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University School of Milwaukee senior Raya El-Hajjar ’25 won a silver medal at the national level of the Scholastic Writing Competition for her flash fiction piece titled “In Barcelona.” She won four Gold Keys, four Silver Keys, and four Honorable Mentions at the regional level of the Scholastic Writing Competition.
She initially wrote the piece for an Upper School English assignment about “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin. “I was drawn to Hella, a background character, and through my writing I wanted to explore her struggles with femininity and marriage, part of Baldwin’s commentary on societal norms,” she said.
El-Hajjar previously earned a Gold Key for “In Barcelona” and other submissions at the regional competition in spring, and advanced to the national competition. She joined other USM students who earned writing awards at the regional level.
Only the top 1% of all submissions received a national medal in art or writing. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7 through 12.
- Arts