Arts

Ten Latin students were recently recognized by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers through its Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

The entries they submitted for the regional competition earned a total of 20 awards, including four Gold Keys, seven Silver Keys and nine Honorable Mentions. Below are the names of the students, the awards they won and the categories in which the awards were received.

Art Awards
Arlo H. (10th grade) - SILVER in Experimental Photography for "Electric City"; Honorable Mention in Experimental Photography for "Haunted Self"; Honorable Mention in Photography for "Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut"

Olivia L. (12th grade) - GOLD in Photography for "Clock"; Honorable Mentions in Photography for "Going Places" and "Reflecting"

Charles Y. (12th grade) - GOLD in Photography for "Incarcerated Liberty"

Writing Awards
Pilar A. (11th grade) - GOLD and American Visions Nominee* in Speculative Fiction for "The Dust Gold"; SILVER in Personal Essay & Memoir for "Bam Chowder" 

Cecelia B. (11th grade) - SILVER in Critical Essay for "How Abolitionists Forced Slavery Onto Lincoln's Agenda" 

Scarlet G. (12th grade) - Honorable Mention in Journalism for "The Vital Ms. Vela"

Lyla G. (12th grade) - SILVER in Personal Essay & Memoir for "Red Seat"

Klein K. (11th grade) - Gold and and American Visions Nominee* in Poetry for "sandwiches"; Silver in Poetry for "the girl next door"; Honorable Mentions in Poetry for "closet love," puzzle pieces," "things i would say to you if you would listen: a list," and "tides" 

Joseph O. (12th grade) - SILVER in Critical Essay for "Qian’s Final Lesson: A Unique Perspective On The Chinese Communist Party’s Inner Workings"

Genevieve R. (11th grade) - SILVER in Journalism for "ICE Raids Target Families, Not ‘Crime’"

*Regional American Visions Award Nominees are eligible to receive a national American Visions medal.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the nation's longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. They seek to honor "the vision, ingenuity and talent of our nation’s youth, and provide opportunities for creative teens to be celebrated." Past winners include Richard Avedon - photographer, Ken Burns - producer, Robert Indiana - artist, Joyce Carol Oates - author, and Amanda Gorman - poet.

We want to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the award winners for their remarkable achievements. We also want to express our sincere gratitude to our teachers for their unwavering dedication to helping our students pursue their passions and seek excellence.

Learn more about these awards at the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. 

We congratulate Gabriel R. (11th grade) on being selected as one of the four finalists of the 2026 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artist Competition.

This is a prestigious concerto competition for Illinois’ top young soloists, sponsored by the Crain-Maling Foundation, whose mission includes supporting education and cultural activities. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1891, is consistently hailed as one of the greatest orchestras in the world.

After taking part in a preliminary round, Gabriel auditioned at Symphony Center alongside a competitive field of applicants in front of a distinguished panel of judges. From there, he was selected as one of four finalists.

As a finalist he has been invited to perform live in Orchestra Hall, accompanied by the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and led by Naomi Woo, Music Director of the NYO Canada.

The winner of this final round will earn a place as a featured soloist with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as part of the CSO School and Family Concerts series. We wish Gabriel the best of luck!

To learn more about this program, visit Young Artists Competition.

Congratulations to The Forum editorial staff for being recognized at the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Nashville.

The convention brought together almost 4,000 young journalists from across the country who attended workshops, networked with their peers, met with industry professionals, and sat for a critique of their publication. One of the highlights was the announcement of the winners of the National Media Contests, which offer high school students "a platform to showcase journalism excellence, earn recognition and receive feedback on their work."

Latin's student newspaper, The Forum, took fifth for Best of Show in the Website category amongst a highly competitive landscape. This is the highest award the staff has ever won at the national level. In addition, the following students were recognized for their individual contributions:

• Editorial Writing: Ben L. - Excellent
• Sports Writing: Anderson M. - Honorable Mention
• Editorial Cartooning: Lyla G. - Honorable Mention
• Commentary Writing: Eli S. - Honorable Mention
• News Editing/Headline Writing/Current Events: Rohin S. - Honorable Mention

Thank you to the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association for providing this wonderful opportunity. We are so proud of the Forum staff and congratulate them on these well-deserved accolades!

Read and follow The Forum
Learn about the National High School Journalism Convention

We congratulate Edie P. on being named Alternate Winner in the Senior Piano Division of the MTNA State Competition. This is a huge accomplishment, as it recognizes her as one of the top two student pianists in Illinois.

Per their website, the mission of MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) is to "advance the value of music study and music making to society and to support the professionalism of music teachers." Its competitions "provide educational experiences for students and teachers and to recognize exceptionally talented young artists."

Considered one of the most prestigious student music competitions in the country, MTNA attracts thousands of applicants who vie for state and national recognition. Edie's success comes from the commitment she has to her music and the hard work she puts in. Edie's mother also notes that her success "would not have been possible without Latin's support and teacher's understanding and flexibility." 

Edie also devotes time to giving back to the field she loves. She recently participated in a fundraising event with WFMT radio to support music programs in Chicago-area schools, and launched a mentorship initiative in partnership with the Chicago Center for Music Education.

We wish Edie continued success with her musical and philanthropic pursuits.

Learn about MTNA.
Learn about Chicago Center for Music Education.
Explore the Arts at Latin.