2021 Scholastic Writing Awards Regional Winners
We want to thank the educators, parents & guardians for all you do to make the Scholastic Awards Competition a successful and enriching experience for your young people. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards offer students an incredible chance for regional and national recognition of their writing skills, as well as for scholarship opportunities.
We also want to thank the many young writers in the Pittsburgh region who submitted work to the 2021 Pittsburgh Regional Scholastic Writing Competition. We truly appreciate your work, as well as that of the many inspiring teachers who support youth writing. The almost 500 submissions received this year reflect the vibrant breadth of youth writing in Allegheny County.
American Voice Nominees
North Allegheny Senior High School:
Kathryn Mi, Personal Essay and Memoir, chronology in the s(k)ins of my youth
Samantha Podnar, Critical Essay, Riots Through a Different Lens
Samantha Podnar, Critical Essay, The Cycle of Dehumanization and Disenfranchisement Within America’s Prison System
Sewickley Academy:
Milla Dobrovolska-Ivanova, Flash Fiction, I Know Her Name
Winchester Thurston School:
Elizabeth Stenson, Poetry, Tart
Senior Portfolio Winners
Commonwealth Charter Academy:
Natalie Cohen, Silver Key, Hopeless
Mt. Lebanon High School:
Allison Stein, Honorable Mention, Warmth Fluctuation
North Allegheny Senior High School:
Faith Nyugen, Silver Key, The Epiphanies of Familial Suffering
Yasseen Sabil, Gold Key, Senior Portfolio
Makayla Wach, Gold Key, Swan Song
Makayla Wach, Honorable Mention, Musings of a Sleep-Deprived Writer
Pittsburgh Allderdice High School:
Anna Cappella, Gold Key, Daydream of a Delayed Moonrise
Tijana Slepcev, Gold Key, Continuities
Pittsburgh CAPA School:
Ian Aiken, Gold Key, Speaking Softly, Being a Man
Robin Clement, Honorable Mention, Patchworks
Azriah Crawley, Gold Key, Growing in the Sun
Madeline Ficca, Silver Key, Golden Violet
Alison Harvill, Honorable Mention, Let it Simmer
Joseph Johns, Gold Key, Bridges
Natalie Kocherzat, Silver Key, Surviving this Life on Earth
Amanda Mitchell, Silver Key, Perception
Lily Weatherford-Brown, Silver Key, Orbit of Body
Anika Weber, Honorable Mention, All My Interests Walk Into a Bar
Westinghouse Arts Academy:
Gabrielle Wick, Honorable Mention, God and Man
All Other Winners
Homeschool or School Not Listed:
Balaji Alagar, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Always in Trouble
Kirsten Chilcoat, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay, Counterpunching With Hope In The Midst Of COVID-19
Amanda Hulver, Gold Key, Critical Essay, Legal Marijuana: Help or Harm?
Amanda Hulver, Honorable Mention, Flash Fiction, A Drop in Time
Amanda Hulver, Silver Key, Critical Essay, Resolved: The benefits of artificial intelligence outweigh the harms.
Amanda Hulver, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, The Electoral College: Revised
Avonworth Middle School:
Vanessa Amayo, Silver Key, Short Story, The Librarian
Vanessa Amayo, Gold Key, Poetry, Metaphors for a Person
Emma Noss, Gold Key, Novel Writing, Time of the Eight
Joanna Odebode, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Longing: a short poem
Elena Zimmerman, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Useless, Second
Baldwin Senior High School:
Ava Weidensall, Honorable Mention, Poetry, The Color of His Eyes
Bishop Canevin High School:
Renee LaGrosse, Silver Key, Poetry, No Art Lasts Forever
Renee LaGrosse, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Toxic Times
Burrell High School:
Hayley Wheeler, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, Gender Identity
Chartiers Valley Middle School:
Abby Daffner, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, Life By the Second
Wesley Madge, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, Bings, Bongs, and Booms
Violet Shields, Silver Key, Flash Fiction, Jellyfish
Ava Super, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, My Love for Christmas
Commonwealth Charter Academy:
Natalie Cohen, Silver Key, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Hello?
