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MLWGS students win (14) Scholastic Writing Awards in 2024

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The English department of Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School is honored to announce that once again Scholastics has recognized and awarded several of our talented writers.  This year’s regional competition included over 150 entries for writing in ten different categories.  Below is a list of winners:  

Crash Ackerly

Update – this piece also won…

“Cloth; Culture; and Coexistence: Unraveling France’s Headscarf Quandary”

 

Critical Essay Gold Key

Update: American Voices Medal

Isaiah Hathaway “On a House” Short Story Honorable Mention
Natalie Koehn-Wu “Baby” Short Story Honorable Mention
Lucy Gates “I Am” Personal Essay & Memoir Silver Key
Natalie Koehn-Wu “My Feminist Journey” Personal Essay & Memoir Silver Key
Natalie Koehn-Wu “Worm Gandhi” Personal Essay & Memoir Silver Key
Natalie Koehn-Wu “Buttercups” Short Story Silver Key
Avery Redmond “On Anxiety” Personal Essay & Memoir Silver Key
Brewer Sydney “Bouquet of Feathers; Flowers; and Fish” Portfolio Category(Writing) Silver Key
Priya Kumar “Hi; My Name Is “Gifted”: The Damage of the Smart Label” Critical Essay Honorable Mention
Priya Kumar “diary of a space freak” Poetry Honorable Mention
Mercedes Luna “I Learned C.R.E.A.M. Before My ABCs” Personal Essay & Memoir Honorable Mention
Hareem Mubashar “On the Importance of Desi Dramas” Personal Essay & Memoir Honorable Mention
Yan Angela Yu “Loving Hell” Personal Essay & Memoir Honorable Mention

For all participants and their families and friends:

  • From February 2nd at 5pm through February 19thA show of GOLD KEY + SILVER KEY ART + WRITING works + Projections of Honorable Mention works will be held at The Visual Arts Center of Richmond. Writing awardees will have their names on the wall and the work will be available to read. 
    • All are welcome! 
    • The Visual Arts Center of Richmond is located at 1812 West Main St. 
    • They are open from 9am to 9pm every day of the week.

PIN/WRITING BOOK PICKUP: 

  • Beginning February 2nd: Students can pick up their Gold + Silver Key pins and Educators can pick up their Educator pins at VisArts. 
  • Gold Key writing winners will be notified when the printed book of works are ready for pickup. 

CELEBRATIONS: 

  • IN-PERSON Reception for ALL (Gold, Silver, Honorable Mention) award winners: February 17th 1-4pm at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond- 1812 West Main St. (invitation to come) 
  • IN-PERSON Ceremony for Gold Key winners of ART and WRITING. February 17th 2pm at Dogwood Middle School (formerly Binford middle): 1701 Floyd Avenue (next to VisArts) An invitation will follow in the coming days, but mark your calendars now. 

Gold Key winners will have their submissions sent to the next stage of competition in New York, and National Awards will be announced later this spring. 

Scholastics is the nation’s longest-running competitive recognition program for young artists and writers, and MLWGS is proud of every student who shared their love of writing and submitted their work for judgment.  Also, a big “thank you” goes to the teachers who sponsored each of these students and to the parents and teachers who encouraged them to compete!  

Again, congratulations!  We are so proud of you!