Poly Students Earn National Honors in Art and Writing

Poly students earned exceptional recognition in this year’s National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, receiving 10 national awards among approximately 2,700 honors granted nationwide across thousands of participating schools.

In the visual arts categories, students received the following national awards:

Cavon H. was also selected as a Young Arts Winner for his photography portfolio and was chosen as a finalist for the Congressional Art Competition. He recently learned he received third place in the Congressional Art Competition and that his photograph was the top-ranking entry.

In writing, Allison Z. ’26 earned four national medals in the Scholastic Writing Awards: two Silver Medals in Poetry, a Gold Medal in Short Story, and a Gold Medal in Memoir. For her memoir, Allison also received the prestigious “Best in Grade” award, an honor given to only two seniors nationwide, making this an especially significant achievement.

Poly students were also recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in the 2065 Achievement Awards in Writing program. This year, 689 students were nominated from 38 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and several countries including Canada, Jamaica, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, and Taiwan.

The following students received honors:

Superior

First Class

Notably, Poly students accounted for two of the 24 California students recognized at the Superior level.

Read on for reflections from some of our award winners:

“One of the pieces that won a Scholastic Silver Medal is a poem named 'I Tell My Mother I Want Another Name.’ This poem covers what it means to change names and thus identities, immigrating from one country to another. ‘Inheritance Without Translation’ is a personal essay I wrote that won the Scholastic Gold Medal and Best in Grade Award. It is about the gradual transition in my relationship with my grandparents, set in their little house in China. "The Quiet Under the House" is a short story that won the Gold Medal; it explores the story of a girl who loses her brother and how she comes to understand this loss. Finally, ‘Rhyme for an Empty Room’ is a poem that won the Silver Medal; it is a short, introspective piece about what I notice when it's silent and what drives me to write. 

For me, being recognized by the Scholastic Awards gave me further encouragement to continue writing. I love writing just to write, but national recognition lets me know that my writing has reached others as well.” —Allison Z. ’26

“My piece was taken on my Outdoor Ed trip to Morro Bay this year, where we visited a beach. There I saw the boat, graffiti-ed and sunken, and there was something very alluring about a boat in the midst of fog, and how the rust and metal complemented yet contrasted the grass and plants around it. The serenity yet traces of human existence reminded me heavily of the incorporation of humanity and nature and how they can coexist to create harmony, inspiring my piece. To me, having my work recognized by the Scholastic Awards serves as a testimony to my growth in skill. My journey through art and creation suddenly felt recognized and appreciated, granting me the confidence to continue in my pursuit of artistic creation.” —Jessica L. ’27

“Amidst an intense game of water polo, two players race side-by-side, finding themselves in an isle of peace and serenity at the center of a chaotic game. The cold water flows through their fingers and across their bodies, creating a swirl of water in their wake. As they race towards the goal, these two players begin a fluid dance where grace collides with brute strength.

It is truly an honor to have been recognized by Scholastic as a National Gold Medalist for two years in a row. Having my photography recognized by Scholastic is deeply meaningful for two reasons. Firstly, the National Scholastic Award validates my philosophy behind taking photos and has encouraged me to continue reflecting my beliefs in my art. But also, the National Scholastic Award has shown me that real experts support and endorse my photographs and the ideas behind them. That feeling of being treated as a real photographer is truly special, and the National Scholastic Awards make that possible.” —Cavon H. ’27