Natalie Cohen, Silver Key, Flash Fiction, (Ghost)
Natalie Cohen, Silver Key, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Transformed
Natalie Cohen, Gold Key, Poetry, left a mark//i hope you know//hopeless
Natalie Cohen, Silver Key, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mother
Natalie Cohen, Honorable Mention, Science Fiction & Fantasy, The Plague
Davidson Academy Online:
Beatrice Alba, Gold Key, Poetry, Towel of Babel
Beatrice Alba, Gold Key, Critical Essay, Reassessing Marxism for Marginalized Groups
Dorseyville Middle School:
Moonyoung Hwang, Silver Key, Poetry, 2000
Moonyoung Hwang, Silver Key, Poetry, Gen Z
Elizabeth Forward Middle School:
Nicholas Beck, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, Game Day
Alivia Grimm, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, Murder
Sara McGowan, Honorable Mention, Flash Fiction, Black Bags
Fox Chapel Area High School:
Shea Davison, Honorable Mention, Flash Fiction, Just You & Me
Margaret Dean, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, Manic Pixie Dream Girl
Anna Ferris, Gold Key, Flash Fiction, A Life in Moments
Jessica McCann, Silver Key, Poetry, Distress
Lance Wilhelm, Silver Key, Journalism, At the Mercy of Others: Pennsylvania Correctional Institutions During the Pandemic
Fort Couch Middle School:
Eva Dubreil, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Thin, Fat, and Midsized
Hudson Healey, Silver Key, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Alexander Meren and the Prison in the Sky
Nikhita Thakuria, Honorable Mention, Flash Fiction, Numbers
Hampton High School:
Megan Kang, Honorable Mention, Humor, The Phone Banking Experience
Megan Kang, Honorable Mention, Poetry, hearts
Megan Kang, Gold Key, Poetry, slight pressure
Megan Kang, Gold Key, Journalism, Hampton for Change: Who They Are and What They Do
Megan Kang, Silver Key, Journalism, Political Involvement for Students: Why it’s Important and How to Start
Ingomar Middle School:
Hallie Dong, Gold Key, Science Fiction & Fantasy, The Martians
Moon Area Middle School:
Pooja Gollapudi, Honorable Mention, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Penciling to Life
Mt. Lebanon High School:
Allison Stein, Silver Key, Poetry, birthday no. 17.5
Allison Stein, Silver Key, Poetry, clean small chaos
Allison Stein, Gold Key, Poetry, daydream )un(feeling
Allison Stein, Gold Key, Poetry, the flashing stops, the earth opens its mouth
North Allegheny High School:
Claire Cho, Gold Key, Short Story, Facade
Sally Cho, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, Banana
Jessica Daninhirsch, Silver Key, Critical Essay, The Way It Is?
Jessica Daninhirsch, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Two Years Later: October 27th
Jessica Daninhirsch, Gold Key, Journalism, Tzaddik
Grace Fritsch, Honorable Mention, Short Story, Lucy’s Story
Bryn Hornyak, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, A Shark Tale
Michelle Hwang, Silver Key, Journalism, Not the Time to Slow Down
Michelle Hwang, Gold Key, Flash Fiction, Sophie
Kathryn Mi, Silver Key, adolescence
Kathryn Mi, Silver Key, refractions
Kathryn Mi, Gold Key*, Personal Essay & Memoir, chronology in the s(k)ins of my youth
Mia Naccarato, Gold Key, Short Story, Elizabeth Bennet and the End of the World
Faith Nguyen, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Where The Tall Tales Go
Faith Nguyen, Silver Key, Poetry, Christian-Buddhist Cocktail
Samantha Podnar, Gold Key*, Critical Essay, Riots Through a Different Lens
Samantha Podnar, Gold Key, Critical Essay, Shelf Life
Samantha Podnar, Gold Key*, Critical Essay, The Cycle of Dehumanization and Disenfranchisement Within America’s Prison System
Kamya Rajesh, Honorable Mention, Short Story, Child of the Night
Kamya Rajesh, Honorable Mention, Short Story, day by day
Yasseen Sabil, Silver Key, Flash Fiction, Done Directing
Yasseen Sabil, Silver Key, Critical Essay, Repair it with Gold
Yasseen Sabil, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Bacon
Yasseen Sabil, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Moroccan Meandering
Yasseen Sabil, Silver Key, Critical Essay, Dumbbell Peak
Yasseen Sabil, Silver Key, Humor, Washing Machine Nomad
Maya Sivakumar, Honorable Mention, Short Story, The Waning
Makayla Wach, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Parakeet Garden
