Students Earn Gold Keys in Scholastic Writing Awards

Gullion, Pease Honored for Their Writing Skills
Posted on 01/24/2017
Maddie Gullion and Brady PeaseSenior Maddie Gullion and sophomore Brady Pease are one step closer to earning a trip to New York City this summer.

Gullion received three Gold Keys and Pease earned his first Gold Key in the annual Scholastic Writing Awards.  Their entries now will be judged at a national level, with winners announced in March.  National winners are honored in New York City at the start of summer.

Last summer, Gullion spent two days in New York City and was honored at Carnegie Hall after winning a national award in the Personal Essay/Memoir category for a piece about her grandmother.

"Being in New York City was awesome, just being there with my mom," she said. "The ceremony itself was cool. Tim Gunn from Project Runway was there."

Gunn is a fashion consultant and reality television personality.

Gullion's three Gold Key entries this year were in the following categories:

Personal Essay/Memoir entitled Do These Societal Standards Make My Thighs Look Fat? (click to read the essay)

Critical Essay entitled Colin Kaepernick (click to read)

Writing Portfolio of eight pieces entitled Love All: My Place in America.

Gullion also earned two Silver Key and three Honorable Mention awards.  Her favorite entry, a 30,000-word novel entitled Nova, received Honorable Mention.

"Nova is a girl who lives on a spaceship," Gullion explained. "The Earth is uninhabitable, so they are on their way to colonize a new planet."

In addition to writing, Gullion's school activities include competing on the girls' swim team, participating in National Honor Society, and being in the Spanish, Environmental and Breakfast clubs.

Pease also is highly involved in the school.  A three-sport standout in football, wrestling, and baseball, Pease also is a Freshman Mentor and acts in the theatre program.

Pease earned his Gold Key in the Science Fiction/Fantasy category for his 1,152-word story called The Subject (click to read).

"A woman is taken and tested by what she believes are scientists," Pease explained.

Are they scientists?

"That's open to interpretation," he said. "You'll have to read it and decide yourself."

Pease said he enjoys reading science fiction and decided to pick that category for his entry.

"I thought I would enjoy it," he said. "It's always nice to win, but I didn't have big expectations."

Earning Silver Keys in the contest:
  Gullion, two entries in Poetry.
  Avery Lewman, Science Fiction/Fantasy.
  Kaleb Matchett, Poetry.
  Sarah McDowell, Personal Essay/Memoir.
  Evan Rogers, Short Story.
  Claire Tinkle, Flash Fiction.
  Wesley Woodin, Flash Fiction.

Receiving Honorable Mention awards:
  Gullion in Critical Essay, Novel, and Poetry.
  Lindsie Hall, Science Fiction/Fantasy.
  Elizabeth Marshall, Poetry.
  Mia Showalter, Flash Fiction.
  Haley Watson, Short Story.