AHA Alumna Wins National Gold Medal in Journalism

Demarest, NJ: Success is a habit for Harvard-bound wordsmith Elise Tao, who just earned a national gold medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing Competition. Tao earned this elite honor for her journalistic entry, “Terry Hu’s Moment: Defying Expectation in Hollywood and Promoting Queer and Asian-American Representation.”

“Your work was selected by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts for excellence in originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision,” Christopher Wisniewski stated in a June 12 letter to Tao. Wisniewski is executive director of the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, the non-profit organization that presents the Scholastic Awards.

“Fewer than 2,500 works received a national medal, which places you within the top eight percent of all submissions,” he continued, noting that approximately 340,000 art and writing entries were evaluated at the national level. “Since 1923, the Awards have celebrated teen artists and writers from across the country. You are now part of that legacy, joining the ranks of notable alumni, including Tschabalala Self, Stephen King, Kay WalkingStick, Charles White, Joyce Carol Oates, and Andy Warhol – all of whom won Scholastic Awards when they were teens.”

Scholastic competitors unlock the ability to enter the national event by earning a Gold Key in the regional competition. This year, Tao provided Scholastic’s regional judges with a variety of entries. They responded by awarding her five Gold Keys, including two for poetry, one for a critical essay, and two for journalistic pieces – one of which ultimately garnered the national medal.

The regional panel also awarded Tao six Silver Keys for her poetry and 10 Honorable Mentions, including six for poetry, two for digital art, and two for her writing portfolios. Portfolio is a particularly competitive category, since the panel evaluates each contender based on an entire collection of work.

“I have submitted to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards since I was 14 years old and a freshman at AHA. I am so happy to have received a gold medal for my profile on film and TV star Terry Hu,” Tao shared. “Two Octobers ago, I sat down with the actor at CafeRX and we talked about their experience in Hollywood as a queer and Asian-American entertainer. I am thrilled to see that the culmination of my writing journey has resulted in this award. It is truly the cherry on top.”

Tao’s gold medal winning entry will be published in the Alliance’s for Young Artists and Writers’ Online Galleries (artandwriting.org) and her name will be featured in the organization’s “Yearbook 2024.”

Tao’s name also appears in the 2024 yearbook at the Academy of the Holy Angels, where she recently graduated Second in Merit. During her four years at AHA, Tao earned the Academy’s Mother Caroline and S. Nonna Dunphy scholarships. She was also a semifinalist in the Coca Cola Scholarship competition. She is the founder and immediate past president of AHA’s Student Mathletes, and was active with DECA, Model UN, and Student Council.

Tao was selected to represent AHA at the 2022 Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference. During her time at HOBY, she learned about Everytown Students Demand Action, an anti-gun violence organization. Tao is now an active Everytown participant and spokesperson.

This young woman is a Commended Student who earned membership in the National Honor Society, the Mu Alpha Theta (math) honor society, the Science National Honor Society, the Business NHS, and Rho Kappa (social studies honor society).

Last year, she took part in the 16th Annual Disney Dreamers Academy. Tao was one of only 100 teens chosen from 25,000 applicants. She was also named to the 2023 session of JCamp, a national multicultural program run by the Asian American Journalism Association.

This accomplished young woman is dedicated to sharing the voice of her generation. She achieves this goal through “Synthesis Publications,” her online literary magazine.

Tao recently became the 2024 Distinguished Young Woman of New Jersey. As part of her responsibilities, she shared her top tips for success with seventh graders from AHA Middle School during National Be Your Best Self Week, a national outreach that aims to inspire young people to lead successful and productive lives. This summer, Tao will compete for the national DYM title.

She is a resident of Upper Saddle River New Jersey.