mySANFORD HUB

Share this story:

Sanford Students Shine in 2024 Scholastic Writing Awards

1/31/2025

Sanford School students have once again showcased their literary and artistic talents, earning top recognition in the 2024 Scholastic Writing Awards.

This year, Sanford students secured multiple Gold and Silver Keys, along with Honorable Mentions in categories ranging from poetry and personal essays to short stories and dramatic scripts. Notably, Katie Pei ’27’s personal essay Fishbone received both a Gold Key and the coveted American Voices Nominee distinction, meaning it was chosen as one of the strongest works in the region.

Award Recipients from Sanford School

Gold Key Awards (Top regional recognition, advancing to national judging in New York City)

Katie Pei ’27 – Angel Island: The Pacific Gateway That Forever Changed America (Critical Essay), Fishbone (Personal Essay & Memoir, American Voices Nominee), Lost Birthday (Personal Essay & Memoir)

Silver Key Awards

Ada Henry ’26 – Pink (Personal Essay & Memoir), freckles (Poetry)
Rachel Durbano ’26 – Tag, You're It (Short Story)
Alex Gannon ’26 – Why You Should Always Choose Takeout (Humor Writing)
Siobhan Lucey ’25 – If.. (Dramatic Script)
Liv Lefkon ’27 – Reflection (Poetry)
Katie Pei ’27 – Parental Obligations: What, if Anything, Do Parents Owe Their Children? (Critical Essay), Whole in Fragments (Poetry)

Honorable Mentions

Katherine McCrea ’27 – Lab Rats (Poetry)
Ada Henry ’26 – multa, screen door, or elegy for moth, self-portrait with red nail polish (Poetry)
Siobhan Lucey ’25 – Biscuits (Dramatic Script), Twisted Breaths (Short Story)
Katie Pei ’27 – The Sweat and the Spark (Poetry)
Rowan Doyle ’26 – I Survived It (Short Story)

Gold Key recipients automatically advance to the national level of judging in New York City, with National Medalists to be announced on March 26, 2025. These students now have a chance to be recognized among the nation’s top young writers and potentially be invited to the national awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall.

Sanford School congratulates all the award-winning students and their educators for their outstanding achievements.

Back