VSA Future Students Sweep in 2026 Scholastic Writing Awards

VSA Future proudly celebrates the outstanding achievements of our students in the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards! After months of dedication and participation in our intensive Scholastic writing workshops, our students demonstrated remarkable creativity and skill, earning top honors in this prestigious competition.

This year, VSA Future students broke records and won 107 Scholastic Writing Awards, including 3 National Gold Medals, 2 National Silver Medals, 24 Gold Keys, 35 Silver Keys, and 43 Honorable Mentions, showcasing their exceptional storytelling and literary talent. With over 336,000 submissions in the Scholastic Arts and Writing categories this year and 2,700–2,800 national medalists, our 5 national medalists represent an astonishing top 0.5–0.9% of the Scholastic submissions! Check out our Scholastic Award–winning student writing here.

Additionally, one VSA 11th grader was nominated for the American Voices Award for national recognition. Each region can nominate only five students to be considered for the national American Voices Award.

This year also includes VSA Future’s students first ever winner in the Novel Writing category, as well as an over 180% increase in Poetry awards and 460% increase in Short Story awards. Overall, in the last 5 years, VSA students have totalled 227 awards across 11 writing disciplines, including 49 Regional Gold Medal Winners. 

With national awards spanning the Short Story, Journalism, Critical Essay, and Poetry categories, VSA students demonstrated their remarkable originality, advanced writing technique, and deep research skills in each of their works. VSA student Connor L.’s National Gold Medal poem features the powerful themes of diaspora and longing to capture the struggle of sharing cultural heritage. Eliya W.’s National Gold Medal journalism article is a mature analysis on Albanian politics and the future of AI in governance. Sophie H.’s National Gold Medal critical essay examines the effects of capitalism and border policy on human rights and labor rights on the US/Mexico border, reflecting her careful research and economic analysis. Emmeline L.’s National Silver Medal short story is a haunting reflection on modern-day society, media consumption, and alternative realities, meditating on the contemporary attention span and aspirational tendencies. Rufan Y.’s National Silver Medal journalism article offers an incisive deep dive into the Bay Area mental health crisis among Asian American youth. 

In March, Gold Key winner Christina L. was selected as one of three writing winner speakers in the Massachusetts Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Ceremony, where she reflected on her sources of inspiration in her Gold Key-winning critical essay, “Beyond the Thin Mint: The Unsung Treasures of Scouting.”

As one of the nation’s most prestigious competitions for young writers, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards recognize outstanding works from students across various categories, including personal essays, poetry, short stories, and critical writing. Winning these awards is a testament to the skill and hard work our students have put into refining their craft with the support of VSA Future’s dedicated educators.

Scholastic Writing & Arts Awards

Since 1923, the Scholastic Writing & Arts Awards have been a hallmark of excellence in creative expression. Past winners include literary greats such as Sylvia Plath, Joyce Carol Oates, and Stephen King. This prestigious competition provides young writers and artists in grades 7–12 with a national platform to showcase their creativity, originality, and technical skill.

Among the highest distinctions within the competition is the American Voices Award, which is given to only one nominee per region. This award recognizes the single best piece from an entire body of regional submissions, making it one of the most coveted honors. Being nominated for this award is an extraordinary accomplishment, signifying a student’s exceptional ability to communicate compelling themes, showcase originality, and demonstrate mastery of the written word.

How Are Winners Chosen?

The Scholastic Writing & Arts Awards follow a rigorous judging process, beginning with regional competitions. Students submit their work in various categories, including poetry, short stories, personal essays, and more. Submissions are reviewed by panels of professional writers, educators, and artists who evaluate works based on originality, technical skill, and personal voice.

Gold Key recipients—the highest regional honor—automatically advance to the national level, where their work is considered for national Gold and Silver Medals. Only a fraction of submissions receive this recognition, making Gold Key winners stand out among thousands of young creatives. Silver Key and Honorable Mention awards also highlight notable works, recognizing students whose pieces demonstrate strong potential and artistic merit.

