Student Life
Arts
Visual Arts

Dozens of students honored with art and writing awards

It's been a great spring for student-artists at Ransom Everglades, with dozens of students earning recognition locally and nationally. The most prestigious award: 14 RE students earned "gold keys" from the regional round of the 2024 Scholastic Awards in Arts and Writing contest, which annually attracts more than 100,000 submissions from students in grades 7-12. Additionally, some students works were selected for exhibition at the Beaux Arts Student Showcase April 24-27, and others won spots in the Bass Museum Teen Art Exhibition that opened at the end of March.
RE's gold key winners – Connor Alfonso ’26, Anya Bhandari ’25, Carlos del Canal Fernandez ’25, Andrew Gedde ’25, Jack He ’25, Patrick Keedy Brown ’26, Beatriz Lindemann ’25, Sofia Linfield ’26, Sofia Rhone-Fernandez '26, Eve Zhou ’24 (writing) and Valentina Capote ’26, Renee Fonseca ’25, Lily Namias ’25, Sophia Romanov-Imber ’24 (art) – will contend for national awards, gold and silver medals and scholarships, in the next round of the competition.

RE also had 12 silver key winners, the second-highest recognition. Nine received silver key awards in writing – Chloe Alfonso ’24, Audrey Caplow '25, Jack He ’25, Jordan James ’25, Sylvie Malvezzi ’27, Dieter Manstein '25, Sofia Rhone-Fernandez '26, Kayra Serpenguzel ’25 and Eve Zhou ’24 – and three in the arts: Benjamin Alexander ’28, Misha Gowda ’28 and Luke Jaffee ’26. RE also had many students recognized with honorable mention. Art slide show (Scholastic Art Awards)

The entries were judged on originality, skill and personal voice or vision. Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards describe itself as the nation's longest-running, most prestigious educational initiative supporting student achievement in the visual and literary arts. The program has many famous alumni including John Updike, Truman Capote, Amanda Gorman, Joyce Carol Oates and Andy Warhol.

In other news, works by Sofia de la Torre '24 (Painting, "Nurse Sharks"), Vlad Ponomarenko '25 (Photography, "Beware"), Sophie Ansin '25 (Photography, "Watching") Ruben Garcia-Hanna '28 and Celia Prescott '28 were accepted into this year's Beaux Arts Student Showcase; their pieces were displayed at the Lowe Art Museum from April 24-27.

Also, a number of Ransom Everglades' student-artists had their artwork selected for the Bass Museum Teen Art Exhibition that opened at the end of March. Alba Sandelman '28, Brayden Zawyer '28,  Aly Kaplan '28, Hans van de Kreeke '28,  Annabella Ciocca '28, Daniel Li '28, Flavia Contreras '28, Tatiana Moggio ' 28 and Taylor Smith '25 created works that fit this year's theme of “culture.”
 
GOLD KEYS - WRITING
 
Connor Alfonso ’26
“Sparks and Shades”
Short Story

Anya Bhandari ’25
“Electric Stove”
Personal Essay

Carlos del Canal Fernandez ’25
“Little Glass Helpers”
Science Fiction and Fantasy

Andrew Gedde ’25
“Grandpa’s Ghost Story”
Humor

Jack He ’25
"Skin and Bones"
Poetry 
 
Patrick Keedy Brown ’26
What I Would Say To The Ammonite Shell
Novel Writing
 
Beatriz Lindemann ’25
“To Be the Ocean in Kate Chopin’s Awakening: A Feminist Reading”
Critical Essay
 
Sofia Linfield ’26
“My Father”
Poetry

Sofia Rhone-Fernandez '26
"Planet Earth"
Poetry

Eve Zhou ’24
“The Wise Men and the Tree”
Poetry
“Of Dreaming”
Science Fiction/Fantasy
“Miracles”
Personal Essay/Memoir
“All Made from Stardust”
Portfolio - writing
 
GOLD KEYS - ART

Valentina Capote ’26
“Lauz”
Painting

Renee Fonseca ’25
“Falling Apart at the Seams”
Ceramics and Glass

Lily Namias ’25
“ La Brisa”
Painting

Sophia Romanov-Imber ’24
“The Ones Who Run”
“Fleeting Strength”
“Our Runaway Bride”
“Escape Artist”
“To Be Found”
“We Can Fade”
Photography - Art Portfolio
 
SILVER KEYS - WRITING
 
Chloe Alfonso ’24
“Age of Final Songs”
Poetry

Audrey Caplow '25
“Countdown”
Science Fiction and Fantasy

Jack He ’25
"Do Lobsters See in Double-Vision?"
Flash Fiction
 
Jordan James ’25
“A Sun That Never Sleeps”
Humor
“A Gift For Those Who Remain”
Short Story
“A Bitter Reunion”
Science Fiction & Fantasy
“A Web of Hopes and Ashes”
Science Fiction & Fantasy
“Brutal Young Days”
Short Story
 
Sylvie Malvezzi ’27
“More Thoughts”
Poetry

Dieter Manstein '25
"Light"
Poetry

Sofia Rhone-Fernandez '26
"The Golden Hour"
Poetry

Kayra Serpenguzel ’25
“Unsaid”
Poetry
“Contrived Replication:
Poetry
 
Eve Zhou ’24
“The Muse”
Science Fiction/Fantasy
“Criticism of Human Nature in ‘Those Who Walk Away from Omelas’”
Critical Essay
“Angels Landing”
Personal Essay/Memoir
“Scenes from a Rooftop Garden”
Poetry
 
SILVER KEYS - ART

Benjamin Alexander ’28
“Play Time”
Photography

Misha Gowda ’28
“Eye Phone”
Photography

Luke Jaffee ’26
“Reflecting”
Photography
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Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.