For the fifth consecutive year, a Long Beach High School student has achieved an elite National Gold Medal in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program. Chrysalis Mandell earned this award for the poem, “My Mother Is a Tell All,” and Sophie Allen won a National Silver Medal for her writing portfolio. Sophie received a National Gold Medal in the 2015-16 school year. 

Students who participate in the high school’s Talented Writers Program earned 26 additional Scholastic Art and Writing distinctions. Sophie achieved Gold Key awards for her entire portfolio as well as the Flash Fiction piece, “Walk Home,” and a Silver Key in Flash Fiction for “Fey.” She received Honorable Mentions for her Poetry entries, “Sixer” and “We Will Not…” and the Flash Fiction piece, “Pretty.” Chrysalis Mandell earned Gold Keys in Poetry for “My Mother is a Tell All” and “Catching Sunrise.” Shae Sennett was awarded Gold Key distinctions in Poetry for “The Dust in My House…” and “Lucky Strikes.” Lucia Techera received Gold Key awards in Poetry for “The Children of the Tides” and “Janitor and His Son,”and a Silver Key in Poetry for “The Immigrant…”

Silver Keys in Poetry were also earned by Ava De Bruin for the entries, “For Lila and For America” and “Stargirl,” Jordan Landsman for “Veracity,” Kaitlyn Murphy for “It’s Hard to Stay Warm on Cold Winter Days,” David Newman for “Fragments for the Heart” and Iain Wall for “Exposure.” Isabella Attrachji was awarded an Honorable Mention for her Personal Essay, “Why I am the Isabella I am,” Kaitlyn Murphy earned an Honorable Mention for her Writing Portfolio, “High School,” Alyscia Batista received an Honorable Mention in Flash Fiction for “Life.” Alycia, Kaitlyn, Jordan and Sarah Mullins also earned Honorable Mentions in Poetry for their respective pieces, “Sunday Morning,” “I’m a Senior,” “Progression of a Lonely Soul” and “My Mother’s Father.”