About Us 2/9/2026 8:00:00 AM FHSAA Announces the 2025-2026 Roger Dearing Heart of the Arts and Spirit of Sport Award Winners Both winners to receive a $1,500 scholarship GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Florida High School Athletic Association announced the winners of the eighth annual Roger Dearing Heart of the Arts Award and Roger Dearing Spirit of Sport Award on Monday. Gabriella Geer of American Heritage School of Boca/Delray received the Heart of the Arts Award, and Joseph Mullins of Coral Springs High School was honored with the Spirit of Sport Award. Both nominees exemplified exceptional dedication and a strong commitment to giving back to their communities, and Geer and Mullins will each receive a $1,500 scholarship in their name on behalf of the FHSAA. Roger Dearing Heart of the Arts Award Gabriella Geer-American Heritage (Delray Beach) – A junior at American Heritage School of Boca/Delray, Gabriella is an Advanced Placement Scholar who maintains a 3.9 GPA and ranks among the top students in her class. She is a member of multiple National Honor Societies, including English, Spanish, and Music, and earned a perfect score of 5 on the AP Music Theory exam. In addition to her academic excellence, Gabriella has completed more than 1,000 hours of community service, reflecting her deep commitment to leadership and service. A dedicated musician since the age of four, Gabriella has earned significant national and international recognition. Her honors include a Bronze Medal at the 2025 Classical Viennese International Festival, the Platinum Prize and Extraordinary Technique Special Award at the 2025 Universal Stars Music Competition and multiple distinctions from the Royal Conservatory of Music, including a Regional Gold Medal. Selected for both Florida All-State Piano and Florida All-State Choir in 2025 she has also performed on tour in Germany and Luxembourg with the MacPhail Center for Music in Minnesota, where she also received the Iverson Inspirational Merit Scholarship. In addition to her musical achievements, Gabriella is a varsity athlete on the golf and tennis teams at American Heritage School, most recently helping her golf team make it to the FHSAA state tournament, demonstrating her remarkable ability to balance rigorous academics, athletics, and the arts. Gabriella is also the founder of Notes of Hope, a nonprofit organization she created to harness the power of music as a tool for healing and community-building for those facing invisible injuries or illnesses. This mission is deeply personal, as Gabriella has suffered a traumatic brain injury and continues to battle post-concussion syndrome. Through resilience and determination, she has transformed challenge into purpose, raising nearly $7,000 in a single evening for the Brain Injury Association of America in her inaugural fundraiser. The event featured self-designed merchandise and a piano performance paired with a real-time EEG brain scan, visually modeling her musical brain at work through a stunning display of color and light. Notes of Hope continues to advance its mission through outreach, storytelling, music, and fundraising. Gabriella Geer’s extraordinary accomplishments in academics, athletics, and the arts, combined with her dedication to service and advocacy, exemplify the spirit of the Roger Dearing Heart of the Arts Award. Roger Dearing Spirit of Sport Award Joseph Mullins, Coral Springs High School – A dedicated scholar and competitor, Mullins maintains a 3.61 GPA and has earned recognition as an Advanced Placement Scholar while excelling both academically and athletically. As a member of the Coral Springs High School tennis team, Mullins competes at the number-one singles and doubles positions, training several times each week while demonstrating discipline, leadership, and a strong commitment to excellence. He is also a dual enrollment student at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale and will graduate with both his associate’s degree and Cambridge AICE diploma. Beyond the classroom and court, Mullins is a proven leader within his school community. He serves as President of the National Honor Society, Vice President of Health Occupation Students of America, Treasurer of the Business Professionals of America, and is an active member of the Key Club and Make-A-Wish Club. Mullins’ dedication to service truly embodies the spirit of this award. Mullins also serves as a member of U.S. Representative Jared Moskowitz’s Congressional Youth Cabinet, where he collaborates with fellow student leaders to provide insight and perspective on issues impacting young people in the community. He has volunteered with Love Serving Autism, helping teach tennis to children on the autism spectrum, and volunteers weekly at the Deerfield Beach Tennis Center, supporting both the wheelchair tennis program and the Saturday Foster Kids program. In these roles, Mullins feeds balls, leads drills, hits with players, and assists with coaching, consistently demonstrating patience, compassion, and leadership. Since the end of eighth grade, Joseph has volunteered extensively with USTA Wheelchair Tennis in Deerfield Beach under the guidance of Coach Jim Tierney, his largest area of service, logging more than 300 service hours. He has also participated in wheelchair tennis expos at both the Delray Open and the Miami Open. Additionally, he completed a USTA Florida Community Coaches Workshop for Wheelchair Tennis, gaining specialized training to support entry-level players and teaching essential wheelchair mobility skills on the court. Mullins also volunteers with the Saturday Sunshine Tennis program, providing foster and inner-city youth the opportunity to learn and play tennis at no cost. Through these programs, he uses tennis as a powerful tool to build confidence, foster connection, and promote positive life skills while supporting the unique needs of each participant. Mullins’ academic achievement, athletic excellence, leadership, and unwavering commitment to service exemplify the values of sportsmanship, integrity, and community impact that define the Roger Dearing Spirit of Sport Award. About the Roger Dearing Heart of the Arts Award The FHSAA has developed the “Roger Dearing Heart of the Art Awards,” to honor individual(s) who embody “Heart of the Arts.” The award covers an excess of performing arts disciplines and seeks to recognize those individuals who illustrate a positive heart of the arts and represent the core mission of education-based activities. The award may be given in recognition of specific act or for an activity of longer duration. The winner of the Roger Dearing Heart of the Arts Award will be submitted to the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations (NFHS) as the FHSAA’s nomination for the NFHS Heart of the Arts Award. About the Roger Dearing Spirit of Sport Award The FHSAA has developed the “Roger Dearing Spirit of Sport Awards,” to seek those individual(s) who showcase the ideals of the positive spirit of sport and represent the core mission of education-based athletics. The individual or group should demonstrate exemplary sportsmanship, exceed normal expectations, and has overcome adversity or a challenging circumstance. The award may be given in recognition of specific act or for an activity of longer duration. . The winner of the Roger Dearing Heart of the Arts Award will be submitted to the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations (NFHS) as the FHSAA’s nomination for the NFHS Heart of the Arts Award. About the FHSAA The Florida High School Athletic Association supervises and regulates interscholastic athletic programs for high school students at member public, private and charter schools. The organization also recognizes and honors academic achievement among student-athletes at over 850 middle, junior and senior high schools statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, it is the official governing body for interscholastic athletics in Florida.