The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers has announced the 103rd class of National Medalists in the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for young artists and writers in grades 7-12. Two Hill School students - Deric Choi '26 and Sophia Li '29 - received national recognition for their writing.

Deric won a national gold medal for his screenplay, “I am not a Counter-Revolutionary, Comrade.”

Sophia won a national silver medal for her short story, "I Missed You."

This year, more than 110,000 teens from U.S. territories, Canada, and every state in the nation participated in the Awards, entering more than 335,000 works for adjudication. Nearly 92,000 regional awards were presented to 50,000 teens, and more than 2,500 works received national medals.