VSA Future’s talented young writers hail from New Jersey, New York, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Minnesota, Tennessee, California, Colorado, Illinois and even Canada, showcasing the far-reaching impact of VSA Future’s educational programs. Their achievements not only highlight individual excellence but also reinforce the importance of developing strong writing skills from an early age. Enjoy the winning Scholastic Writing Award–winning pieces here.

Throughout 2026, these students participated in rigorous writing workshops and honed their creative pieces in 1-on-1 writing sessions, receiving multiple levels of feedback to refine their work. VSA Future’s structured approach, including in-depth critiques and personalized coaching, helped students elevate their writing to award-winning levels.

We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence in writing education. Congratulations to all our talented students!

VSA Future offers Reading & Writing classes during the school year, Scholastic Writing Workshops from April to November, an in-person academic summer camp, and virtual summer courses in Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension. To learn more about VSA Future’s writing programs and how we can help aspiring young writers succeed, visit www.vsafuture.com today and call 973-951-9600. VSA Future Learning Center is located at 600 South Livingston Ave, Ste 105, Livingston, NJ 07039.

VSA Winners

Among our distinguished winners are:

National Gold Medal: Sophie H. (Critical Essay)

National Gold Medal: Connor L. (Poetry)

National Gold Medal: Eliya W. (Journalism)

National Silver Medal: Emmeline L. (Short Story)

National Silver Medal: Rufan Y. (Journalism)

Gold Key Winner: Richard D. (Flash Fiction)

Gold Key Winner: Ike E. (Speculative Fiction)

Gold Key Winner: Sophia H. (Critical Essay)

Gold Key Winner: Cynthia L. (Critical Essay)

Gold Key Winner: Cynthia L. (Critical Essay)

Gold Key Winner: Cynthia L. (Poetry)

Gold Key Winner: Adrian L. (Poetry)

Gold Key Winner: Connor L. (Poetry)

Gold Key Winner: Lena L. (Personal Essay & Memoir)

Gold Key Winner: Emma L. (Short Story)

Gold Key Winner: Emmeline L. (Short Story) 

Gold Key Winner: Alice Q. (Short Story)

Gold Key Winner: Christina Q. (Critical Essay)

Gold Key Winner: Jay T. (Flash Fiction)

Gold Key Winner: Eliya W. (Novel)

Gold Key Winner: Eliya W. (Short Story)

Gold Key Winner: Eliya W. (Journalism)

Gold Key Winner: Rufan Y. (Journalism)

Gold Key Winner: Ella Z. (Short Story)

Gold Key Winner: Ella Z. (Poetry)

Gold Key Winner: Zoe Z. (Poetry)

Gold Key Winner: Joanne Z. (Poetry)

Gold Key Winner: Kevin Z. (Journalism)

Gold Key Winner: Kevin Z. (Flash Fiction)

Silver Key Winner: Ivana C. (Poetry)

Silver Key Winner: Ivana C. (Poetry)

Silver Key Winner: Calvin C. (Personal Essay & Memoir)

Silver Key Winner: Serena C. (Personal Essay & Memoir)

Silver Key Winner: Ike E. (Flash Fiction)

Silver Key Winner: Ike E. (Speculative Fiction)

Silver Key Winner: Sophia H. (Poetry)

Silver Key Winner: Jianing H. (Speculative Fiction)

Silver Key Winner: Jianing H. (Flash Fiction)

Silver Key Winner: Cynthia L. (Flash Fiction)

Silver Key Winner: Adrian L. (Poetry)

Silver Key Winner: Connor L. (Critical Essay)

Silver Key Winner: Connor L. (Poetry)

Silver Key Winner: Deborah L. (Poetry)

Silver Key Winner: Vivian L. (Journalism)

Silver Key Winner: Vivian L. (Poetry)

Silver Key Winner: Alexis L. (Flash Fiction)

