Point Park University's Honors Program Hosts 2023 Pittsburgh Regional Scholastic Writing Awards Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Point Park University's Honors Program celebrated the future of creativity as it recently hosted the Pittsburgh region's 2023 Scholastic Writing Awards on campus. The Scholastic Writing Awards, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, are the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Teens in grades 7–12, age 13 years and older, are invited to enter their art or writing for the chance to win recognition, publication, exhibition, and up to $10,000 in scholarships.

"At Point Park, we envision our Honors Program as striving to have a positive impact on our students, the broader Pittsburgh community and the region," said Jessica McCort, Ph.D., associate professor of composition and rhetoric and director of the Honors Program. "Supporting these local students by showcasing and celebrating their creative and critical work will help them feel empowered to use their words to make a positive impact on the world and to share their experiences."

Leslie Wessner, a staff member in the Rowland School of Business, served as the regional affiliate coordinator for Pittsburgh's contest. Dorene Ciletti, Ph.D,H.J. Heinz Company Endowed Chair in business management, associate professor and director of Point Park's marketing and sales program and assistant director of the Honors Program, also assisted with putting the program together. Maegan Steiner, an Honors Program student and a biological sciences major, designed the presentation for the ceremony, and Josie Brown, Ph.D., dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, and Michael Soto, provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs, helped present the awards to the winners. 

McCort plans to include more Point Park students in the planning and execution of future Scholastic Writing Awards events.

"It will be a great opportunity for our honors students to gain valuable volunteering and event production experience," she said.

View the list of winners for the Pittsburgh region here.