Aldine Students Earn 2020 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, 1 Wins the American Visions Nominee Award
The competition recognizes the vision, ingenuity, and talent of creative teens.
Carver HS student Anthony Abarca received the American Vision Nominee Award for his digital artwork, “Love Affair.” Anthony’s artwork will be headed to New York in June for the national level of the competition.
Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) recently announced the teens for 2020 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Recipients join the ranks with iconic writers and artists Stephen King, Dan Fogelberg, Sylvia Plath, Robert Redford, Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Joyce Carol Oates, Marc Brown, and Jaida Jones, who all earned awards as Scholastic Art & Writing Awards as teens.
HCDE annually sponsors the regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. School districts, private schools, and home schools are represented as students earn Gold Key, Silver Key, and honorable mention awards. Each year, students submit their work through teachers who support and participate in HCDE’s regional competition. Several hundred volunteer art and writing professionals judge the submissions.
The highest-rated pieces move on to national judging to be considered for Gold and Silver Medals, which are announced in March and awarded in June at a ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
American Visions & Voices Nominee Awards
Anthony Abarca poses next to his award-winning artwork, “Love Affair.”
Student Anthony Abarca has been nominated for the prestigious American Visions Award. Of the more than 5,500 pieces submitted to the annual Scholastic Art and Writing competition, Anthony’s work was one of only five selected for this honor.
Local judges select five works of writing and five works of art from each region as American Visions and Voices Nominees, who are then celebrated in local exhibitions and ceremonies. From the pool of nominees, a panel of jurors in New York City will select one writer and one artist from each region to receive an American Visions Medal. These medalists are celebrated at the National Exhibition in New York City.
The American Voices & Visions Medals, the highest regional honors, are given to one writer and one artist from each region.
Anthony, who attends Carver High School for Engineering, Applied Technology and the Arts, will be honored at the Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Ceremony on Thursday, March 26, at The Ballroom at Bayou Place, where he will also receive a $250 monetary award.
Gold Keys Represent the Top 5 Percent of Entries
In the 2020 art categories, Aldine ISD students earned 19 Gold Keys, 32 Silver Keys, and 46 honorable mention awards. In the writing events, AISD students won four Silver Keys and two honorable mention awards.
To view all the regional award recipients and for information about receptions and award ceremonies, visit the HCDE website. Visit the Scholastic Art & Writing website to learn more about the competition.
AISD Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Award Recipients
| Student | School, Grade | Artwork | Type | Gold Key Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Abarca | Carver High School, 12 | Love Affair | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Diego Anaya | Aldine High School, 11 | Carousel | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Vanessa Arias | Carver High School, 12 | Wasted Time | Painting | Gold Key Award |
| Faith Belford | Nimitz High School, 12 | Unbounded Disarray | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Yamile Flacon | Blanson CTE High School, 9 | Bygone Siren | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Derek Flores | Grantham Academy, 7 | Jellyfish Flow | Mixed Media | Gold Key Award |
| Emily Fuentes | Blanson CTE High School, 11 | A Traveler’s Pride | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Alyssa Gonzalez | Aldine High School, 12 | Nicholas | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Amy Gonzalez | Drew Academy, 8 | Humpty Trumpty Wall | Editorial Cartoon | Gold Key Award |
| Kaylah Hawkins | Blanson CTE High School, 10 | The Lovers | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Jesus Jacobo | Aldine High School, 12 | Obsidian | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Daphne Lopez | Carver High School, 12 | Background Noise | Printmaking | Gold Key Award |
| Roxanna Martinez | Aldine High School, 10 | Fly High | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Jane Nguyen | Eisenhower High School, 12 | Ominous Glare | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Maria Portillo | MacArthur High School, 11 | Grub | Drawing & Illustration | Gold Key Award |
| Gisselle Puente | Drew Academy, 8 | Swirls of Glass Shardes | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Jesus Rivas | MacArthur High School, 11 | Modern Gem | Jewelry | Gold Key Award |
| Cristian Rojas | Aldine High School, 12 | Blue Future | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Lesslie Suarez | Aldine High School, 12 | Dopey | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Student | School, Grade | Writing | Type | Silver Key Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naomy Frometa Sanchez | Blanson CTE High School, 11 | To a Cleaner Future | Journalism | Silver Key Award |
| Katie Lucio | Eisenhower High School, 11 | The Birdwatcher | Short Story | Silver Key Award |
| Kiera Jackson | Nimitz High School, 12 | Your Choice | Dramatic Script | Silver Key Award |
| Cassandra Vazquez | Avalos P-TECH School, 9 | El Barrio | Poetry | Silver Key Award |
| Student | School, Grade | Artwork | Type | Silver Key Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marissa Agado | MacArthur High School, 12 | Breath of The Dahlia | Fashion | Silver Key Award |
| JaQuan Allen | Carver High School, 11 | Allen Cuisine – Logo Development | Design | Silver Key Award |
| Vanessa Arias | Carver High School, 12 | Hypnotized | Digital Art | Silver Key Award |
