The Harris County Department of Education has announced the regional award recipients of the Regional 2025 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Presented by the nonprofit organization The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the country’s longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative students in Grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up) in 28 categories of art and writing.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of teens submit their best art and writing in more than 100 regions nationwide. Creative teens from Harris County received regional honors from these submissions, including Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, and American Visions and American Voices nominations.
Jurors look for work that exemplifies the Awards’ core values: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. 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.
AISD Scholastic Art & Writing Regional Awardees
The regional Gold Key entries are automatically considered for national awards in New York City. 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 alums have lent their expertise as jurors, including Michael Bierut, Philip Pearlstein, Edward Sorel, Langston Hughes, Judy Blume, Billy Collins, Edwidge Danticat, David Sedaris, Nikki Giovanni, Mickalene Thomas, Marc Brown, Willie Cole, James Warhola, Ocean Vuong, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Tina Mabry.
Regional Scholastic Important Dates
February 25–March 21: Regional High School Art Exhibit Celebration (Harris County Department of Education – North Post Oak Building, 6005 Westview Drive, Houston, TX 77055)
February 25–March 28: Regional Middle School Art Exhibit Celebration (Texas Art Supply)
March 27: Scholastic Art & Writing Ceremony
High School Regional Scholastic Art Awards
Aldine High School
Total Awards: 3 Gold, 3 Silver, and 3 Honorable Mentions
Gold Key in Photography: Alisson García for Salvatore
Gold Key in Photography: Emily Lucio for Mi abuelo Goyo
Gold Key in Photography: Ashley Martínez for Liminal Space
Silver in Photography: Dalila Hernández for Happy Birthday
Silver in Photography: Litzy Hernández for World of Wonders
Silver in Photography: Luciano Romero for Good Times
Honorable Mention in Photography: Melanie Álvarez for Wassup?
Honorable Mention in Photography: Alisson García for Illumination
Honorable Mention in Photography: Dalila Hernández for Ain’t No Sunshine
Aldine Young Women’s Leadership Academy
Total Awards: 1 Silver and 1 Honorable Mentions
Silver in Photography: Sofyah Macias for An Alluring Season
Honorable Mention in Mixed Media: Jasmine Brown-López for A Day Late & A Dollar Short
Blanson CTE High School
Total Awards: 3 Gold, 5 Silver, and 8 Honorable Mentions
Gold Key in Drawing & Illustration: Tolani Awe for American Teen
Gold Key in Painting: Yahaira Yanes for Constant Exhaustion
Gold Key in Photography: Ian Paiz for Blurred*
Silver for Drawing & Illustration: Christian Abrajan for The Endeavor of Sleep
Silver for Drawing & Illustration: Sydney Hartfield for Ode to Jonathan
Silver in Photography: Ian Paiz for The Half I Show*
Silver in Photography: Ian Paiz for Looking Into Me*
Silver in Photography: Ian Paiz for Confidence*
Honorable Mention in Mixed Media: Griselda Núñez for Hide-n-Seek
Honorable Mention in Painting: Yahaira Yanes for Stitched Together
Honorable Mention in Photography: Stephen Castro for In the Garden
Honorable Mention in Photography: Stephanie Leiva for Simplicity of the World
Honorable Mention in Photography: Ian Paiz for Through Your Senses*
Honorable Mention in Photography: Ian Paiz for Together*
Honorable Mention in Photography: Ian Paiz for Parts of You*
Honorable Mention in Photography: Ian Paiz for A Challenge*
Worth Noting: Student Iain Paiz won the most medals overall for any one student from Aldine this year with eight awards overall. He earned one Gold Key, three Silver, and four Honorable Mentions at the Scholastic regional event.
Carver High School for Applied Technology, Engineering & The Arts
Total Awards: 4 Gold, 3 Silver, and 7 Honorable Mentions
Gold in Comic Art: Kimora Miller for Mama, I Didn’t Do Nothing Wrong
Gold in Photography: Jayren Ward for Gated Serenity
Gold in Sculpture: Fernanda Legaspi for Recycled Airplane
Gold in Sculpture: Fernanda Legaspi for Recycled Motorcycle Toy
Silver in Drawing & Illustration: Jeremiah Hightower for Eye of the Beholder
Silver in Photography: Diane Chagoya for Gracias a Dios
Silver in Photography: Diego Ibarra for We’re Here, Nyia
Honorable Mention in Digital Art: Nevaeh Calhoun for Complacent
Honorable Mention in Drawing & Illustration: Jeremiah Hightower for Eyes of Dread
Honorable Mention Jewelry: Ariana Ramírez for Misery and Deceit
Honorable Mention in Photography: Ivan Davidson for When the Night Falls
Honorable Mention in Photography: Nyia Harrison for Eternal Memory Alan
Honorable Mention in Photography: Elena Villalón for Clown
Honorable Mention in Photography: Reagan Wilson for Rising
Davis High School
Total Awards: 1 Silver and 1 Honorable Mention
Silver in Photography: Briana Benavides for Inside Out
Honorable Mention in Digital Art: Rebecca Rangel for Andy’s Resistance
Eisenhower High School
Total Awards: 2 Gold, 2 Silver, and 2 Honorable Mentions
Gold in Photography: Katherine Miralda for Last Stop
Gold in Photography: David Romero for Hidden
Silver in Photography: María Muñoz for Vintage
Silver in Photography: Galilea Rodarte for El Rancho Real
Honorable Mention in Photography: Marly López for El bautismo
Honorable Mention for Photography: Anderson Mancía Quintanilla for Blandness With Darkness
MacArthur High School
Total Awards: 3 Silver and 4 Honorable Mentions
Silver in Photography: Martha Hernández for Moon’s Peace
Silver in Photography: Carolina Méndez for Wash Day
Silver in Photography: Raúl Vázquez for Views
Honorable Mention in Photography: Hernesto Castillo for Freedom
Honorable Mention in Photography: Kimberly Limones for Showcase of Goose
Honorable Mention in Photography: Katherine Robles for Hunt
Honorable Mention in Photography: Corey Upshaw for Football
Nimitz High School
Total Awards: 1 Gold and 4 Silver
Gold in Drawing & Illustration: Bryanna Fergueson for Self-Portrait — The Beaded Soul
Silver in Drawing & Illustration: Angie Bonilla for Merry Moomas
Silver in Photography: McKenzie Griffin for A Darkness
Silver in Drawing & Illustration: Isaac Robles for Birth of Visions
Silver in Comic Art: Vicente Vélez for Polemos Horis
Mead Middle School
Total Award: 1 Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention in Painting: Terriona Durall for In the Shadows
High School Regional Scholastic Writing Awards
Carver High School
Total Awards: 2 Silver
National Ceremony
National Medalists and their educators will be invited and honored with a star-studded ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City later this year. Recent special guests include Oprah Winfrey, Tim Gunn, Alec Baldwin, Tituss Burgess, Amy Schumer, Kelly Clarkson, Zac Posen, Mayim Bialik, Tschabalala Self, Nick Cannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Derek Luke, Kinsale Drake, Tina Fey, and Rose Byrne.
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were founded in 1923 and, for more than a century, have inspired bold ideas in creative teens throughout the country.
Silver Key Awards