nonfiction and screenwriting. In addition to creative writing, Riley has been interested in drama for a very long time. Growing up right outside of and attending high school in New York City, she had a lot of exposure to live dramatic performances, often attending Broadway productions with her mother. At the University of Virginia, Riley has pursued this love of drama through stage managing and has stage managed multiple shows for various dramatic organizations on grounds. Riley is excited to continue her artistic pursuits in her remaining years at UVA and to be a part of the Miller Arts Scholar community.
J. Sanford Miller Family Arts Scholars, Class of 2025
Rachel Guo, Creative Writing
Rachel Guo is an intended economics/creative writing double major with minors in drama and studio art. Prior to coming to UVA, her writing has earned two silver medals for Flash Fiction from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Outside of creative writing, she’s also involved in a number of other activities, with involvement in numerous student films, as well as First Year Players. She has also studied film acting at Stonestreet Studios. Rachel is also involved in music, having taken lessons in classical piano since the age of six, and continuing them at UVA. She hopes to combine her artistic interests with larger portfolio projects. Rachel is honored to be a part of the Miller Arts Program, and is excited to continue her creative endeavors in this community!
Arianna Jobst, Creative Writing
Arianna Jobst is from Wayne, New Jersey and is pursuing a double major in Media Studies and English, with an intended concentration of Literary Prose. She’s always loved writing– filling marble notebooks with novels since elementary school. She loves writing in all forms: prose, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, etc and always has a notebook on her to write down any ideas she might get in the moment. Prior to coming to the University of Virginia, she received awards for her academic writing prior, had her pieces selected to be performed, and had pieces printed in school publications. Arianna has thrown herself into creative writing at UVA– taking workshop classes with the English department as well as being part of several literary clubs. Additionally, any pursuits outside of literary clubs ultimately just connect back to her writing: whether that be stand-up comedy, improv, filmmaking, film editing, hosting a radio show, or satire journalism, everything in her life comes back to influence her writing. Arianna is extremely grateful for the opportunity to be part of an amazing community of Scholars, and is honored to be a Miller Arts Scholar.