Alma Villegas, a junior at Galena Park High School, was recognized as a 2025 Scholastic Art national gold medalist winner.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are presented annually by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. The Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their remarkable work to the world through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The Awards give students opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. Presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the Scholastic Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the United States. More than 110,000 teens across the United States and Canada entered more than 340,000 original works in 28 different categories of art and writing.

Students receiving Gold Keys, Silver Keys, Honorable Mentions, or American Voices & Visions Nominations are celebrated within their communities through local exhibitions and ceremonies. Gold Key works are then judged nationally by an impressive panel of creative–industry experts to receive National Medals, including Gold Medals, Silver Medals, American Voices & Visions Medals, Gold Medal and Silver with Distinction Portfolio Medals, and Special Achievement Awards. National Medalists are recognized in part at the National Ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. This year's national awards ceremony will be held on June 1, 2025.

Congratulations to Alma Villegas, her art teacher, Mr. Wesley Frey, and Galena Park High School principal, Mr. Juan Rimerez.

"Saddled Up" by Alma Villegas, 11th grade (2025 Scholastic Art National Gold Medal winner)