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Anthony Wayne Local School District News Article

Creative Teens Shine in Celebrated Contest



scholastic awards

Celebrating Creative Talent

Two 8th-grade students, Ailey Parker and Molly Marshall, earned regional recognition in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for their creative writing entries. Ailey won a Gold Key for her poem The Sick World of Truth and two Silver Keys for My Story and The Sick Living. Molly received an Honorable Mention for her sci-fi/fantasy story Misfitting.


The Stories Behind Their Stories
Ailey’s award-winning poems delve into her personal struggles and how they relate to the greater world. When she was considering the topic for her submissions, she turned inward as a source of inspiration.

"Writing helps you identify your problems and share them in a way others can relate to—it can help both you and them," she explained. 

Molly’s story, inspired by the manga series Bleach, follows Mick, a high school student who encounters souls stuck in a realm between heaven and hell. Molly, who often writes with her cousins, reworked this idea for her short story.

“We had this idea that we have been working with for a while,” she said. “And I knew the assignment was coming, so I decided to re-develop it into a short story.”


Mentorship and Inspiration

Jim Bolone, their Literary Arts teacher and himself a published author, emphasizes creative freedom in his writing assignments, encouraging students to explore their ideas. After teaching the fundamentals of storytelling, he allows students the freedom to create their protagonists, conflicts and resolutions."


“I try to avoid giving students specific prompts,” he explained. “That freedom to create usually yields a great outcome, and I get a spectrum of writing returned to me. Some students tell a story in several pages, others in a single page - but it’s their ideas and their story.”


Both students draw inspiration from everyday experiences and artistic exploration. Ailey enjoys sketching, painting and boxing to music, while Molly finds parallels between playing guitar and creative writing.


“I treat writing a lot like playing music. You can learn a lot by watching someone else play,” she said. “You can take the same basic shapes and if you play with them long enough, you start to see pieces that go together. I like to start to play around with an idea and see just what happens.”


Looking Ahead
Both Ailey and Molly are passionate about writing and plan to incorporate it into their futures. Ailey is considering writing a horror/romance book, while Molly dreams of a career in music and songwriting. Their advice to aspiring writers? Seek inspiration from others, jot down your thoughts, experiment with different themes and embrace the creative process.



High Praise

"Their work is really exceptional," Jim said. "Both of them are really very creative and talented. Ailey makes it happen primarily with words and sentences, but Molly also plays guitar and does a lot of songwriting."

With many of his students recognized over the years, Jim said that he has developed a knack for identifying pieces that would capture the attention of Scholastic’s judges.


“I’ve had some students whose work is fantastic, but they choose not to submit their writing because they just do not want to stand out,” he said. “But being recognized by the program can be such a confidence booster. It helps students feel like their efforts and ideas are acknowledged.”


About the Awards

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, is the nation's longest-running recognition program for creative teens. It has long provided a platform for young talents to showcase their creativity. Since 1923, Scholastic has honored iconic authors such as Ezra Jack Keats, Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, Stephen King and other notable writers. 

Gold Key award winners are automatically considered for National Awards, including Gold Medal, Silver Medal and scholarship awards.

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