Nathan R. Monell, CAE Executive Director at National PTA | National Parent Teacher Association
National PTA has announced the winners of its 2024-2025 Reflections student art program. The awards were given for creative interpretations of the theme "Accepting Imperfection" across categories like dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts. Seven students have been recognized with the Outstanding Interpretation Award, and over 200 students received Awards of Excellence and Merit. These students represent 34 states.
The recipients of the Outstanding Interpretation Award are Rowan Zollars from Sycamore Canyon School PTSA, California for dance choreography titled "What is it to be Perfect?"; Edie Whitehead from Parents at West PTA, South Dakota for film production "The Mistakes"; Jessica Awuah from Academies of Loudoun PTSA, Virginia for literature "Tpyo"; Adrit Pradeepkumar from Lakeridge PTSA, Washington for music composition "Stars and Scribbles"; Niko Gomez from Steenrod PTA, West Virginia for photography "Accepting Imperfections"; Quinlan Tian from Medina PTA, Washington for visual arts “Find Joy in the Journey” and Isabella Juarez-Padilla from Corona del Mar High School PTA, California for visual arts in the Accessible Artist Division with “Unapologetically Imperfect.”
Yvonne Johnson, president of National PTA, stated, “Arts engagement empowers youth by providing a vital outlet to express their thoughts, feelings, ideas and passions, while also building their self-confidence, creativity, critical thinking and communication skills. This participation directly supports students’ emotional well-being and academic success.” She added, “We are thrilled to recognize the recipients of the Outstanding Interpretation Award and Awards of Excellence and Merit, and we applaud all of the student artists who participated in the 2024-2025 Reflections program.”
Each Outstanding Interpretation Award recipient receives an $800 scholarship to advance their artistic skills, and their local PTA is awarded $200 to support arts and culture in their community. Award of Excellence recipients receive a $200 scholarship. All national award recipients are honored with a medallion, certificate, and year-round recognition from the National PTA.
The National PTA Reflections program invites students to create and submit original works of art that reflect the annual theme. These submissions are reviewed by arts professionals, and students are recognized for their technique and ingenuity. In the 2024-2025 program, hundreds of thousands of students from pre-K through grade 12 created artworks.
National PTA is an organization consisting of millions of families, educators, and leaders devoted to educational success and engagement in schools. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association advocating for children's education, health, and welfare, with membership open to all who wish to contribute to these causes.
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