Versatile skills have led to Jackson High School juniors Maggie Martin and Stacy Gambill being selected to the 2000 Missouri Fine Arts Academy.

The three-week residential summer program will be held at Southwest Missouri State University June 11-July 1, with more than 200 of the state's most talented high school students.

Gambill paints, draws, sculpts and plays the guitar. Martin plays the clarinet, violin, piano, hand bells and can play a little guitar.

"Overall there are other people better at certain instruments," Martin said. "I just play more of then than most people."

Both were thrilled to find that they had been selected.

"I was really excited to go," Gambill said. "I did a lot of jumping up and down and hugging everybody."

Martin has been around music all her life.

"I was always interested in music," she said. "My mom has a music degree. When I was young learned piano, then violin. I just kind of went from there."

Art teacher Wanda Young has encouraged Gambill's progress.

"Miss Young sees potential in me," Gambill said. "She says I have an ability to see things that other people don't see and to see things on a higher level."

Being able to express herself in her art is of prime importance to Gambill.

"I guess it's wanting people to see the things I see and feel the things I experience," she said. "I try to impact things. I release my anxious feelings and stress through my art. It's good therapy."

Both students have other skills -- skills which are more likely to earn them livings than the ones the art academy is honoring.

"I don't know if I'm going to concentrate on music," Martin said. "I can't not play' music. I think it will always be there as a hobby."

Martin, a co-editor of the Squawler, is considering journalism as a career.

"I hope to become an architectural engineer," Gambill said. "Right now I'm looking at Kansas State. I'll take it from year to year."

Martin is the daughter of mark and Catherine Martin and Gambill is the daughter of Valerie Linley and Ples Gambill.