photo by: Contributed

"Wait" by Wren Jay, a junior at Lawrence High School.

Lawrence High School students won four gold medals in a 2026 prestigious national art competition.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the longest-running visual arts competition for students in grades seven through 12 in the United States and Canada. Students are able to submit work in nearly 30 categories, such as painting, sculpture, photography, writing and more to earn regional and national honors.

In 2026, four Lawrence High School students – Senior Leila Albaugh, Junior Wren Jay, Junior Rilo Schultz, Sophomore Lynorah Roberts – brought home four gold medals in three different categories, including painting, mixed media and jewelry, according to Todd Poteet, an art teacher at LHS.

“This is a massive achievement,” Poteet said in an email to the Journal-World.

Poteet said Albaugh is planning to attend the University of Kansas next fall to study architecture; Jay will be traveling to New York City to study at the Pratt Institute this summer; and Roberts will be traveling to Chicago this summer to attend a institute in the arts.

photo by: Contributed

“Beneath” by Leila Albaugh, a senior at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Contributed

“Anxiety” by Lynorah Roberts, a sophomore at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Contributed

Star spinning rings by Rilo Schultz, a junior at Lawrence High School.