District Students Earn 5 Gold Keys and 25 Silver Keys at the 2022 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

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The competition recognizes the vision, ingenuity, and talent of creative teens. Notable alumni of Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are Stephen King, Sylvia Plath, Robert Redford, Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Ken Burns, Joyce Carol Oates, Cy Twombly, Marc Brown, Richard Linklater, Zac Posen, and Amanda Gorman.

Amiee Mahindarante, Danna Santamaría and Shonease Murphy of MacArthur HS, and Jade Jiménez of Carver HS were recognized during the January Board of Trustees meeting for earning prestigious Gold Key in the 2022 regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards contest. Also pictured are Chief Academic Officer Dr. Todd Davis, MacArthur HS Principal Shauna Showers and Assistant Principal Aquilla Aubry, Director of Visual Arts Kaileigh Newman, and Carver HS Principal Dr. Tracie Robinson.

Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) recently announced the teens for the 2022 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Four Aldine ISD students — Jade Jiménez, Aimee Mahindaratne, Shonease Murphy, and Danna Santamaría — earned Gold Keys in Art, with Danna earning two Gold Keys for two different pieces. Additionally, 23 received Silver Keys, with two of those students earning two Silvers for different artworks. The awards in the writing competition will be announced later in January.

HCDE annually sponsors the regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. School districts, private schools, and home schools are represented as students earning 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.

All Scholastic Art and Writing competition entries are considered for multiple awards, with the Gold Key being the pinnacle award. These awards are presented to students during celebration ceremonies and exhibitions in each region of the state. Jurors look for work that exemplifies the Awards’ core values: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. 

The regional Gold Key entries are automatically considered for national awards in New York City, where world-renowned creative professionals will judge them. Entries are selected for awards without knowledge of the student’s gender, age, ethnicity, or hometown by some of the foremost visual and literary arts leaders. Many Scholastic Awards alumni have lent their expertise as jurors, including Michael Bierut, Philip Pearlstein, Edward Sorel, Red Grooms, and Gary Panter. Other luminaries who have served as judges include Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Judy Blume, Billy Collins, Paul Giamatti, Francine Prose, Edwidge Danticat, David Sedaris, Lesley Stahl, Nikki Giovanni, Roz Chast, Wangechi Mutu, Andres Serrano, Kiki Smith, Jill Kraus, Shinique Smith, Rashid Johnson, and Waris Ahluwalia.

The national winners will be announced in March and awarded in June at a ceremony at Carnegie Hall.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running prestigious recognition program for creative teens. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were founded in 1923 and, for nearly a century, have inspired bold ideas in creative teens throughout the country. Notable Alumni include Stephen King, Dan Fogelberg, Sylvia Plath, Robert Redford, Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Joyce Carol Oates, Marc Brown, Jaida Jones, and Amanda Gorman. They all earned awards as Scholastic Art & Writing Awards as teens.

Gold Keys Represent the Top 5 Percent of Entries
In the 2022 art categories, Aldine ISD students earned five Gold Keys, 25 Silver Keys, and 39 Honorable Mention awards.

To view all the regional award recipients and information about receptions and award ceremonies, visit the HCDE website. Visit the Scholastic Art & Writing website to learn more about the competition.

Aldine ISD Regional Scholastic Art Award Recipients

Gold Keys

“Strike of Reds” by Jade Jiménez

Jade Jiménez for Strike of Reds
Carver High School, Grade 11
Teacher: Matthew Kirkpatrick

Aimee Mahindaratne for Contentment
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Amber Quiroz

Shonease Murphy for The Black Woman’s Plight
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Elliot Chow

(2) Danna Santamaría for Kalopsia and Toxic Positivity
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Elliot Chow

Silver Keys

(2) Alexander Baltazar for Polluted Genes and Learning Math With a Mask

“Contentment” by Aimee Mahindaratne

Eisenhower High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Hailey Gross

Eli Brenes for I Want to Be Me
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Elliot Chow

Dawn Abigail for Cabalquinto for Life Cycle
Blanson Career and Technical Education High School, Grade 10
Teacher: William Brink

Mark Cabalquinto for Forward
Blanson Career and Technical Education High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Chris Peel

Sophia Cabrera for Bloom

“Learning Math With a Mask” by Alex Baltazar

MacArthur High School, Grade 11
Teacher: Rebecca DeGroot

Connor Carpenter for Desert of Cloth
Blanson Career and Technical Education High School, Grade 12
Teacher: William Brink

Marisol Chávez for Put on a Happy Face
Jones Middle School, Grade 8
Teacher: Sarah Kersh

Wendy Córdova for A Girl’s Best Friend
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Elliot Chow

Karyme de León for Verano
Aldine High School, Grade 11
Teacher: Birgit Langhammer

