After nights of drafting and revising, students at Sacred Heart Greenwich achieved 16 awards in the 2025 Scholastic Writing Awards.  Part of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, Writopia Labs released the winners of this year’s writing awards January 27.  This year, Upper School students received two Gold Keys, two Silver Keys, and 12 Honorable Mentions.

Mr. Maurice R. Robertson began the Scholastic Awards in 1923 as a way to showcase adolescent talent.  Over the last 100 years, Scholastic has awarded many notable faces, including Mr. Truman Capote in 1936, Ms. Sylvia Plath in 1947, Mr. Stephen King in 1965, and Ms. Amanda Gorman in 2015 and 2016, according to artandwriting.org.

The Regional Scholastic Awards grant Gold Keys, Silver Keys, and Honorable Mentions to teens whose work exhibits commendable creativity and artistry.  Sacred Heart falls within the Hudson-to-Housatonic Region.  Writers who win a regional Gold Key are then eligible to win a national award.  Dr. Cristina Baptista, Upper School English Teacher, Committee on Community and Belonging Chair, and Perspectives Advisor, commented on why it is crucial for students to submit their work.

“I think that submitting art and writing to the Scholastic awards is an empowering action because it’s risk-taking,” Dr. Baptista said.  “It’s an act of faith in your own work.  I think, too, it’s a good exercise in rejection because there is no guarantee that you may place or get an award.  However, if you are awarded, if you are acknowledged from a national level to an honorable mention, that recognition might incentivize, might galvanize you to keep submitting and keep creating.”

Senior Emily Shull won a Gold Key for her critical essay “Miss Emily Grierson: The Faded and Fallen Portrait of time.”  Junior Arianna Chin also won a Gold Key for her poem “To the Death of the Soul.”  Junior Madeleine Walker received two Silver Keys.  One was for her personal essay/memoir “Cherished Links” and the other was for her poem “Two of Me, Three of Us.”  Dr. Baptista discussed why creating written works is important for the imagination.

“People who read live multiple times lives,” Dr. Baptista said.  “People who write live multiple lives.  People who create live multiple lives.  If you’re a performer, you get to play different characters.  If you a photographer, you get to use different lenses.  I think we cheat ourselves if we never engage in our creative brain.”

For Honorable Mentions, senior Natasha Arakal won for her poem “Measurement of time,” and senior Lily Carroll received an award for her short story “Green Thumb.”  Senior Annika Wise won an award for her short story titled “Shadows of Tomorrow.”  Senior Emily Shull received two Honorable Mentions for her critical essay “Instituting Progress by Breaking the Glass Ceiling” and her personal essay/memoir “Epitaphs.”  In addition, junior Arianna Chin received an Honorable Mention for her poem “Breath of Life.”  Junior Ellie Furman won for her poem “Echos of Deadly Footprints.”  Junior Tanner Shanley now holds an Honorable Mention for her poem “Forgive But Never Forget,” and junior Brianna Timlin also holds an Honorable Mention for poem “The mirror.”  Sophomore Laurel Cary received an award for her poem “Forever Untouchable” along with sophomore Carolyn McBreen for her two poems “Unsure” and “Caught.”  Dr. Baptista reflected on the purpose of good literature, and its power to heal.

“I think when we are creating and immersing ourselves in something we love doing, we lose track of time, and that’s a good thing,” Dr. Baptista said.  “It’s good to let the mind wander.  I think it keeps us open to possibilities.  Art is about making connections.  It’s about wondering what other people are thinking.  So I think it builds empathy.  It builds bridges.”

Featured Image by Emily Shull ’25