Silver Key Winner: Lena L. (Flash Fiction)

Silver Key Winner: Lena L. (Poetry)

Silver Key Winner: Arwen L. (Poetry)

Silver Key Winner: Emma L. (Short Story)

Silver Key Winner: Emmeline L. (Flash Fiction)

Silver Key Winner: Emmeline L. (Flash Fiction)

Silver Key Winner: Emmeline L. (Short Story)

Silver Key Winner: Alice Q. (Journalism)

Silver Key Winner: Alice Q. (Poetry)

Silver Key Winner: Henry T. (Critical Essay)

Silver Key Winner: Jay T. (Speculative Fiction)

Silver Key Winner: Justin W. (Short Story)

Silver Key Winner: Jeffrey X. (Personal Essay & Memoir)

Silver Key Winner: Ella X. (Speculative Fiction)

Silver Key Winner: Jessica Y. (Critical Essay)

Silver Key Winner: Ziqian Y. (Personal Essay & Memoir)

Silver Key Winner: Zoe Z. (Flash Fiction)

Silver Key Winner: Joanne Z. (Flash Fiction)

Honorable Mention Winner: Ivana C. (Poetry)

Honorable Mention Winner: Anna C. (Poetry)

Honorable Mention Winner: Anna C. (Screenplays & Scripts)

Honorable Mention Winner: Yilin C. (Speculative Fiction)

Honorable Mention Winner: Calvin C. (Poetry)

Honorable Mention Winner: Calvin C. (Speculative Fiction)

Honorable Mention Winner: Richard D. (Poetry)

Honorable Mention Winner: Ike E. (Speculative Fiction)

Honorable Mention Winner: Ike E. (Speculative Fiction)

Honorable Mention Winner: Edward G. (Speculative Fiction)

Honorable Mention Winner: Edward G. (Critical Essay)

Honorable Mention Winner: Jayden G. (Poetry)

Honorable Mention Winner: Sophie H. (Critical Essay)

Honorable Mention Winner: Sophie H. (Personal Essay & Memoir)

Honorable Mention Winner: Ethan H. (Flash Fiction) 

Honorable Mention Winner: Ethan H. (Poetry)

Honorable Mention Winner: Ethan H. (Poetry)

Honorable Mention Winner: Ethan H. (Short Story)

Honorable Mention Winner: Jianing H. (Short Story)

Honorable Mention Winner: Qinglan H. (Speculative Fiction) 

Honorable Mention Winner: Michael J. (Flash Fiction)

Honorable Mention Winner: Michael J. (Short Story)

Honorable Mention Winner: Michael J. (Short Story)

Honorable Mention Winner: Connor L. (Speculative Fiction)

Honorable Mention Winner: Deborah L. (Poetry)

Honorable Mention Winner: Deborah L. (Poetry)

Honorable Mention Winner: Lena L. (Short Story)

Honorable Mention Winner: Lena L. (Poetry)

Honorable Mention Winner: Lena L. (Poetry)

Honorable Mention Winner: Alice Q. (Speculative Fiction)

Honorable Mention Winner: Henry T. (Critical Essay)

Honorable Mention Winner: Yining T. (Personal Essay & Memoir)

Honorable Mention Winner: Yining T. (Speculative Fiction)

Honorable Mention Winner: Justin W. (Short Story)

Honorable Mention Winner: Justin W. (Screenplays & Scripts)

Honorable Mention Winner: Isabella W. (Poetry)

Honorable Mention Winner: Rufan Y. (Personal Essay & Memoir)

Honorable Mention Winner: Ziqian Y. (Flash Fiction)

Honorable Mention Winner: Zoe Z. (Short Story)

Honorable Mention Winner: Valeria Z. (Personal Essay & Memoir)

Honorable Mention Winner: Valeria Z. (Short Story)

Honorable Mention Winner: Alice Z. (Critical Essay)

Honorable Mention Winner: Kevin Z. (Speculative Fiction)