USHS Students Honored as National Scholastic Winners
Union Springs High School proudly announces that two of its outstanding students have been honored as National Scholastic Winners in the 2024 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Hannah McHenry, a sophomore, received a prestigious Gold Medal for her ceramic piece titled "Finally Full," while Morgan Yorkey, a junior, earned a Silver Medal for her ceramic piece titled "Breathe."
This marks the third consecutive year that Union Springs High School students have achieved national recognition, making it the only school in the county to earn such accolades. Out of approximately 120 local schools, only 10-12 received national recognition this year, with Union Springs boasting the second highest achievement by winning two national medals.
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is a highly competitive program, with over 100,000 students submitting nearly 340,000 original works of art and writing. National Medals are awarded to fewer than 2,500 works, placing Hannah and Morgan’s achievements within the top 8% of all submissions. Their work was selected by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts, evaluated for excellence in originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.
"Since 1923, the Awards have celebrated teen artists and writers from across the country. You are now part of that legacy, joining the ranks of notable alumni, including Tschabalala Self, Stephen King, Kay WalkingStick, Charles White, Joyce Carol Oates, and Andy Warhol—all of whom won Scholastic Awards when they were teens," wrote Christopher Wisniewski, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.
Union Springs High School is immensely proud of Ms. McHenry and Ms. Yorkey for their exceptional accomplishments. Their dedication, creativity, and hard work are a testament to the high standards of excellence upheld by our school's art program. We look forward to seeing their continued success and the inspiration they provide to their peers.