| Jordan Barnes | Drew Academy, 8 | Tweet | Editorial Cartoon | Silver Key Award |
| Evieh Braddy | Nimitz High School, 12 | The Staircase | Art Portfolio | Silver Key Award |
| Josemaria Camacho-Molinero | Carver High School, 12 | NASA Inspired Texas License Plate Design | Digital Art | Silver Key Award |
| Luz Carbajal | Davis High School, 12 | Spider Trap | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Alexa Chavez | MacArthur High School, 11 | In The Dark | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Robert Colunga | Drew Academy, 8 | Nature vs. Glass | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Janelle Cortez | Blanson CTE High School, 10 | What Once Was | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Stayce Cruz | Blanson CTE High School, 10 | Comfort from a Friend | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Janet Duong | Davis High School, 10 | Toucan Man | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Leslie Figueroa | Eisenhower High School, 11 | Cold Commute | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Isaias Gallegos | Blanson CTE High School, 11 | Makeshift | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Itzel Gomez | Eisenhower High School, 12 | Violet Excellence | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Alyssa Gonzalez | Aldine High School, 12 | Lewis | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Rosalinda Gonzalez | Carver High School, 12 | Peek-a-Boo | Printmaking | Silver Key Award |
| Jesus Jacobo | Aldine High School, 12 | Scraps | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Jaylha Lane | Davis Ninth Grade, 9 | Soul Eater | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Daphne Lopez | Carver High School, 12 | The Color of Sound | Painting | Silver Key Award |
| Emely Majano | MacArthur High School, 12 | A Glimpse of Joy | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Joel Maya | Aldine Ninth Grade, 9 | Metaphorical Me | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Devin Mendez | MacArthur High School, 11 | Mirrored Skyline of LA | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Katia Orellana | Blanson CTE High School, 11 | Red Familiarity | Mixed Media | Silver Key Award |
| Katia Orellana | Blanson CTE High School, 11 | Dilemma Below | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Giovanni Pangilinan | Jones Middle School, 8 | A Typical Day | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Michaela Roberts | Blanson CTE High School, 12 | Shiawase (Happiness) | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Orlando Tarin-Sanchez | Carver High School, 12 | Querubín | Printmaking | Silver Key Award |
| Amy Tax | Blanson CTE High School, 11 | Hunger Driven | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Barbara Villarreal | Carver High School, 12 | Encoded Retrieval | Art Portfolio | Silver Key Award |
| Barbara Villarreal | Carver High School, 12 | An Ode to the Martian’s Reality | Digital Art | Silver Key Award |
| Asha Webster | Carver High School, 12 | Into The Light | Photography | Silver Key Award |
The competition recognizes the vision, ingenuity, and talent of creative teens.
Carver HS student Anthony Abarca received the American Vision Nominee Award for his digital artwork, “Love Affair.” Anthony will be headed to New York in June for the national level of the competition.
Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) recently announced the teens for 2020 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Recipients join the ranks with iconic writers and artists Stephen King, Dan Fogelberg, Sylvia Plath, Robert Redford, Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Joyce Carol Oates, Marc Brown, and Jaida Jones, who all earned awards as Scholastic Art & Writing Awards as teens.
HCDE annually sponsors the regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. School districts, private schools, and home schools are represented as students earn Gold Key, Silver Key, and honorable mention awards. Each year, students submit their work through teachers who support and participate in HCDE’s regional competition. Several hundred volunteer art and writing professionals judge the submissions.
The highest-rated pieces move on to national judging to be considered for Gold and Silver Medals, which are announced in March and awarded in June at a ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
American Visions & Voices Nominee Awards
Anthony Abarca poses next to his award-winning artwork, “Love Affair.”
Student Anthony Abarca has been nominated for the prestigious American Visions Award. Of the more than 5,500 pieces submitted to the annual Scholastic Art and Writing competition, Anthony’s work was one of only five selected for this honor.
Local judges select five works of writing and five works of art from each region as American Visions and Voices Nominees, who are then celebrated in local exhibitions and ceremonies. From the pool of nominees, a panel of jurors in New York City will select one writer and one artist from each region to receive an American Visions Medal. These medalists are celebrated at the National Exhibition in New York City.
The American Voices & Visions Medals, the highest regional honors, are given to one writer and one artist from each region.
Anthony, who attends Carver High School for Engineering, Applied Technology and the Arts, will be honored at the Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Ceremony on Thursday, March 26, at The Ballroom at Bayou Place, where he will also receive a $250 monetary award.
Gold Keys Represent the Top 5 Percent of Entries
In the 2020 art categories, Aldine ISD students earned 19 Gold Keys, 32 Silver Keys, and 46 honorable mention awards. In the writing events, AISD students won four Silver Keys and two honorable mention awards.
To view all the regional award recipients and for information about receptions and award ceremonies, visit the HCDE website. Visit the Scholastic Art & Writing website to learn more about the competition.
