February 25, 2026 (Baltimore, MD)—Eighteen students from Notre Dame Preparatory School have earned regional recognition for this year’s Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, some taking home multiple honors. All told, NDP students earned 31 awards in creative writing and fine arts categories.
This year, four students achieved the highest honor, or “Gold Key,” thereby making them eligible for the national recognition component of the competition and accompanying scholarship dollars if selected.
“Creative writing and the visual arts allow our students to cultivate leadership and confidence as they develop their individual voices, hone their crafts, and share their gifts,” says Dr. Angela Allen, Head of School. “Our students are accompanied along this journey of self-expression by a group of dedicated teachers who provide guidance, encouragement, and direction so all may actualize their potential.”
“In writing and art, we strive to help the students develop their own voices through pen and paint, and this contest encourages and allows them to share those voices with the world,” says Erin McNamara, English Teacher and competition coordinator. “Many of these students are multi-year winners, demonstrating how the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Program has provided the opportunity for the students to pursue and grow in their creative endeavors over the years.”
This is the tenth year that Notre Dame Preparatory School has participated in the program. Of note, one student, senior BiancaRose Nnabue ’26, has won awards in this program for the past seven years, ever since she enrolled in NDP as a sixth-grade student.
The NDP Gold Key winners include:
• Isabella Dana ’29; Short Story, Gold Key; Poetry, Silver Key
• Madisyn Lubitz ’29, Poetry, two (2) Gold Keys, two (2) Silver Keys, three (3)
Honorable Mentions
• Isabella Navari ’28, Poetry, one (1) Gold Key, two (2) Silver Keys
• Chloe Young ’30, Poetry, one (1) Gold Key, one (1) Honorable Mention
Other competition winners include:
• Kathryn Adam ’27, Painting, Honorable Mention
• Joshika Banerjee ’29; Poetry, Honorable Mention; Memoir, Honorable Mention
• Caroline Bradford ’30, Memoir, Honorable Mention
• Ananda Claxton ’28, Digital Painting, Drawing & Collage, Honorable Mention
• Jordan Didion-Martinez ’28, Photography, Honorable Mention
• Margaret Forian ’27, Painting, Honorable Mention
• Clare Kelly ’28, Photography, Silver Key
• Teresa Ibanez ’27, Poetry, two (2) Honorable Mention
• Abigail Ludden ’30, Poetry, Honorable Mention
• Valeria Mora ’30, Memoir, Honorable Mention
• BiancaRose Nnabue ’26; Critical Essay, Silver Key; Poetry, Honorable Mention
• Sydney Rodriguez ’28, Mixed Media, Honorable Mention
• Ava Stone ’27, Mixed Media, Honorable Mention
• Flory Thomas ’27 Drawing, Silver
Sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7-12. All works were blindly judged by local visual artists, novelists, poets, playwrights, educators, and editors. Each piece is judged based on originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice.
Founded in 1873, Notre Dame Preparatory School is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for approximately 820 girls in grades 6-12. The School Sisters of Notre Dame sponsor the school, which is dedicated to educating young women to transform the world.
