Parker Student Earns National Writing Award

Parker School announces that junior Zoe Vann-Smith has earned a national gold medal in the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Parker School Junior Zoe Vann-Smith received a national gold medal in the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for her personal essay and memoir titled “I am 12 years old.”

Vann-Smith was selected by a panel of creative professionals as one of the most talented in the nation and received a scholastic national gold medal award for her personal essay and memoir titled “I am 12 years old.” She has been invited to attend a ceremony at the world-famous Carnegie Hall in New York City on Thursday, June 7, 2018, where she’ll receive her award certificate.

This year, more than 350,000 works of art and writing were submitted. Vann-Smith is among the top 1% of students awarded at the national level and the only recipient from Hawai‘i’s Big Island.

Eight additional Parker upper school students earned 10 regional awards out of 1,500 submissions in the state, including the following silver key recipients: Ryanne Doherty (grade 10) in Digital Art, Jordan Vedelli (grade 10) in Photography, Tierney Wold (grade 10) in Digital Art, Jadyn Ashcraft (grade 11) in Photography, Maya Ellsworth (grade 11) in Painting, Abigail Jeremiah (grade 11) in Short Story and Painting, and Erica Yost (grade 11) in Painting; and gold key recipients: Jadyn Ashcraft (grade 11) in Digital Art and Jenna Harris (grade 11) in Digital Art who also earned a financial scholarship.

Since 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have recognized creative teenagers from across the country. By earning this award, Vann-Smith joins a legacy of celebrated authors and artists including Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Stephen King, Robert Redford, Lena Dunham and many more.