Kalani Photography Students Win Scholastic Silver Key Awards

Virgil Lin, Reyn Machida, and Jasmine Rossiter

Congratulations to Kalani photography students Olivia Shrum (12) and Jane Shelverton (9) for earning the regional Scholastic Silver Key Award in the 2022 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition! 

In addition to the Silver Key, Shrum and Shelverton also received monetary awards for their work. Shrum’s piece, titled “Little Bit of Rain,” won her a $500 scholarship. Shelverton’s piece, titled “Imprisoned,” won her a $100 scholarship. 

Their Silver Key award allows their artwork to be displayed at the Hawaii State Art Museum among other regional Scholastic Art award-winning works. Showings are from February 18 to March 12, and the museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. 

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running educational initiative supporting student achievement in the visual and literary arts. 

With over 2,390 submissions from Hawaii to the competition this year, Shrum said she was initially surprised by her achievement. 

“I was just doing it for one of the assignments that we had,” Shrum expressed. “This past quarter my teacher said we had to submit a picture for an art competition. So I just submitted [ Little Bit of Rain].” 

The teacher in question, Kalani photography teacher Ms. Tran, presented the opportunity for the two students to participate. 

“Art is supposed to be free,” Tran said. “I’m super proud of them, but I’m just the person giving them the opportunity… They would’ve won whether or not I was their teacher. It’s their abilities that carried them there.”