(Secaucus, NJ--February 1, 2021) High Tech High School’s Solani Singh, a sophomore from Secaucus, and Katherine Ren, a junior who is also from Secaucus, have been recognized for their talents by the Alliance for Young Writers and Artists, part of the Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.
Solani Singh’s humor piece, “Classic LiteraChurn Ice Cream Parlor,” about an ice cream shop whose flavors are inspired by classic literature and which contains, according to the author, “an unhealthy amount of ice cream puns” earned her a Gold Key award. The Gold Key signifies the highest accolade at this level, and Solani will receive a gold key pin, along with a certificate and letter, to recognize her work. Ms. Singh submitted her piece under the tutelage of her English teacher, Mrs. Joan Marie Bellotti.
Katherine Ren’s science fiction & fantasy piece, “Bookshop,” was supported by English teacher Mr. Mark Gutmann and received an Honorable Mention from the Alliance. Katherine will also receive a certificate and letter to recognize her efforts.
Both students’ work represents some of the best writing submitted in the Northeast region of the nationwide contest. The Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards is the country’s longest-running program of its kind and is considered to be one of the preeminent recognition programs for young artists and writers. This year’s winners will be recognized at a virtual ceremony held on March 4, 2021.
Mrs. Joan Marie Bellotti, who supported Solani Singh’s submission, commended her student as “an amazing representative of High Tech High School.” For her part, Mrs. Bellotti has sponsored several other contest winners in various venues this year, including Poetry Out Loud and The New York Times Coming-of-Age in 2020 contest.
