Mckenzie Sheppard and Clover Thrasher-Frederick, eighth-graders at Liberty Bell Junior/Senior High School, have won Scholastic Art and Writing awards for works submitted in the student contest.
Sheppard was awarded a Gold Medal for her personal essay, “A Sustainable Way to Farm.” Thrasher-Frederick was awarded a silver medal for her poetry entitled “The Man in the Silver Truck.” Both had earlier won regional awards which qualified them for national award consideration. The awards represent the top 1% of entries from around the country.
As a Gold Medal winner, Sheppard would ordinarily be invited to attend a recognition event in New York City. This year, the award ceremony will be conducted virtually. Sheppard’s work will also be part of an online gallery and be considered for a print publication of the national winners.
The awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. According to that organization, more than 80,000 students submitted nearly 230,000 works of art and writing. Only 2,000 submissions won national awards. Previous winners include Stephen King, Charles White, Joyce Carole Oates, Andy Warhol and Kay WalkingStick.