Makayla Wach, Gold Key, Short Story, Prodigal
Makayla Wach, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, A Study in Icarus
Makayla Wach, Gold Key, Critical Essay, A Queen and a Soldier: A Rhetorical Analysis of Queen Elizabeth’s Speech at Tilbury
Makayla Wach, Silver Key, Critical Essay, The Try-Works: A Portrait of Fate and Madness
Makayla Wach, Gold Key, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Worth the Price
Pennsylvania Leadership Cs:
Magdalene Kudrick, Honorable Mention, Poetry, my sole purpose on this earth according to the male dictionary
Magdalene Kudrick, Silver Key, Poetry, Prufrock, Don’t Listen to Those Thieves
Pine Richland High School:
Eliana Lazzaro, Honorable Mention, Poetry, the temple of janus
Pittsburgh Allderdice High School:
Tijana Slepcev, Gold Key, Short Story, My Big Little World
Tijana Slepcev, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Birthday
Tijana Slepcev, Honorable Mention, Poetry, How It Feels to Feel Powerful
Tijana Slepcev, Honorable Mention, Poetry, I Cannot Carry You Forever
Tijana Slepcev, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Faint
Pittsburgh Capa School:
Natalie Augustine, Silver Key, Dramatic Script, The Gallery Scheme
Ka’Shauna Beard-Smith, Silver Key, Short Story, Serendipity
Arinola Bejide, Silver Key, Poetry, Scholastic Poems
IsaBella Blick, Honorable Mention, Dramatic Script, By Margaret
Lena Carson, Silver Key, Poetry, Memories & God, The Empty Walls, Instinct
Alyse Chismar-Browne, Silver Key, Poetry, Painting the Woods, Winding Roads
Azriah Crawley, Gold Key, Poetry, under the devil’s reign
Emerison Davis-Martin, Silver Key, Poetry, Flowers
Gabby Dietz, Honorable Mention, Poetry, 360 Miles Away
Anjali Dixon, Silver Key, Dramatic Script, The Midnight Diner
Payton Dosdor, Silver Key, Poetry, Dermatophagia
Elena Eiss, Silver Key, Dramatic Script, How to Not Fail AP World History With Maybe Just a Little Paranormal Assistance
Ella Engberg, Honorable Mention, Poetry, After Work, Cycles, Blizzard
Madeline Ficca, Silver Key, Poetry, Virus Infects My Dream
Madeline Ficca, Honorable Mention, Poetry, A Walk to St. Johns
Madeline Ficca, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Sanitation Baptism
Dylan Folan, Silver Key, Short Story, The Corner
Grace Glowczewski, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Artificial Breaths
Roan Hollander, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Harmonious
Dillon Javid, Honorable Mention, Poetry, The Land of Shadow
Danielle Kohr, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Washed Away
Rosalie Link, Honorable Mention, Poetry, The Dark Side
Madison Lott, Honorable Mention, Dramatic Script, The Apple of Discord
Neila McElfresh, Gold Key, Poetry, Potato Salad, Lost Light, Sandpiper Bar and Lounge
Mila McGrosky, Honorable Mention, Humor, Goodbye Henry
Mila McGrosky, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, We Are Not Bounded By Fear
Benjy McHale, Silver Key, Poetry, The White Tree
Oliver Moore, Silver Key, Poetry, Forks
Elliot Morris, Honorable Mention, Dramatic Script, The War at Home
Sebastian Mueller, Silver Key, Short Story, Riverside
Emily Orbovich, Silver Key, Poetry, The old Guitarist, Late night Road Trips
Danielle Pickett, Honorable Mention, Short Story, Bloodthirsty
Lucy Potts, Honorable Mention, Poetry, August Slips Away
Lucy Potts, Honorable Mention, Journalism, The Problematic Push Towards College
Violet Pronko, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, A Flower Meant for Fall
Violet Pronko, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Twilight Darkness
Tegan Quillen, Honorable Mention, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mohavea
Josephine Reiter, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Running From Bees Into More Danger
Jolee Rothermel, Silver Key, Short Story, The Last Time I Saw You
Max Schachner, Honorable Mention, Poetry, I’m Sorry, Gardener and Crashing Waves
Amelia Staresinic, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Grandpa Jam
Amelia Staresinic, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Apocalypse
Amelia Staresinic, Gold Key, Short Story, Breaking Point
Danielle Swearingen, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, Do Your Part to Stop Climate Change
Eden Tsvetkov, Honorable Mention, Short Story, Burning Books
