Waterford Students Earn
Regional 2025 Scholastic Writing & Art Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have recognized the vision, ingenuity, and talent of our nation’s youth, and provided opportunities for creative teens to be celebrated each year since 1923. An increasing number of teens participate in the program and become a part of this community—young artists and writers, filmmakers and photographers, poets and sculptors, video game artists and science fiction writers—along with countless educators who support and encourage the creative process.

Waterford’s talented students show passion and elevated standards in the work they submitted this year. The awards listed below are for our Western Region, which includes Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Washington, and parts of California. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards—the oldest and most prestigious program of its kind in the country—selects winning work for Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention awards. All Gold Key winners advance to the National competition; those results will be announced in mid-March. Seniors whose portfolios win the top National award receive a $10,000 scholarship.

Studio Art – 8 awards

3 Gold
2 Silver
3 Honorable Mention

Gold Key
Alexx F. ’28 – Self Portrait /Tronie
Diane J. ’26 (2) – Three Little Girls, Winter-Vivaldi

Silver Key
Diane J. ’26 (2)

Honorable Mention
Cooper B. ’25
Declan D. ’25   
Diane J. ’26

Photography – 65 awards

14 Gold
21 Silver
30 Honorable Mention

Gold Key
Sadie H. ’26 – Hooked
Preston J. ’25 (3) – Midnight, Quarry at Night, Stitches
Jerry J. ’27 (2) – Dream in Color, The Red Carts
Jack K. ’25 (2) – Decay, Urban Prints (Portfolio)
Zadkiel M. ’27 (2) – A Shot in the Dark, Red Blanket
Charlotte O. ’26 – In Passing
Maya P. ’27 – Reflection of a Room
Ryan S. ’28 – Desert Harmony
Vitalia S. ’27 – Lost Play

Silver Key
Evie H. ’26
Preston J. ’25 (4)
Jack K. ’25
Ryland L. ’28
Zadkiel M. ’27 (2)
Charlotte O. ’26 (3)
Vitalia S. ’27 (3)
Jade W. ’26 (2)
Jerry X. ’26 (4)

Honorable Mention
Murray G. ’25 (3)
Evie H. ’26 (3)
Sadie H. ’26
Preston J. ’25 (3)
Jerry J. ’27 (4)
Jack K. ’25 (6)
Zadkiel M. ’27
Charlotte O. ’26 (4)
Vitalia S. ’27
Jade W. ’26 (2)
Jerry X. ’26 (2)

Writing – 11 awards

2 Gold
3 Silver
6 Honorable Mention

Gold Key
Alexandra H. ’29 “The Blackbird’s Song” (Poetry)
Sophia Z. ’29 “Preserving and Protecting the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem
in Perpetuity: Celebrating the 30^th Anniversary of FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake” (Journalism)

Silver Key
Alexx F. ’28 (Personal Essay & Memoir)
Madeleine G. ’26 (Critical Essay)
Evie H. ’26 (Science Fiction & Fantasy)

Honorable Mention
Rose J. ’30 (2) (Poetry & Flash Fiction)
Abigail Q. ’26 (Critical Essay)
Lisa S. ’25 (Critical Essay)
Gabriela W. ’29 (Poetry)
Charlotte H. ’28 (Poetry)

“The Blackbird’s Song” – Alexandra H. ’29

For whom the dying blackbird sings,
As it bobs and weaves through desolate decay,
Then slowly extends its midnight wings,
Over bent wheat farms and broken fields astray.
	For when the dark has dealt its hand,
And the blackbird again goes into hiding,
A problem does arise in the land,
With whispers of recent war subsiding.
It soars among delicate specters afar, 
Cutting through the ember and flame,
Drifting over hateful war,
For broken spirits are never the same.
	Slowly like white doves they land,
Running to help fight the battle,
From forests to the sea and the sand,
To save those being herded like cattle.
	The bird continues to soar through the sky,
Above the crimson poppy flower,
And it silently glides far up high,
As freedom creeps closer by the hour.
	In the distance far from the light,
The enemy lays breathing softly in hiding,
Trying to hide the horrific sight,
Of discrimination to those slowly dying.
	And again the blackbird does take to wing,
Like us humans do take to heart,
It will again start to sing,
Of suffering souls and broken art.
Still the dark soul does march along,
Inelegant and dressed in lies,
Slowly the mighty, mournful song,
Drifts from the poet as he flies.
A march of death soon does begin,
Under drifting ash and flakes of snow,
Right before the good does win,
Sorrow comes beneath blood flow.
But as it wavers in faltering flight,
Tale of resilience and bravery,
It finally breaks through to the light,
So the blackbird finally rises free. 
	Now listen to this tale clear,
Of trials set in historical flashes,
From darkest times to current year,
As the blackbird’s song rises above the ashes.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE INCREDIBLE HARD WORK PUT IN BY WATERFORD STUDENTS TO EARN THIS RECOGNITION.

Please click here to see a gallery of the Regional Gold Key Visual Arts winners.