PTA Reflections Celebrate Student Creativity

by Betsy Voinovich

Harrison student Safa Jabarkhil's artwork is on of the 25 pieces moving on to state judging.

The creativity and imagination of Lakewood City Schools' students were celebrated at the annual Lakewood PTA Council Reflections Ceremony, held Feb. 8 at Garfield Middle School. Sixty-seven art submissions from across the District were honored. Of those 67 pieces of art, 25 were chosen to move on to the state PTA judging, with winners to be announced in late spring. Overall, 90 students entered the contest. The Reflections program offers students from schools with active PTAs the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition. Students in preschool through grade 12 are encouraged to submit works in seven arts areas: literature, dance choreography, film/video production, musical composition, photography and visual arts. All entries must follow a chosen theme, which this year was “Show Your Voice.”

Each school with a PTA can send up to 24 entries to the district level judging. Among works chosen for district-level recognition, the highest scoring works as deemed by a panel of judges evaluating on artistic merit, creativity and interpretation of the theme, move on to Columbus to compete with students’ work from around the state.

Here are the honorees. The bold names are of students moving on in the competition.

Visual Arts

Josette Ballou – An Empty Room
Maggie Barmann – Unconditional
Haley Benjamin – Better Off Unsaid
Lilly Benjamin – Show It, Because They Won’t Hear It
Mackenzie Brown – In Water
Olivia Brown – Self Sustenance
Sam Browning – Memory
Kayen Bruce – The Camera of the Eye
Nikita Budway -Emotion
Izabella Chambers-Decker– Transformation
Cameron Crouch – My Voice

12. Eric Day – Nature Landscape
13. Helen Fraunfelder – Rule by Her
14. Kaydence Ginnard – Transformation of Medusa

15. Safa Jabarkhil - Free Flying

16. Ryedan Jones – Untitled
17. Molly Keane – To See the Truth
18. Sarah Kpaw – Star Crossed
19. Halla Kutkut – Show Your Voice
20. Jacqueline Lyall – Sunset
21. Madeline Magda-McKing - Save Our Oceans
22. Anna Maurer – What Do You Think?
23. Mae Mohar – For the Sake of Tradition
24. Milena Osborne – Lovely Forests
25. Marissa Parkison – Expression Through Music

26. Ler Lay Pau – At Peace
27. Alexis Perry - Gooby
28. Millie Phillips Miller – Dark Depths
29. Thay Klu Plar - One at a Time
30. Brynn Reali – The Art Within
31. Morgan Rice – Tree of Life
32. Owen Ritchie – Life, Death. And Confusion
33. Ava Schmoldt – Stay Connected
34. Elizabeth Schuldt – Feeling Small
35. Layla Smith – Home of Lakewood
36. Kiana Tousley – Sketchbook Spread (But Bigger)

37. Hsa Eh Kpru Wah – Show Your Voice
38. Jianna Wise – Splitting Headache

Dance

1. Meredith Barcelona – Juxtaposing Freedoms

Literature

Leena Adams – The Voice
Meredith Barcelona – What I Want to Be While I Grow Up
Adam Benhaddou – Wake Up to Reality!
Reagan Bratko – Showing My Voice
Rowan Brown – The Voice of Speech
Leah Campbell – A Day with the Prized Puggle
Willow Detmar- That Which Made Me Bloom
Olive Diemert – Dead End Convo
Jazi Dunay –Show Your Voice
Maddie Ellis- Peeking Through the Shadows

11. Delaney Garcia – Sports is More Than Just a Physical Game

12. Cami Fisher – Just Smile
13. Fiona Gjermeni-Using My Voice
14. Mateo Guajardo-Who’s Really Listening?
15. Ella Hartranft – Women Have Worth
16. Lucy Henrikson – Artwork with Trembly Hands
17. Ed Horton- What My Voice Says
18. McKenna Hunt – The Freedom Fight
19. Emily Jarecke – Authentic Voice
20. Aniya Johnson – Importance in Life
21. Amalija Marich – A Voiceless Voice
22. Bella Marzicola – Perfect Mistake
23. Emily Potoczak – Show Your Voice
24. Bode Smith – The Frustrations of a Young Adult
25. Arabella Spear – Little Lightning Baby
26. Ashley Van Gunten – This Essay Will Not Be Televised
27. Andrew Winters – Challenges and Adaptation
28. Corrine Wroblewski – Hair Dye