Mathilda Turich, Honorable Mention, Dramatic Script, The Reluctant Knight
Liv Walsh, Gold Key, Poetry, Pulse, The Act of Unconditional Love, Persephone’s Paradox, Poetry is Like This
Lilly Werling, Silver Key, Poetry, Uncle Verret’s
Chatumn White, Gold Key, Poetry, We are Black People
Quaker Valley High School:
Sydney Earlewine, Honorable Mention, Short Story, Invisable Girl
Redeemer Lutheran School:
Callie Boyer, Honorable Mention, Novel Writing, The Star of Juino
Sewickley Academy:
Simran Bedi, Honorable Mention, Poetry, A Childhood Food Adventure
Mia DelVecchio, Silver Key, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Trust No One
Milla Dobrovolska-Ivanova, Gold Key*, Flash Fiction, I Know Her Name
Jacquelyn Jardini, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, The Invisible Evil that Infects America
Aysu Turkay, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, She Who Holds the Sceptor
Aysu Turkay, Honorable Mention, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Your Words
Xipei Wan, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, Difference, History, and the Politics of Body
Anthony Wiles, Honorable Mention, Poetry, blood bones and bondage
Anthony Wiles, Silver Key, Poetry, Imagine
Anthony Wiles, Gold Key, Poetry, Amerikkkan Dreaming: Finding Freedom in Vietnam
Anthony Wiles, Honorable Mention, Poetry, reunion days
Anthony Wiles, Silver Key, Poetry, A Century of Love and Lore
Anthony Wiles, Gold Key, Poetry, A Death in Appalachia
Anthony Wiles, Honorable Mention, Poetry, where the dead man breathes
Anthony Wiles, Gold Key, Poetry, America, when will you protect me?
Anthony Wiles, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Mr. Coal Miner
Anthony Wiles, Silver Key, Critical Essay, When Will Enough be Enough?
Shady Side Academy Middle School:
Cameron Capel, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, The Butterfly Garden
Jasper Chapman, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, Perseverance and a Fair Wind
Sophia Gombos, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, The Ice Cream Incident
Maanya Goulatia, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Far Far Away #2
Abigail Hathaway, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, The Perfect Prancing Pony
Mark Henne, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, A Pot of Forgiveness
Jonas Hong, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Cold Rain, Cold Eyes
Ethan Hou, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Everything is Fine
Anya Jain, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, The Cocoa Comfort
Ava Jankowski, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, The Phantom Menace
Audrey Jiang, Honorable Mention, Short Story, The King’s Pawn
Reese Martens, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, The Little Things
Leo Rickard, Silver Key, Humor, Writing Tips from a Less-Than-Helpful Author
Jordan Roupe, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, There Goes Harvard
Trey Schachter, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, Personal Essay and Memoir
Dylan Sun, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, Warm Hugs
Ava Terezis, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Love and Choices–My Memoir
Amy Xing, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, Hard Work Always Wins
Kexin Zhao, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Last Words
Shady Side Academy Senior School:
Ava Kronman, Gold Key, Poetry, The Slaughter of Democracy’s Children: Acrostic Poems
Ava Kronman, Silver Key, Poetry, The Girl in the Mirror
Ava Kronman, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Blush
Emma Lammert, Silver Key, Personal Essay, Unknown Variables
Marnie McCormick, Gold Key, Journalism, Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich?
Paige Shea, Silver Key, Short Story, Wallflower
Paige Shea, Silver Key, Flash Fiction, Pieces of Her
Hari Viswanathan, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, What I Couldn’t See
Melody Yuan, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, The Bridge
Melody Yuan, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Maybe
Andrew Zeng, Silver Key, Journalism, The Medical Waste Problem
Anker Zhao, Gold Key, Journalism, Intellectual Diversity: A Framework for the Future
Anker Zhao, Silver Key, Critical Essay, GDP: Accurate or Harmful?
