The 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were released on January 26th, and among the regional winners were eight Tenafly High School students. Recognition was awarded to participants in 29 categories and across three levels: Gold Key (best works), Silver (stand out works), and Honorable Mention (works with potential).

“I submitted the most number of pieces this year than I did in the past five years I’ve participated in Scholastic A&W,” Gia Shin (’23) said. “I’ve learned over the years that the best way to approach the contest is to submit literally everything you’ve got, because they don’t have a cap on submissions. I’m honored that six of my pieces were recognized; what surprised me the most was that my poetry did well, and I never thought of myself as a poet before. So this affirmed my identity as a creative writer, and I’m very thankful.” 

Katelyn Liao (’23) shared her experience upon receiving several awards for her artwork. “It was very exciting opening the awards page and learning that I had won a few awards for my art,” Liao said. “I also found it interesting that the ones they had chosen weren’t necessarily the ones I expected. For my portfolio submission the theme was inspired by my trip to Taiwan this past summer and the memories I made and relived.” 

The Scholastics Art & Writing Awards is a great opportunity for high school students to submit and showcase their works. The contest does a wonderful job at celebrating the highest achieving writing and art pieces from teenagers across the country. We can now look forward to the release of the national award recipients, to be chosen among the Gold Key recipients from each region.

Writing :

Ella Bareket

• A Neighborhood, Not A House
  • Poetry
  • Gold Key
• Pita, Falafel, and Hummus
  • Personal Memoir & Essay
  • Gold Key
• Spelling Test
  • Poetry
  • Honorable Mention

Justin Byun

• Collectivism of the Buffalo
  • Flash Fiction
  • Honorable Mention

Karis Cho

• The Fish Tank
  • Poetry
  • Gold Key
• Nothing – A letter to my grandmother
  • Poetry
  • Honorable Mention

Ryan Jang

• Route 13
  • Short Story
  • Silver Key

Kayla Cheng

• My First and Last Letter to You
  • Personal Essay & Memoir
  • Honorable Mention

Junhyoung (Edward) Kim

• Chokbeop Youth: Problems with Juvenile Laws in South Korea
  • Journalism
  • Gold Key
• Foreigner Porcupine
  • Poetry
  • Honorable Mention
• How Literature about Women’s Rights in the 19th and 20th Century Still Makes an Impact Today: Looking through Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Susan Glaspell’s “Trifles,” and Emily Dickinson’s “She rose to His Requirement – dropt”
  • Critical Essay
  • Honorable Mention
• Turkey in NATO? A Decision Worth Reconsidering
  • Critical Essay
  • Honorable Mention

Lydia Jung

• Shortcomings of Bipolar Disorder Treatment: Repercussions for Patients and Their Families
  • Critical Essay
  • Honorable Mention

Elliot Lee

• How Well We Can Act
  • Personal Essay & Memoir
  • Honorable Mention

Eunhyo Park

• Together by a String
  • Poetry
  • Gold Key
• What I Remember for Both of Us
  • Poetry
  • Gold Key

Gia Shin

• Haraboji in the backyard
  • Poetry
  • Gold Key
• Appreciating the Color Purple
  • Critical Essay
  • Silver Key
• French Cat
  • Personal Essay & Memoir
  • Silver Key
• Taping my eyelids to the ceiling
  • Poetry
  • Silver Key
• Coming Attraction
  • Poetry
  • Honorable Mention
• Sunday Crossword
  • Poetry
  • Honorable Mention

Liam Tenenbaum

• Different People on the Ski Mountain
  • Humor
  • Honorable Mention
• The Stinging Truth of Dwindling Bee Populations
  • Journalism
  • Honorable Mention

Art

Katelyn Liao

• Once Again in Taiwan
  • Art Portfolio
  • Silver Key
• Melting
  • Drawing & Illustration
  • Silver Key
• Lullaby
  • Drawing & Illustration
  • Honorable Mention
• Lone March
  • Mixed Media
  • Honorable Mention
• As Life Flashed Before Her Eyes
  • Drawing & Illustration
  • Honorable Mention

Eunhyo Park

• How We Identify and Unify
  • Photography
  • Honorable Mention

Euihuan Um

• Musical Dreams
  • Photography
  • Gold Key
• Nature Palette
  • Photography
  • Silver Key
• stripes amongst grass
  • Photography
  • Silver Key
• lonely highway
  • Photography
  • Honorable Mention
• A Venice Garage
  • Photography
  • Honorable Mention
• Once upon a time guards
  • Photography
  • Honorable Mention