NRHS Scholastic Art Award Winners

While many students at North Ridgeville High School have placed in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for 2025, one student, senior Alaya Wilson, has received an American Vision award for her photograph titled, Still.

This is an extremely high honor as only five American Vision awards are selected for each county, automatically going on to the national-level competition. Alaya took Photography as a sophomore at NRHS and since then, has grown her passion into a legitimate photography business, focusing on portraiture and even doing two weddings this past summer. “The passion Alaya embodies for her photography has really become the avenue for her personal and creative growth on many levels. I have seen her become a shining star and I couldn’t be more excited for her. I can’t imagine a more deserving student,” states her photography teacher, Dalia Erney. Scholastics is a national art and writing competition where each fall, area schools and districts submit students’ best artwork and writing to compete at the regional level. Entries are judged by panels of highly-qualified professionals who select Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention recipients. Gold Key winners go on to compete at the national level. More than 1,500 students receive national awards each year. Past notable winners include Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford, and Joyce Carol Oates.

Nearly 1400 works were submitted for the 2025 season with nearly 600 selected for the exhibition. North Ridgeville students earned a total of four Gold Keys, eight Silver Keys, and thirteen Honorable Mentions.

Opening Reception for all show artworks is on Sunday, January 18th from 1-3pm at the LCCC Stocker Center (1005 Abbe Rd N, Elyria, OH 44035). The exhibit will be on display there from January 12 – Feb 10, 2025. You can see more of Alaya’s portfolio at instagram.com/fromalayariver.

American Vision: Alaya Wilson – Grade 12

Gold Keys: (2) Alaya Wilson – Grade 12 • Gianna Sanfilippo  – Grade 12 • Katherine Young – Grade 12

Silver Keys: Katherine Barnes – Grade 11 • Vaida Hessoun – Grade 9 • Edisen Hudson – Grade 9 • Morgan Jeffery – Grade 12 • (2) Gianna Sanfilippo  – Grade 12 • Katherine Young – Grade 12 • Isla Yost – Grade 10

Honorable Mentions: Katherine Barnes – Grade 11 • Noah Christian – Grade 10 • Vaida Hessoun – Grade 9 • Morgan Jeffrey – Grade 12 • Haydinh Pham – Grade 9 • Gianna Sanfilippo  – Grade 12 • Samantha Smolik – Grade 12 • Payge Snyder – Grade 12 • (2) Alaya Wilson – Grade 12 • (3) Isla Yost – Grade 10