This year, two seniors from Kings High School won national medals from Scholastics. Maddie Mettey won a gold medal for her painting, and Grace Ficke won a silver medal for her digital media piece.

When Mettey found out on March 15, she was shocked. “I was honestly stunned when I found out,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting to win at all.”

Mettey won a gold medal for her piece named “Stressed.”  

“My concentration is kids acting like adults, so I figured adults go through a lot of stress

that kids don’t,” Mettey said. “The boy that modeled is one of the kids I babysit over the summer.”

Although Mettey didn’t receive any scholarships, she will be attending Carnegie Hall in New York on June 1-3 to receive her award.

Mettey wanted to make a child the face of her piece, while still having undertones of adult issues. “I tried to capture the frustration adults go through, putting the kid in a typical situation many parents go through,” Mettey said.

Mettey plans on attending either Miami University or the University of Notre Dame in the fall. She intends to pursue her passion for art beyond high school. “I’m planning on majoring in chemistry with a minor in studio art,” Mettey said.

Ficke won a silver medal for her piece “When Broccoli Collides” (shown above).

“I found out the Monday before break,” Ficke said, “I was super excited when I found out.”

Ficke loves the way different foods look when they collide together. “I just think broccoli looks cool, like little trees,” Ficke said.

Ficke is attending the University of Cincinnati for the DAAP Program in the fall. “I can’t wait to attend the University of Cincinnati and continue my passion for art,” Ficke said.

By Reagan Heck