The creativity, precision and skill expressed by two Fayetteville-Manlius High School students is being recognized at the national level.
Seniors Allison Wong and Sarai Stenson were recently named national medalists in the 2023 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens.
More than 260,000 works of art and writing were submitted for judging at the regional level through local affiliates of the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers Alliance. Students in grades 7-12 could enter work in 28 categories, including drawing and illustration, photography, flash fiction, poetry, film and animation, journalism and more. Jurors evaluated the submissions based on originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.
Entries are selected for awards without knowledge of the student’s gender, age, ethnicity, or hometown by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts. Jurors look for works that exemplify the Awards’ core values: originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision, according to the organization’s website.
Allison received a national gold medal for her writing piece, “A Sonata’s Promise.” Sarai received a national gold medal for her charcoal drawing, “Me.”
