Tigers Receive Art & Writing Awards

Six Jesuit students have been recognized for their artistic talent in the 2021 Hillsborough Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

In a virtual awards ceremony on March 4, the Hillsborough Education Foundation announced contest winners and honorees: Avery Hames ’22 was awarded a Gold Key for his satire entitled “Cancel This,” and Archie Teller ’22 received a Silver Key for his illustration “Frederick Douglass.” Ethan Tiejema ’22, Carter Kreis ’22, and Holden Fernandez ’23 each earned Honorable Mention for their poems, and John Paul Llanos ’22 also earned Honorable Mention status with his design, “I Hear America Singing.”

The contest was judged on three criteria: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal vision or voice. Of the over 2,600 art and writing submissions received, only 82 were awarded a Gold Key and 96 were awarded a Silver Key. A total of 165 submissions received Honorable Mention distinction.

Kathleen Clark, a Jesuit English teacher, was a major influence behind Jesuit's involvement in this contest, as 22 of her students entered. In order to encourage more creative writing, she used the contest as extra credit, especially in her AP English Language and Composition class where the focus is solely on writing in a professional/academic context.

Clark believes this contest could become a new way for students to express themselves and their competitive fires outside of the traditional areas in clubs and athletics, and become a valuable means of inspiring creative work in her students.

“I hope that this will encourage more of them to try to come up with something to say and submit their work to compete next year,” she said. “Winning is nice. Especially if you're someone who doesn't necessarily compete in other arenas at school.”

Kreis received Honorable Mention for his poem called “Music.” The poem talks about how music can guide and influence one’s daily life. He originally submitted a draft of the work as extra credit for Clark’s AP class, but she thought it was good enough for him to enter into the contest.

“It kind of made me chuckle at first, because I didn't think I was doing anything special,” Kreis said. “I was just kind of writing, and I was like, ‘Okay, I like this. Let's see if anyone else likes that.’ So I was really surprised to (receive recognition).”

Pictured on the homepage L-R are: Teller, Kreis, Tiejema, Llanos, Hames, and Clark. Not pictured: Fernandez.