AISD Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Award Recipients
| Student | School, Grade | Artwork | Type | Gold Key Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Abarca | Carver High School, 12 | Love Affair | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Diego Anaya | Aldine High School, 11 | Carousel | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Vanessa Arias | Carver High School, 12 | Wasted Time | Painting | Gold Key Award |
| Faith Belford | Nimitz High School, 12 | Unbounded Disarray | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Yamile Flacon | Blanson CTE High School, 9 | Bygone Siren | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Derek Flores | Grantham Academy, 7 | Jellyfish Flow | Mixed Media | Gold Key Award |
| Emily Fuentes | Blanson CTE High School, 11 | A Traveler’s Pride | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Alyssa Gonzalez | Aldine High School, 12 | Nicholas | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Amy Gonzalez | Drew Academy, 8 | Humpty Trumpty Wall | Editorial Cartoon | Gold Key Award |
| Kaylah Hawkins | Blanson CTE High School, 10 | The Lovers | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Jesus Jacobo | Aldine High School, 12 | Obsidian | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Daphne Lopez | Carver High School, 12 | Background Noise | Printmaking | Gold Key Award |
| Roxanna Martinez | Aldine High School, 10 | Fly High | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Jane Nguyen | Eisenhower High School, 12 | Ominous Glare | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Maria Portillo | MacArthur High School, 11 | Grub | Drawing & Illustration | Gold Key Award |
| Gisselle Puente | Drew Academy, 8 | Swirls of Glass Shardes | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Jesus Rivas | MacArthur High School, 11 | Modern Gem | Jewelry | Gold Key Award |
| Cristian Rojas | Aldine High School, 12 | Blue Future | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Lesslie Suarez | Aldine High School, 12 | Dopey | Photography | Gold Key Award |
| Student | School, Grade | Writing | Type | Silver Key Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naomy Frometa Sanchez | Blanson CTE High School, 11 | To a Cleaner Future | Journalism | Silver Key Award |
| Katie Lucio | Eisenhower High School, 11 | The Birdwatcher | Short Story | Silver Key Award |
| Kiera Jackson | Nimitz High School, 12 | Your Choice | Dramatic Script | Silver Key Award |
| Cassandra Vazquez | Avalos P-TECH School, 9 | El Barrio | Poetry | Silver Key Award |
| Student | School, Grade | Artwork | Type | Silver Key Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marissa Agado | MacArthur High School, 12 | Breath of The Dahlia | Fashion | Silver Key Award |
| JaQuan Allen | Carver High School, 11 | Allen Cuisine – Logo Development | Design | Silver Key Award |
| Vanessa Arias | Carver High School, 12 | Hypnotized | Digital Art | Silver Key Award |
| Jordan Barnes | Drew Academy, 8 | Tweet | Editorial Cartoon | Silver Key Award |
| Evieh Braddy | Nimitz High School, 12 | The Staircase | Art Portfolio | Silver Key Award |
| Josemaria Camacho-Molinero | Carver High School, 12 | NASA Inspired Texas License Plate Design | Digital Art | Silver Key Award |
| Luz Carbajal | Davis High School, 12 | Spider Trap | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Alexa Chavez | MacArthur High School, 11 | In The Dark | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Robert Colunga | Drew Academy, 8 | Nature vs. Glass | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Janelle Cortez | Blanson CTE High School, 10 | What Once Was | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Stayce Cruz | Blanson CTE High School, 10 | Comfort from a Friend | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Janet Duong | Davis High School, 10 | Toucan Man | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Leslie Figueroa | Eisenhower High School, 11 | Cold Commute | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Isaias Gallegos | Blanson CTE High School, 11 | Makeshift | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Itzel Gomez | Eisenhower High School, 12 | Violet Excellence | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Alyssa Gonzalez | Aldine High School, 12 | Lewis | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Rosalinda Gonzalez | Carver High School, 12 | Peek-a-Boo | Printmaking | Silver Key Award |
| Jesus Jacobo | Aldine High School, 12 | Scraps | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Jaylha Lane | Davis Ninth Grade, 9 | Soul Eater | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Daphne Lopez | Carver High School, 12 | The Color of Sound | Painting | Silver Key Award |
| Emely Majano | MacArthur High School, 12 | A Glimpse of Joy | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Joel Maya | Aldine Ninth Grade, 9 | Metaphorical Me | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Devin Mendez | MacArthur High School, 11 | Mirrored Skyline of LA | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Katia Orellana | Blanson CTE High School, 11 | Red Familiarity | Mixed Media | Silver Key Award |
| Katia Orellana | Blanson CTE High School, 11 | Dilemma Below | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Giovanni Pangilinan | Jones Middle School, 8 | A Typical Day | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Michaela Roberts | Blanson CTE High School, 12 | Shiawase (Happiness) | Photography | Silver Key Award |
| Orlando Tarin-Sanchez | Carver High School, 12 | Querubín | Printmaking | Silver Key Award |
| Amy Tax | Blanson CTE High School, 11 | Hunger Driven | Drawing & Illustration | Silver Key Award |
| Barbara Villarreal | Carver High School, 12 | Encoded Retrieval | Art Portfolio | Silver Key Award |
| Barbara Villarreal | Carver High School, 12 | An Ode to the Martian’s Reality | Digital Art | Silver Key Award |
| Asha Webster | Carver High School, 12 | Into The Light | Photography | Silver Key Award |
About the Author: Leticia Fehling
