Twenty Four APS Students Receive National Scholastic Art Awards

More than 100,000 teens from across the country and Canada entered more than 340,000 works of art and writing to the 2025 Scholastic Awards. Around 2,500 works received National Medals this year.

This year’s Arlington Public Schools national medalist recipients are:

Art Award – American Visions Medal

• Kaitlyn Runion: “know me” Career Center, Grade 11, Ms. Christina Ascani

Art Awards – Gold Medalist

• Allegra Vena: “Veil of Conformity” Wakefield, Grade 12, Mr. Jeff Pabotoy
• Ian Alcorn: “Pearly Whites” Yorktown, Grade 12, Ms. Jina Davidson
• Lourdes Vazquez: “The Warmest Blue” Wakefield, Grade 12, Ms. Jina Davidson
• Mphatso Phiri: “the goodbye“ Wakefield, Grade 12, Ms. Jina Davidson
• Quinn Magnell: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your pain? (I don’t know, it just hurts)“ Washington-Liberty, Grade 11, Ms. Hiromi Isobe
• Travis Dai: “Sharp Touch“ Yorktown, Grade 12, Ms. Christine Bolon
• Lily Dezfulian: “Resonant Structure“ Yorktown, Grade 12, Ms. Monica Stroik
• Kaitlyn Runion: “know me” Career Center, Grade 11, Ms. Christina Ascani

Art Awards – Silver Portfolio Medalist

• Mphatso Phiri: “In God’s Hands” Wakefield, Grade 12, Ms. Jina Davidson
• Danté Julius: “How we Relate to Our Mother” Washington-Liberty, Grade 12, Ms. Hiromi Isobe

Art Awards – Silver Medalist

• Robin Kaufman: “Eastern Bluebird” Career Center, Grade 10, Ms. Christina Ascani
• Robin Kaufman: “Seal Harbor Fog” Career Center, Grade 10, Ms. Christina Ascani
• Miles Green: “Flow” H-B Woodlawn, Grade 12, Mr. George Laumann
• Allegra Vena: “Ringing Out” Wakefield, Grade 11, Mr. Jeff Pabotoy
• August Court: “The Odd Egg Out” Wakefield, Grade 9, Mr. Jeff Pabotoy
• Kiley Anderson: “Pomegranate Box” Wakefield, Grade 10, Mr. Jeff Pabotoy
• Finn Sherlick: “Bernina Express” Wakefield, Grade 11, Ms. Jina Davidson
• Jackson Montague: “Gondola” Wakefield, Grade 12, Ms. Jina Davidson
• Lina Alvarado: “Brown Silvers” Wakefield, Grade 11, Ms. Nancy Flores
• Sam Hemel: “My Face, as I’ve seen it” Washington-Liberty, Grade 11, Ms. Hiromi Isobe
• Tyson Walker: “Mean Lizard” Williamsburg, Grade 8, Mr. Eric Skrzypek
• Travis Dai: “Toxic Trait” Yorktown, Grade 12, Ms. Christine Bolon

Art Awards – Portfolio Honorable Mention Medalist

• Eitan Polanco: “The Sound of Silence” Wakefield, Grade 12, Ms. Jina Davidson
• Yaninne Tapia Salas: “Rabbits Galore” Wakefield, Grade 12, Ms. Susi Brittain
• Felix Ko: “Symmetry/Asymmetry” Yorktown, Grade 12, Ms. Christine Bolon
• Morgan Shelton: “Progression and Connection” Yorktown, Grade 12, Ms. Christine Bolon
• Travis Dai: “Seeing Through the Flow” Yorktown, Grade 12, Ms. Christine Bolon
• Amy Walsh: “Then and Now” Yorktown, Grade 12, Ms. Monica Stroik
• Julia Markowitz: “Absurdism in Daily Life” Yorktown, Grade 12, Ms. Monica Stroik

Writing Award – Silver Medalist

• Lily Dezfulian: “A review on pockets in the form of 10 Macys Yelp comments“ Yorktown, Grade 12

The program, currently in its 103rd year, is a national program recognizing outstanding creativity in teens and offers scholarship opportunities for graduating high school seniors. Teens in grades 7-12 can apply in 29 categories of art and writing for the chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited or published. The national non-profit organization that presents the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards invites Gold Medalists to a ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City on June 11. Selected award recipients and high school seniors recognized with top honors will have their art exhibited at the Scholastic Inc. Building in New York.

Vist the Arts Education webpage to view the artwork. For more information, contact the Arts Education Office at 703-228-6299.