Emanuel Galván for The End?
MacArthur High School, Grade 11
Teacher: Elliot Chow

Adán Hernández for Furious Horse

“Verano” by Karyme de León

Eisenhower High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Brad Schmidt

Ashley Jame-Thompson for Shroom
Eisenhower High School, Grade 10
Teacher: Sara Schoborg

Mai Le for Sushi
Eisenhower High School, Grade 10
Teacher: Óscar Medina

Minh Le for Photographer
Eisenhower High School, Grade 10
Teacher: Óscar Medina

Marilie López for Depth Woods
Eisenhower High School, Grade 10
Teacher: Óscar Medina

Corey Madison for Sunday
Carver High School, Grade 10
Teacher: Matthew Kirkpatrick

Carmen Pedraza for Gloom
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Amber Quiroz

Fabiola Reynoso for Luis

“Bloom” by Sophia Cabrera

MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Amber Quiroz

(2) Mary Riascos for Paint it Black and Wandering Thoughts
Carver High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Matthew Kirkpatrick

Leylah Rolle for Coffee Cute
Jones Middle School, Grade 8
Teacher: Sarah Kersh

Christina Sánchez for Once I Stop Crying
Blanson Career and Technical Education High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Chris Peel

Mireida Santos for Self Growth
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Elliot Chow

Jackeline Tenorio for Outcome
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Amber Quiroz

Honorable Mention

Cory Álvarez for Starvation

“Put on a Happy Face” by Marisol Chávez

MacArthur High School, Grade 10
Teacher: Perla Mathews

Huda Badat for Islamic Architecture and Calligraphy
Eisenhower High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Hailey Gross

(2) Alexander Baltazar for The Turmoil Underneath and Woman With a Dying Son
Eisenhower High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Hailey Gross

Vanessa Banda for Confused
Jones Middle School, Grade 8
Teacher: Sarah Kersh

Mark Cabalquinto for Overgrown
Blanson Career and Technical Education High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Chris Peel

Celeste Cardoso for In My Feelings
Aldine Ninth Grade School, Grade 9
Teacher: Christina Moreno

Alexandra de León for Gluttony
Jones Middle School, Grade 8
Teacher: Sarah Kersh

(2) Janet Duong for R3d Pandas and Judgement’s Verdict
Davis High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Hunter Koch

Nobrie Fisher for Riding Boot
Nimitz High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Jorge Vázquez

Erin Graves for Heart Strings
Carver High School, Grade 12
Taecher: Matthew Kirkpatrick

Jennifer Guerrero for The Power of Music
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Elliot Chow

Jade Jiménez for Fatigue
Carver High School, Grade 11
Teacher: Matthew Kirkpatrick

Minh Le for Refraction
Eisenhower High School, Grade 10
Teacher: Óscar Medina

Cassidy Lee for Headcase
Nimitz Ninth Grade School
Teacher: Karen Caldwell

Britney León for Stress to Serene
MacArthur High School, 12
Teacher: Elliot Chow

Jazmín López for Garden
MacArthur High School, Grade 11
Teacher: Rebecca DeGroot

(2) Lucía Mar for Reflection and Dewdrop
Blanson Career and Technical Education High School, Grade 11
Teacher: Chris Peel

Za’Lene Meche for Crossroads
Drew Academy, Grade 7
Teacher: Alli Hamacher

Esther Mendieta for Timeless Dresses
Jones Middle School, Grade 7
Teacher: Elizabeth González

Keila Mondragón for Halo
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Rebecca DeGroot

Shonease Murphy for Hands
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Elliot Chow

Mariana Niño de Rivera for Crown
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Rebecca DeGroot

Mario Ramírez for Loss
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Elliot Chow

Alan Reyes for Red Buds
Drew Academy, Grade 7
Teacher: Alli Hamacher

Perla Ruiz for My Universe
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Elliot Chow

Ángel Salazar for Lone Wolf
Carver High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Laura Luna

Jacob Salazar for Yin and Yang
Aldine High School, Grade 11
Teacher: Birgit Langhammer

Juliana Sena for Point of View
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Amber Quiroz

Paris Tate for Peace of Mind
Drew Academy, Grade 8
Teacher: Alli Hamacher

Ana Toledo for Morning Lit Locker
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Amber Quiroz

José Villafuerte for Caught in the Act
Blanson Career and Technical Education High School, Grade 12
Teacher: William Brink

Diana Villegas for Sand Print
Victory Early College High School, Grade 11
Teacher: Tommie Sanders

Alana Williams for Girl and Her Companions
Eisenhower High School, Grade 11
Teacher: Hailey Gross

Margret Wynn for Deer in the Forest
Carver High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Laura Luna

Keenen Wyre for Flamin’ Hot VooDoo
Davis High School, Grade 11
Teacher: Angela Shah

Lorena Zúñiga for Sugar
MacArthur High School, Grade 12
Teacher: Amber Quiroz