Students Earn Recognition in 2021 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Artwork: Mother by Alison Wan, TJHSST, Best in Grade Award
Artwork: Mother by Alison Wan, TJHSST, Best in Grade Award

Original works of art and writing by students from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) earned 27 national medals in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program. In addition to Gold Medals and Silver Medals, Lyat Melese of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) received the American Voices Medal in writing, Arin Kang of McLean High School received the Best in Grade Award for grade 10, Alison Wan of TJHSST received the Best in Grade Award for Grade 11, and Ellen Pan of McLean High School was recognized with the One Earth Award.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, is the largest, longest-running recognition program of its kind in the United States. Established in 1923, the awards have recognized students who have become some of our nation's most celebrated artists and writers, including Richard Avedon, Robert Indiana, Steven King, and Andy Warhol. Visual arts categories include architecture, art portfolio, ceramics and glass, comic art, design, digital art, drawing, editorial cartoon, fashion, film and animation, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video game design. Writing categories include critical essay, dramatic script, flash fiction, journalism, humor, novel writing, personal essay and memoir, poetry, science fiction and fantasy, short story, and writing portfolio. More than 300,000 students participate in the program across the country.

Eleven Gold Medalists and fifteen Silver Medalists from our region will be celebrated in a virtual award ceremony in June. More information and a complete list of national award winners is available online.

First Name

Last Name

National Awards

School

Mary

Acheampong

Silver Medal

Mount Vernon HS

Sara

Bowers

Gold Medal

McLean HS

Thanisha

Chowdhury

Gold Medal

TJHSST

Kamdyn

Corbin

Silver Medal

Chantilly HS

Henrry

Escalante

Silver Medal

Chantilly HS

Sagar

Gupta

Silver Medal

TJHSST

Arin

Kang

Silver Medal

McLean HS

Arin

Kang

Gold Medal, Best in Grade Award

McLean HS

Annalisa

Le

Silver Medal

Chantilly HS

Jenny

Le

Gold Medal

Falls Church HS

Michelle

Lin

Gold Medal

TJHSST

Michelle

Liu

Gold Medal

TJHSST

Lyat

Melese

Gold Medal, American Voices Medal

TJHSST

Aisha

Njau

Silver Medal

Robinson Secondary School

Sojung

Pak

Silver Medal

Centreville HS

Sojung

Pak

Gold Medal

Centreville HS

Ellen

Pan

Gold Medal, One Earth Award

McLean HS

Mulan

Pan

Silver Medal

TJHSST

Maxine

Prudhomme

Silver Medal

South Lakes HS

Mingyi

Qu

Silver Medal

McLean HS

Nora

Thomas

Silver Medal

South Lakes HS

Genevieve

Trumbull

Silver Medal

Chantilly HS

Mayuka

Valluri

Silver Medal

TJHSST

Alison

Wan

Gold Medal, Best in Grade Award

TJHSST

Alison

Wan

Gold Medal

TJHSST

Aileen

Zhao

Silver Medal

TJHSST