MCHS Students Secure Scholastic Awards for the Fifth Year Running
According to the Scholastic website, “The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program is the nation’s longest-running, largest, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Over the past 95 years, the Awards have recognized and encouraged artists and writers such as Sylvia Plath, Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Robert Redford, Tom Otterness, and Zac Posen, among countless others.” For the fifth year in a row, Mount Carmel High School Seniors earned impressive accolades through the Scholastic competition.
The Scholastic Art and Writing competition presents awards in three categories. Honorable Mention is granted to the top 10-15% of all entries, Silver Key to the top 7-10%, and Gold Key to the top 5-7%. Scholastic jurors in our region alone reviewed over 7,000 entries this year, making it quite an achievement to receive any award. MCHS not only secured Honorable Mention and Silver Keys this year, but is beyond excited to announce two Gold Key winners as well.
Kendal Homan, daughter of Staci Homan and Rob Jackman, and Jeff Homan, earned a Gold Key with her short story “Strawberry Silence.” Kendal states, “This piece takes you through the day my grandfather passed. It’s the first work I have ever put all my heart and soul into; it was my way of getting closure.” Kendal enjoyed taking Creating Fiction, a dual-credit course offered at MCHS, because she was able to revamp her passion for writing, largely because “creative writing allows me to talk about the hard things in life.” Kendal plans to attend USI in the fall and earn a Bachelor’s degree in nursing and eventually specialize in family care.
Ashton Stine, daughter of Jonathan and Rebecca Stine, earned a Gold Key for her short story titled “Forevergreen.” When asked about her piece, Ashton states, “I think it teaches us to face adversity and challenges in a headstrong manner, and not to allow the storms in our life to knock us down forever, but to grow and blossom through them.” Ashton has loved writing ever since she can remember; it serves as an outlet for her to express herself and relieve stress. For her future, Ashton plans to attend USI and pursue an undergraduate degree in biology before completing a PA program and, in her words, “make a difference in the world, one patient at a time.”
Jaden Norrick, daughter of Ambre and Eric Norrick. Jaden claimed two Scholastic awards-a Silver Key for her personal essay “New Eyes” and an Honorable Mention for her flash fiction “Twelve Steps.” Writing, for Jaden, has “helped me express and vent myself in a safe place since I was in 3rd grade.” She believes that the written word “can and has changed the world,” and she is “proud to be in the next generation of writers, a generation that has the potential to accomplish anything we set our minds to.” Jaden hopes for independence, stability and happiness in her future, knowing that even if she doesn’t fully know the clear course of action, she does know the steps necessary to achieve the desired results.
Brett Carwile, son of Scott and Danielle Carwile, earned a Silver Key for his flash fiction “Unsafe Love,” a piece that delves into the tragic impacts of texting and driving. He wrote this “after reading a statistic which stated that 1 out of 4 car crashes in the U.S. are caused by texting and driving.” When asked about his own writing journey, Brett states, “I find that it is very difficult to write something that sounds good. Oftentimes, I have a thought that I’d like to write out, only to discover that I am unable to properly transcribe the idea.” Brett’s Silver Key, however, proves his unmerited worth as a writer. Brett’s future plans include pursuing a career in teaching English as a Second Language.
Trenton Rafferty, son of Stacey Rafferty and Tim Rafferty, received a Silver Key for his Science Fiction and Fantasy piece titled “Perpetual Torment.” Trenton has a passion for war history and was able to combine his interests with his writing talents to produce this piece that demonstrates “our inner violence and how humanity can be both peaceful and hateful” because of the “selfishness deep down” that many try to suppress. Writing, for Trenton, enables him to express what he likes, and it also relieves stress. In the future, Trenton plans to attend college and possibly major in a psychology field or a computer field.
Gavin Swain, son of Shawn and Mikel-an Swain and Shannon and Chad Mills earned a Silver Key for his short story “Immovable, Unstoppable,”. This piece details “two people who have their own unique qualities” and “compliment each other very well.” For Gavin, “being a writer is so much more than just putting words on a paper.” He believes writing is an inspiration for expression, an escape from the realities of life, and “an art form of the most pure kind, making even the smallest person turn into a giant through thoughts and words.” Gavin plans to attend USI and become an English teacher and write part-time, because “I have writing to thank for saving my life.”
Orrin Bromm, son of Dean and Christy Broom, claimed an Honorable Mention for his personal essay titled “Locked.” He states, “For me, ‘Locked’ was an outlet for things I was feeling at the time, both what happened as I saw it, and some of the things I was thinking as these events took place.” Orrin has always had a passion for writing, and he hopes his writing can “make at least one reader truly feel something.” Orrin’s future plans include attending Vincennes University before transferring to a different university.
