Six local students were awarded, three of them receiving national recognition, at the 2022 Young Artists and Authors Showcase held by Sister Cities International in Washington, D.C., earlier this year.
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit organization created to foster partnerships among communities around the globe and promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation.
The YAAS gives youth the opportunity to express their vision for a more unified, peaceful world through original artwork, music and literature.
The 2022 Showcase had a theme of “Generation Rescue: Sustainable Water for All,” to highlight the importance of climate change, its impact on water resources in local and global communities and how youth are helping to address this important issue.
Saugus High School student Audrey Dornidon won the national Grand Prize in the Essay showcase for her entry, “The Great Dehydration.”
Valencia High School student Ashley Knutson placed second in the national poetry showcase for her poem, “In One Breath, Life, And In Another, Death.”
West Ranch High School student Jonathan Myung placed second in the national original music showcase for his entry, “Waterfalls.”
Dornidon and Knutson also took home top honors in the local contest held by Santa Clarita Sister Cities.
The following also took home these wins:
- West Ranch High School student Donnah Moon won the Art (Classic Medium) category for her piece, “Oiling the Wounds.”
- Academy of the Canyons student Jessica Park won the Art (Digital Medium) category for her piece, “Pond Sustainability.”
- Academy of the Canyons student Eric Rodriguez won the Original Music category for his piece, “Forever Evolving.”
- Valencia High School student Sivan Garteiz won the Photography category for her piece, “Small Steps.”
The students’ winning entries can be viewed at bit.ly/3EAbd5c. Submissions of the local winners and finalists are on display in the Santa Clarita Sister Cities virtual gallery at bit.ly/3yw2NIr.
For more information, visit SantaClaritaSisterCities.org.
