Sewickley Academy Students Awarded for “Gold Key” Work
Six Sewickley Academy English students were recognized by the Pittsburgh Regional Scholastic Writing Awards for their writing skills.
Congratulations to juniors Cole Luther and Ali Mganga for winning Gold Keys for their humorous works, “INSERT CREATIVITY HERE ____________.” and “When Worlds almost Collided,” respectively. Junior Cerys Miller was awarded a Silver Key in the humor section for “Titanic 2.0.” Freshman Sophia Fruehauf, junior Natalia Arbelaez, and senior Sarah Fruehauf each received an Honorable Mention in the flash fiction, humor, and poetry categories.
The students learned about the competition through the Senior School English Department, and, on average, they took several weeks to write, edit, and perfect their pieces. Department Chair Mrs. Ann Russell commented, “We're [the English Department] always pleased when our students have a wider audience for their work and receive affirmation from others for their efforts.”
Gold Key winner Ali, who immigrated to the U.S. from Africa, set his story during the winter holidays within the first couple of years after being introduced to the American school system. The story follows him as a young child as he navigated between two worlds – his family and community and his friends and school life. Ali recalled, “I had a lot of personal real life stories to submit and write about but at the end of the day I think I connected with this one the most. The process of writing this particular piece was very challenging because I was writing so that the audience would relate whether they went through the same situations/experiences as I did or not.”
Silver Key winner Cerys submitted a story-form essay. She said, “I chose a story that my family loves to tell about our vacation to Puerto Rico. My dad and I sunk an unsinkable canoe. It was absolutely hilarious for everyone else.” Her goal was to work on a project that was more relaxed than typical academic writing and would make her laugh. The essay was written in first person. “I even added little phrases and sarcasm that as my friends and family read it they would say “that sounds just like you” or “I can hear you saying that.”
Both Ali and Cerys were excited and happy to be recognized for their work. Ali said, “Learning that my writing was recognized and that I have won the highest of any award in the competition made me feel excited because, in a way, it had made me more comfortable with who I am and even helped me accept my experiences and continue writing about them. Also, I would really like to say that if it wasn't for Mrs. Russell I wouldn't have won the competition mostly because she helped me navigate through the writing and pushed me to write about my experience here.”
Cerys remembered, “If I’m completely honest, I wasn’t expecting anything so I didn’t focus or worry about it. I just did it for the fun of it and to branch out of my comfort zone. However, as I got the email with the names of people who wrote essays and won, I was getting nervous and I could feel myself getting my hopes up. Then I saw my name and I was really happy.”
The regional Gold Key winners’ works have been submitted to the National Art and Writing Alliance for the national competition. The Pittsburgh Regional Scholastic Writing Awards were distributed at the Regional Writing Awards Ceremony on Saturday, February 25, 2017, at the University of Pittsburgh’s Frick Fine Arts Auditorium.
Write on Cole, Ali, Cerys, Sophia, Natalia, and Sarah!
Read their notable pieces.
The students learned about the competition through the Senior School English Department, and, on average, they took several weeks to write, edit, and perfect their pieces. Department Chair Mrs. Ann Russell commented, “We're [the English Department] always pleased when our students have a wider audience for their work and receive affirmation from others for their efforts.”
Gold Key winner Ali, who immigrated to the U.S. from Africa, set his story during the winter holidays within the first couple of years after being introduced to the American school system. The story follows him as a young child as he navigated between two worlds – his family and community and his friends and school life. Ali recalled, “I had a lot of personal real life stories to submit and write about but at the end of the day I think I connected with this one the most. The process of writing this particular piece was very challenging because I was writing so that the audience would relate whether they went through the same situations/experiences as I did or not.”
Silver Key winner Cerys submitted a story-form essay. She said, “I chose a story that my family loves to tell about our vacation to Puerto Rico. My dad and I sunk an unsinkable canoe. It was absolutely hilarious for everyone else.” Her goal was to work on a project that was more relaxed than typical academic writing and would make her laugh. The essay was written in first person. “I even added little phrases and sarcasm that as my friends and family read it they would say “that sounds just like you” or “I can hear you saying that.”
Both Ali and Cerys were excited and happy to be recognized for their work. Ali said, “Learning that my writing was recognized and that I have won the highest of any award in the competition made me feel excited because, in a way, it had made me more comfortable with who I am and even helped me accept my experiences and continue writing about them. Also, I would really like to say that if it wasn't for Mrs. Russell I wouldn't have won the competition mostly because she helped me navigate through the writing and pushed me to write about my experience here.”
Cerys remembered, “If I’m completely honest, I wasn’t expecting anything so I didn’t focus or worry about it. I just did it for the fun of it and to branch out of my comfort zone. However, as I got the email with the names of people who wrote essays and won, I was getting nervous and I could feel myself getting my hopes up. Then I saw my name and I was really happy.”
The regional Gold Key winners’ works have been submitted to the National Art and Writing Alliance for the national competition. The Pittsburgh Regional Scholastic Writing Awards were distributed at the Regional Writing Awards Ceremony on Saturday, February 25, 2017, at the University of Pittsburgh’s Frick Fine Arts Auditorium.
Write on Cole, Ali, Cerys, Sophia, Natalia, and Sarah!
Read their notable pieces.
