In the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, 21 Spring ISD middle school and high school students received more than 30 separate regional awards for works they submitted to the contest — sponsored and overseen at the regional level by Harris County Department of Education (HCDE).
“Scholastic is a big deal, a national event with a very long and distinguished history,” said Spring ISD Visual Arts Coordinator Amanda Byers. “Our students are so incredibly talented, and this program is a wonderful way to help them shine and give us a chance to recognize their commitment to creativity, even when times are tough.”
Originally launched in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards offer young visual artists and writers across the country an opportunity to compete with their work at both regional and national levels. This year, more than 100,000 U.S. students in grades 7-12 participated for a chance at having their work recognized, as well as for scholarship awards and other prizes.
A total of 8,874 works were submitted this year from students in Harris County, according to a statement from HCDE. Out of these, more than 2,400 Harris County students received regional honors, including Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, and American Visions & Voices nominations. Submissions receiving the Gold Key recognition at the regional level are then submitted for judging at the national level, with results scheduled to be announced later in March. This year’s national awards ceremony will be a live-streamed event held on June 9.
“An award signifies to parents, teachers, the community, and colleges that a student is an accomplished artist or writer and offers creative teens the opportunity to earn recognition, exhibition, publication, and up to $10,000 in scholarships,” HCDE wrote in announcing this year’s regional winners.
Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the usual in-person receptions and ceremonies celebrating regional winners have been canceled this year. A virtual ceremony for regional awardees is currently in the works.
“This year, we were really focused on making sure the competition was accessible to our Spring ISD students. We weren’t sure what to expect, especially with a number of our secondary students studying at home,” said Byers, who added that the program couldn’t happen without the work of campus teachers who help coordinate the entries. “The fact that we had so much participation still this year, and that we had so many place at the regional level, goes to show that our students are still staying active and creative at this time, which is fantastic.”
Past Scholastic Art & Writing Awards winners include notable artists, writers and creators such as Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford, Joyce Carol Oates and Amanda Gorman, who was named the first National Youth Poet Laureate and who went on to deliver her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the 2021 presidential inauguration.
The list of 2021 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Award winners from Spring ISD is as follows:
Gold Key:
Student: Pedro Angel
Grade: 8
Campus: Claughton Middle School
Work Title: Sunshine through the Leaves
Category: Photography
Art Teacher: Bryce Johnson
Student: Ruth Hardy
Grade: 12
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Real Fear
Category: Painting
Art Teacher: Lizbeth Ramagnoli
Student: Cadence McKeegan
Grade: 8
Campus: Dueitt Middle School
Work Title: Soul Of Fire
Category: Photography
Art Teacher: Katherine Sands
Student: Ashley Romero
Grade: 12
Campus: Spring Early College Academy
Work Title: Dysphoria
Category: Writing
Teacher: Valerie Hassel
Student: Ashley Romero
Grade: 12
Campus: Spring Early College Academy
Work Title: Shame
Category: Writing
Teacher: Valerie Hassel
Student: Jesse Tello
Grade: 11
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Hidden Shadow
Category: Photography
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: Trinity Thibodeaux
Grade: 8
Campus: Dueitt Middle School
Work Title: Oranges
Category: Photography
Art Teacher: Matt Griesmyer
Student: Trinity Thibodeaux
Grade: 8
Campus: Dueitt Middle School
Work Title: Ford
Category: Photography
Art Teacher: Matt Griesmyer
Student: Mariza Zamora
Grade: 11
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Golden Youth
Category: Painting
Art Teacher: Lizbeth Ramagnoli
Silver Key:
Student: Isabelle Crowder
Grade: 12
Campus: Spring Early College Academy
Work Title: Model Material
Category: Painting
Art Teacher: Valerie Hassel
Student: Anh Dao
Grade: 8
Campus: Claughton Middle School
Work Title: Morning of December 14th
Category: Digital Art
Art Teacher: Bryce Johnson
Student: Jeremiah Joiner Burnett
Grade: 11
Campus: Westfield High School
Work Title: Deceitful Portrayal
Category: Writing
Teacher: N/A
Student: Tran Nguyen
Grade: 8
Campus: Claughton Middle School
Work Title: Grandpa’s Scar
Category: Comic Art
Art Teacher: Bryce Johnson
Student: Oscar Obregon Dominguez
Grade: 7
Campus: Roberson Middle School
Work Title: The Path
Category: Photography
Art Teacher: Evan White
Student: Ashley Romero
Grade: 12
Campus: Spring Early College Academy
Work Title: Coming Home
Category: Writing
Teacher: Valerie Hassel
Student: Ashley Romero
Grade: 12
Campus: Spring Early College Academy
Work Title: Inevitable Truths
Category: Writing
Teacher: Valerie Hassel
Honorable Mention:
Student: Darlene Acosta
Grade: 10
Campus: Spring Early College Academy
Work Title: Ojos De Misteria
Art Teacher: Valerie Hassel
Student: J’myri Bob
Grade: 8
Campus: Claughton Middle School
Work Title: One Drop Makes a Difference
Art Teacher: Bryce Johnson
Student: Sinai Carter
Grade: 8
Campus: Roberson Middle School
Work Title: Self Portrait 2020
Art Teacher: Jaime Guillen
Student: Reese Dees
Grade: 12
Campus: Spring Early College Academy
Work Title: Sanguis
Art Teacher: Valerie Hassel
Student: Gabriela Hernandez
Grade: 12
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Beneath the Roads
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: Gabriela Hernandez
Grade: 12
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Colossus
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: Natalya Hernandez
Grade: 11
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Buzzing Around
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: Natalya Hernandez
Grade: 11
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Drip Drop
Category:
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: Jeremiah Joiner Burnett
Grade: 11
Campus: Westfield High School
Work Title: COLORS
Art Teacher: Naomi Mayhall
Student: Rhonda Kong
Grade: 12
Campus: Spring Early College Academy
Work Title: Heaven and Earth
Art Teacher: Valerie Hassel
Student: Emily Krug
Grade: 11
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Senior 2021
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: Emily Krug
Grade: 11
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Seen Some Things
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: Ashley Romero
Grade: 12
Campus: Spring Early College Academy
Work Title: Armageddon
Art Teacher: Valerie Hassel
Student: Jesse Tello
Grade: 11
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: the lonely guitar
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: Trinity Thibodeaux
Grade: 8
Campus: Dueitt Middle School
Work Title: Reflection
Art Teacher: Matt Griesmyer
Student: Lauren Turner
Grade: 8
Campus: Twin Creeks Middle School
Work Title: Spring Burst
Art Teacher: Dorris Pauley
Student: Darlene Yanez
Grade: 11
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: What some blue?
Art Teacher: Lizbeth Ramagnoli