USCHS Artist Wins National Gold Medal

Freshman Hayal Anavatan received a National Gold Medal in the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and will be recognized during the National Ceremony on June 10, 2026, at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Hayal earned the National Gold Medal for her painting titled What the Wall Remembers.

More than 110,000 students submitted over 335,000 original works of art and writing to the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Approximately 2% of entries received national recognition.

“Hayal’s work was selected by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts for excellence in originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision,” Christopher Wisniewski, executive director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, said.

Hayal’s artwork will be featured in the online galleries at artandwriting.org, and her name will appear in Yearbook 2026, a companion publication to the annual anthologies highlighting works by National Medalists.

Earlier this year, Hayal earned significant recognition at the regional level. When the 2026 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were announced in January, she received six Gold Key awards, which qualified her work for national adjudication. She also earned five Silver Key awards and one Honorable Mention, making her one of the most highly recognized students in the regional competition.

Her award-winning work spanned three categories: Painting; Digital Painting, Drawing & Collage; and Ceramics & Glass.

Since 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have celebrated teen artists and writers from across the country.