Congratulations to Niles North’s Ilhana Kisija, the NATIONAL GOLD medal Scholastic Art Recipient & Winner of the New York Life Scholarship Award!

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the nonprofit organization that presents the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, is pleased to present Ilhana Kisija with a National Gold Medal Award for her piece titled “Past Ways Say Stay”.

More than 80,000 students submitted nearly 230,000 works of art and writing to the 2020 Scholastic Awards. Ilhana Kisija’s work was selected by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts for excellence in originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Only 2,000 works received a National Medal, which places Ilhana Kisija within the top 1% of all submissions!

Additionally, Ilhana’s “Past Ways Say Stay” was ALSO awarded the New York Life Scholarship Award.

The New York Life Award elevates the voice of bereaved teens and creates healing conversations around grief. It recognizes six students whose works explore grief, loss, and bereavement. The student’s submission and brief statement were evaluated by a panel of distinguished educators, creative luminaries, and industry professionals.  newyorklifefoundation.org