Seven D99 Students Receive National Scholastic Art Awards

Submitted by Community High School District 99.
Photo 1: North High students Angela Wong, Jessica Novotny, Aubrey Saha, Olivia Wojciak and Emma Wilson are National Scholastic Art Medalists.
Photo 2: South High students Claire Pikul and Alessandra Lane are National Scholastic Art Medalists

Downers Grove, IL - Seven students from Downers Grove North High and Downers Grove South High School have received national medals in the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition.

Of the 320,000 works of art and writing submitted, 2,400 were awarded medals at the national level; 100 medals were awarded to Illinois students.

The following students received national medals in the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards:

• Alessandra Lane, South High (Silver Medal) – photography category “Hidden” Teacher: Michelle Lynn
• Jessica Novotny, North High (Silver Medal) - photography category “Cinched” Teacher: Megan Kelly
• Claire Pikul, South High (Gold Medal) – digital art category “Paper Chase” and “Struck” Teacher: Michelle Lynn
• Claire Pikul, South High (Gold Medal) – digital art category “Struck” Teacher: Michelle Lynn
• Aubrey Saha, North High (Gold Medal) - drawing and illustration category “Am I Pretty?” Teacher: Marty Voelker
• Emma Wilson, North High (Silver Medal) – poetry category “On Flight” Teacher: John Waite
• Olivia Wojciak, North High (Silver Medal) - ceramics and glass category “Bubbles” Teacher: Leslie Miller
• Angela Wong, North High (Silver Medal) - ceramics and glass category “Sapphire Treatment” Teacher: Megan Kelly

Receiving a national medal from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards places student artists within the top one percent of all submissions from a national pool of art work, and student work will be in exhibition at Carnegie Hall in New York, New York this summer.

“Emma’s poetry is mature and mysterious. It demands to be reread, each time yielding new insights and surprises. I am not surprised that Emma received this recognition,” says John Waite, an English teacher and National Board Certified Teacher at North High.

"Earning a national award from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the pinnacle of success for a high school artist," said Fine Arts department chairman Glenn Williams. "We are extremely proud of Claire and Alessandra and their mentor teacher, Michelle Lynn, for earning this recognition at a national level."

"Both Claire and Alessandra are extremely talented and work extremely hard on a daily basis." said mentor teacher Michelle Lynn. "These pieces were selected from a national pool of student work and are deserving of these awards."

Fine Arts Department Chairperson Brayer Teague shared, "We are extremely proud of Jessica, Aubrey, Olivia and Angela. This national recognition is a significant affirmation of their dedication to the arts, and their creative talents."

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious award and recognition program for creative teens. For more information, visit artandwriting.org.