Laudable Lawrentians - Winter Term 24-25

Welcome to our digest of some of the exciting accomplishments of Lawrenceville’s outstanding students. Please email future suggestions to lgillard@lawrenceville.org. 

Lawrentians Recognized in Regional Scholastic Art and Writing Contest

Congratulations to the Lawrentians recognized by this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Founded in 1923, the awards are the largest source of scholarships for creative teens, recognizing student achievement in the visual and literary arts in 28 categories, including painting, novel writing, mixed media, poetry, digital art, journalism, and more.

All entries are first considered regionally for Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention awards. Entries that win a Gold Key are automatically considered for National Awards, including Gold Medal, Silver Medal, and scholarship awards.

More than 2,000 young artists entered the Scholastic Awards for South Jersey, and Lawrentians took home numerous awards at the regional level. Find a full list of regional art award recipients here and a list of regional writing award recipients here. Five Lawrentians won National Awards for their submissions - Leila Campbell ‘26, Steven Chung ‘28, Seongmin Park ‘25, Hyunmin Ryu ‘28, Samuel Wang ‘26, and Michelle Zhang ‘25.

Lawrentian’s 100 Word Memoir Recognized in New York Times

Third Former Tin Ho Xiong ‘27 is one of twenty finalists of The New York Times’ Teen Tiny Memoirs contest for their entry “Only One.” Read the memoir here.

The third annual 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest challenged teenagers to see if they could write a story about a meaningful life moment in just 100 words. 

Jianrui Shaw Places in Regional Shakespeare Competition

Third Former Jianrui Shaw placed third at the English-Speaking Union's (ESU) National Shakespeare Competition held February 23 at The Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J. The English-Speaking Union’s National Shakespeare Competition is a dynamic, performance-based program that brings Shakespeare to life in high school classrooms across the country. Through reading, analyzing, and performing Shakespeare’s works, students not only deepen their appreciation of literature but also develop essential skills that benefit them far beyond the stage.

Lawrentians Participate in Poetry Out Loud

In January, 23 Lawrentians participated in the semifinal round of Poetry Out Loud. Nine competed in the finals, and Third Former Isabelle Lee was named winner. She moved on to compete in New Jersey Regionals in February. Sonia Shum ‘27 placed as runner-up and honorable mentions went to Jianrui Shaw ’27 and Tin Xiong ’27 at the School level competition.

Lawrentians Participate in Public Speaking Contest

Five Lawrentians were finalists in the School’s public speaking contest, held in February during School Meeting. The students Aurora Laubach '27, Eric Chen '27, Michael Meng '26, Charlotte Aitken-Davies '27, and Skylar Williams '27, addressed the School community at School Meeting on February 13 on the topic, “What's something interesting, important, cool or underrated that you think most people don't know about?" First place was awarded to Charlotte Aitken-Davies, second place to Skylar Williams, and third place: Eric Chen.

Benjamin Lahlou ‘25 Honored for Athletic Achievement

Fifth Former Benjamin Lahlou ‘25 was recently honored by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. Lahlou was honored at the organization’s annual Scholar-Leader-Athlete (SLA) banquet in March. All honorees receive at least a $1,000 scholarship, with the top five SLAs receiving $5,000, $4,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,500, respectively.

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.