Anker Zhao, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, The Banking Concepts of Education
Anker Zhao, Honorable Mention, Journalism, Health Care in the US
Anker Zhao, Honorable Mention, Journalism, The Electoral College
Anker Zhao, Honorable Mention, Journalism, French Revolution’s Failure to Uphold Its Values for Rights
Anker Zhao, Honorable Mention, Short Story, Money Cannot Buy Happiness
Anker Zhao, Silver Key, Journalism, The After-Affects of the Scramble for Africa
Anker Zhao, Honorable Mention, Journalism, The Story Behind the Story
Qingqing Zhao, Gold Key, Critical Essay, Should the Constitution of 1787 be Ratified? A Native American Perspective
The Ellis School:
Sarah Ali, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, My Connection with Jane Bennet: The Optimistic Bennet Sister
Hannah Anderson-Brownlee, Silver Key, Critical Essay, Nostalgia in American Politics
Eleanor Barth Wu, Honorable Mention, Science Fiction & Fantasy, The Meek shall Inherit
Eleanor Barth Wu, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, 280 Characters of Impassioned Gibberish
Caroline Block, Silver Key, Critical Essay, The Danger of Verbal Abuse
Caroline Block, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Poem Collection
Grace Braham, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, The Great Gatsby Op-Ed
Cassidy Burns, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, The Effect of First Impressions
Rowan Cain, Silver Key, Critical Essay, Crack is Wack: Accessible Anti-Drug Messaging
Mia Cirilano, Silver Key, Short Story, Swarms
Grace Coffelt, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Stage Manager
Moira Connell, Silver Key, Critical Essay, Criticism of Gender Norms in the Works of Austen, Ibsen, and Wollstonecraft
Moira Connell, Silver Key, Critical Essay, Precursory Feminism in The Scarlet Letter
Moira Connell, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, American Identities: The Nuances of Immigration and Assimilation
Netta Dobzinski, Silver Key, Journalism, #RepealThe19th and Misogyny in the Modern World
Netta Dobzinski, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, How Religion Affects Government
Noa Dobzinski, Silver Key, Critical Essay, Unite to Fight Antisemitism
Abby Fagersten, Silver Key, Critical Essay, Urban Purgatory
Ellie Gaddess, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Marriage and How it is Integrated into Society and My Life
Kiera Harrell-Danks, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, How Do You Accept a Change to Your Identity When it’s All You Have Ever Known
Grayson Honig, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Together with Time
Athena Iverson, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, In Defense of Mr. Bennet
Kris LS Kaminski, Gold Key, Critical Essay, Shrek the Musical: A Failed Adaptation That Gets More Wrong Than It Gets Right
Kris LS Kaminski, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, Women and The Great Gatsby Today
Hunter Kloss, Silver Key, Critical Essay, Princesses and Witches and Heroes, Oh My!: the Strength of Women in Oz
Katherine Koeppl, Gold Key, Critical Essay, How Homegoing Reflects the Ever-Changing American Identity
Georgia Lampenfeld, Honorable Mention, Journalism, The Gap and Gatsby
Sabrina Lateef, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Understanding My Own Relationships Through Elizabeth Bennet’s Eyes
Kaelin Lokar, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Judgement and Self Discovery
Kaelin Lokar, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, A Student’s Perspective of COVID-19 Through the Use of Icons with Graphic Weight and Emanata
Claudia McElhattan, Silver Key, Poetry, Hand Me Down
Ada Perlman, Silver Key, Critical Essay, Elitism in the Great Gatsby and its Modern Implications
Ada Perlman, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, Shame to Acceptance: Letting go of Puritan Ideals through Uncultivated Nature
Hannah Pretter, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, My Journey Towards Confidence
Sreethi Ramineni, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, Hindu Nationalism Doesn’t Sleep
Amelia Reines, Gold Key, Critical Essay, Story of A Childhood: Epiphany
Erika Rispoli, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, Impostor Syndrome and Women in the Workplace
Erika Rispoli, Silver Key, Short Story, Boiling Over
Talia Rosen, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, An Equal American Experience For All?: A Look at Lisa Ko’s Novel, The Leavers
Trinity Sims, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, Identifying my Pride through Mr. Darcy
Ella Sokulski, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, The Summer Before
Stephanie Somlo, Honorable Mention, Science Fiction & Fantasy, 404 Not Found
Alanna Steals, Honorable Mention, Poetry, When I think of George Floyd While Protesting
