Scholastic Art and Writing Award Winners

February 4, 2022

Award-winning works (left to right) by Lila Rizvi ’22 and Henry Krex ’24

Congratulations to the Wheeler students recognized in this year’s Scholastic Art and Writing Awards! The prestigious awards, which were founded in 1923, are the nation’s longest-running educational initiative supporting student achievement in the visual and literary arts. The program also serves as the largest source of scholarships for creative students in grades 7-12 in the United States. The judging process includes panels of renowned artists, authors, educators, and industry experts who evaluate each submitted work of art and writing for their originality, technical skill, and emergence of personal vision or voice.

The Wheeler students who were recognized in the Writing Awards categories include: Naomi Blank ’22 (Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir); Sophia Blythe ’23 (Silver Key, Short Story; Honorable Mention, Humor; Honorable Mention, Poetry); Theo Duarte-Baird ’22 (Silver Key, Flash Fiction; Honorable Mention, Short Story); Samantha Flum ’23 (Honorable Mention, Memoir); Megan Gibson-Prugh ’23 (Silver Key, Poetry); Claire Hagerty ’23 (Silver Key, Poetry); Quinn Kennedy ’24 (Gold Key and American Voices Nominee, Short Story; and Honorable Mention, Poetry); Seoyon Kim ’25 (Silver Key, Poetry); Henry Krex ’24 (Honorable Mention, Short Story); Xiao Maddock-Mark ’23 (Honorable Mention, Short Story); Fredy Norin ’24 (Honorable Mention, Science Fiction/Fantasy); Arden Pryor ’23 (Silver Key, Poetry; Honorable Mention, Poetry); Avery Pryor ’24 (Gold Key, Critical Essay; Honorable Mention, Short Story); and Jacquelyn Song ’24 (Gold Key, Memoir; Honorable Mention, Flash Fiction).

“We take great pride in all of our student writers and were happy to see this group recognized beyond Wheeler!” says Upper School English Teacher and English Department Head John Campbell. Aerie Teacher Bob Koppel adds, “The exceptional poems, short stories, and personal essays by Aerie writers that were recognized for Scholastic Art & Writing Awards mined everything from contemplating the power of words, to sailing on Narragansett Bay, to fishing with a favorite uncle in rural China, personalizing the meaning of faith, loss, love, perseverance, and identity–what it means to be human.”

Personal expression can also be seen in the work of Wheeler’s Art Award winners. They include: Andrew Giventer-Braff ’25 (Silver Key, Ceramics and Glass); Caitlynna Jian ’24 (Silver Key, Painting); Henry Krex ’24 (Three Gold Keys, Ceramics and Glass); Mari Pokorny ’22 (Honorable Mention, Photography); and Lila Rizvi ’22 (Silver Key, Fine Art Portfolio). You can see their pieces in the following gallery.