Mark Henne, an eighth grader at Shady Side Academy Middle School, was one of only 10 students from the Pittsburgh area to win a national medal in the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition.

Henne won a national Silver Medal in writing for his Personal Essay & Memoir piece, A Pot of Forgiveness. As a national medalist, his award-winning work will be featured in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards 2021 online gallery.

Henne was one of 12 SSA Middle and Senior School students who won 16 Gold Keys at the regional level of the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in late January, automatically advancing to the national competition.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation's longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Teens in grades 7-12 can apply in 28 categories of art and writing, and submissions are judged regionally and nationally by panels of creative industry experts. In 2021, more than 80,000 students across the country submitted nearly 230,000 entries, and nearly 1,917 received national medals.

Congratulations, Mark!