Whitefield Senior Wins National Literature Award

After receiving a gold key award at the state level of competition earlier this year, Whitefield Academy senior Elizabeth Pridgeon recently earned a national silver medal award for her critical essay "Great Literature: A Personal Definition" in the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Pridgeon’s essay beat out thousands of entries from teens across the nation in the contest, sponsored by well-known publishing company Scholastic, Inc. The contest is the nation's longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades seven through 12. The awards feature a notable list of alumni recipients including: Richard Avedon, Truman Capote, Stephen King, Sylvia Plath, Robert Redford and Andy Warhol; and more recently, Richard Linklater and Zac Posen.

Pridgeon is an accomplished writer and hopes to major in English when she begins college next year, ultimately pursuing a career in writing or communications. She is still undecided as to where she will attend. Pridgeon has attended Whitefield for four years, playing varsity soccer and enjoying creative writing opportunities through her school work and beyond. She appreciates the encouragement of Whitefield English teacher Jessica Bonnem for urging her to submit her work to the national contest.

Located in Smyrna, Whitefield Academy is a Christ-centered, college preparatory school serving more than 800 students in PreK4 through 12th grade. Whitefield’s tight-knit, family-focused community is unique, providing students a learning environment with top-notch academics, while facilitating the discovery of student talents and interests. With more than 50 sports teams and an award-winning fine arts program, Whitefield students hone their skills, develop deep relationships with God and others, and enjoy pursuing their passions both in and out of the classroom. For more information, visit whitefieldacademy.com.