Five Upper School students and one Middle School student at Friends Academy were recognized in the regional round of the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious awards program for creative teens.
The awards were presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a nonprofit that aims to identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent.
On the art side, freshman Jason Rutt received Honorable Mention for his work, “A Breath of Fresh Air,” in the category Digital Painting, Drawing & Collage. His artwork is featured below.
“Jason is a very motivated student who quickly grasps concepts in class and then goes above and beyond because he loves this work,” says Ms. Amanda Fisk, the Digital Arts Teacher at Friends Academy. “He loves to push himself and try new things. Art is public, but only if you let it be. Not everybody does, but he was willing to put himself and his work out there for others. He has so much potential to keep having success and recognition because he’s extremely hard-working.”
“A Breath of Fresh Air,” by Jason Rutt.
On the writing side, senior Mason Linken won a Gold Key in journalism — one of 12 such awards in the category — for his story, “The Seeds of Sustainability at Friends Academy.”
Senior Charlotte Yanke won two Silver Keys for her critical essay, “Equality Over Subversion: The Narrator's Final Desire in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper,’ ” and her short story: “The Remains of the Woman.”
Top row (l. to r.): Mason Linken, Charlotte Yanke, Sydney Wang. Bottom: Jack Costagliola, Jason Rutt, Aman Jaiswal.
Junior Sydney Wang received Honorable Mention for her critical essay, “Not Yet Born, But Already Decided?”
Junior Jack Costagliola received Honorable Mention for his critical essay, “Moving on From Kipling: Why Diversity Works.”
And eighth-grader Aman Jaiswal received Honorable Mention for his speculative fiction piece, “Magnolia Road.”
“These awards show that our students are capable of producing work of public importance that speaks to a larger audience beyond our community,” says Mr. Daniel Mendel, Chair of the English Department in the Upper School. “I'm grateful that our school provides opportunities for students to do work of this significance — and I'm proud of our students for feeling brave enough to submit their work to this competition. These awards celebrate the voice of teenagers and lets them know how much we value their contributions to the world.”
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