Alanna Steals, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Forgetting or Dead
Avery Stein, Silver Key, Critical Essay, A Simple Request
Andreina Taylor, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, The American Dream in The Great Gatsby
Elinor Waldron, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, The Jane’s Eye View
Parisha Wilojanapa, Gold Key, Critical Essay, How COVID-19 Reasserted My Identity as an Asian
Chapin Wilson, Gold Key, Critical Essay, The Great Gatsby and the Disenchanted Working Class
Trinity Christian School:
Jenna Conway-Phillips, Honorable Mention, Dramatic Script, Guardian Angel
Upper St. Clair High School:
Annika Chaves, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Gordita’s Game of 24
Phoebe Chen, Honorable Mention, Flash Fiction, The Immigrant Bird
Markella Jahn, Silver Key, Short Story, The Foggy Eyed Inn
Himani Karia, Silver Key, Short Story, The Letter of Secrets
Maanasa Reddy, Silver Key, Short Story, Ambu
Julia Roeschenthaler, Silver Key, Poetry, Stars Over Suburbia
Julia Roeschenthaler, Honorable Mention, Poetry, The Fine Fiction
Westinghouse Arts Academy:
A. Battaglia, Silver Key, Poetry, i want to die happy
Sonny Burns, Gold Key, Science Fiction & Fantasy, If only for the horizon
Alana Demis, Gold Key, Short Story, The Chase
Kennedy Grace, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Treading Water
Wendy Moore, Gold Key, Poetry, Terms and Conditions of Being Born
Seth Parente, Silver Key, Flash Fiction, New Hampshire
Carly Sokolowski, Silver Key, Critical Essay, Schizophrenia: What The Mainstream Fails To Teach
Carly Sokolowski, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Why I Can’t Explain It
Atticus Thomas, Silver Key, Poetry, Orchard of Black Bodies
Winchester Thurston School:
Rho Bloom-Wang, Gold Key, Poetry, Cobalt Memories
Rho Bloom-Wang, Honorable Mention, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Partway Gone
Hannah Chang, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, Why Winter is my Favorite Season: An Exploration on Joy, Sorrow, and Wisdom
Laura Childs, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, In Favor of Snail Mail
Thomas Gordon, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, A taxi ride: family, memories, and identity
Cyd Kennard, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, When Running Up a Hill
Cyd Kennard, Silver Key, Poetry, Either Gold or Weeds
Luke Lamitina, Silver Key, Poetry, The Troubles of the Troubles
Phillip Leong, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Stuck in the Mud
Jingqi Li, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, Les Demoiselles D’Avignon and The Toilet
Kate McAllister, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, The Language of People
Mitra Nourbakhsh, Honorable Mention, Critical Essay, The Fate of Journalism
Mitra Nourbakhsh, Silver Key, Short Story, The Choice
Jordan Poller-Prince, Honorable Mention, Poetry, A collection of poems
Mackenna Roberts, Gold Key, Science Fiction & Fantasy, The Legend of Boglek
Alexander Sayette, Silver Key, Poetry, Homebound: Songs of a Wayward Year
Lila Spiro, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Ghosts
Elizabeth Stenson, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Piece for Bob
Elizabeth Stenson, Gold Key*, Poetry, Tart
Elizabeth Stenson, Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Blessed With Seeing a Great Deal
Elizabeth Stenson, Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir, God’s Word as My Appetizer
Julia Stern, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, On Being Anonymous
Julia Stern, Gold Key, Critical Essay, The Horror of the Misogynistic Auteur
Rohan Sykora, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Generation C
Rohan Sykora, Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir, Extended 16c
Ella Thomas, Gold Key, Short Story, Hell in Hells Canyon
Ella Thomas, Gold Key, Short Story, Traumatic Brain Injury
Joel Williams, Honorable Mention, Poetry, Four Person Sidewalk
Ben Winslow, Silver Key, Short Story, The First Winter
Helen Zhang, Silver Key, Poetry, Sunset
* = American Voices Nominee
Pittsburgh has a National Student Poet!
Anthony Wiles, an eleventh grader at Sewickley Academy in Pittsburgh, has been named to the 2020 Class of National Student Poets–one of five writers in the entire nation receiving this honor: https://www.artandwriting.org/programs/national-student-poets-program/
New York Life Guidebook
In 2020, Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, in collaboration with New York Life, created a beautiful and fascinating anthology and discussion guide, Healing Through Creativity. This guide contains a piece of writing, “It Is What It Is,” by Makayla Wach, a 10th grader at North Allegheny High School. Makayla’s piece won a Gold Medal in the competition. Here is a link to the anthology: New_York_Life_Guidebook_w-links