Students earn national honors in Scholastic Awards
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- Academics
- Awards
- Fine Arts
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Leyden student artists had an outstanding showing at this year’s Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Student work was judged by a panel of professionals on originality, skill, and personal voice, with top regional honors celebrated at Columbia College in Chicago. From more than 335,000 submissions nationwide, only a small percentage advanced to national recognition.
East Leyden junior Liliia Poldolska earned both a National Gold Medal and the prestigious American Vision Award for her photograph "Lost and Found," which reflects her family’s journey from Ukraine to the United States. She shared, “My family came from Ukraine in 2022 after the full-scale invasion began… At first, I was embarrassed by my accent and hesitant to talk about my country and culture. Over time, I realized that being different is something to be proud of, because our experiences shape who we are. I am proud of my country and inspired by the people who continue to fight for freedom.”
Gold Key winners include Sofia Gomez De La Torre, Mia Martin, Veronika Oliinychenko, Avi Rios, Jayden Uy (two awards). Silver Keys were awarded to Nevena Doncheva (two awards), Barbara Golisz, Vianey Gonzalez, Estefania Jimenez, Olga Kruszecka (two awards), Axel Marin, Colin Mejia (two awards), Olivia Nass, Hong Nguyen and Antonina Saminska. Honorable Mention winners include Alyssa Carrera, Nevena Doncheva, Isabel Gonzalez, Axel Marin, Bethanie Nambo (three awards), Hong Nguyen, Abigail Otero, Avi Rios and Lukasz Sroka.