Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School students Acadia Kunkel, Ava Della Pietra and Jacqueline Wu were honored for their original works on the regional level of the 2019 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

In Ava’s submission in the personal essay/memoir category, “The Song of the Night,” she crafted a narrative of a young girl’s relationship with her grandfather through a series of memories and reflections upon life. For this piece, Ms. Della Pietra received the Gold Key award, the highest distinction available for the Northeast Writing Region-at-Large.  

Acadia’s short story, “When You Thought Nothing Could Go Wrong" is about a girl, Alison, a skilled violinist who gets first chair in a prestigious youth orchestra in Manhattan. The story shows how even the best and the brightest struggle with stage fright and imperfections.

Jacqueline was honored with a Silver Key award for her short story, “Forever.”