Two TMI students received national recognition for their submissions in the National Scholastic Art and Writing Competition. The 2022 National Awards Ceremony will take place at Carnegie Hall on Thursday, June 9th, in New York City.

Sara Homma ’22 received a Gold Medal for two of her works as well as Silver medal for her portfolio “Las Caras de México.” She also won the Civic Expression Award and Scholarship for her piece “The Things Between us.” Here is a link to learn more about that award. https://www.artandwriting.org/scholarships/civic-expression-award 

Bernice Gitiche ’24 received a Gold Medal for her poem ’The Lemon Juice’. A preview of her poem is below. 

I’m not sure what changed in me.
Whether it was the voice of my African ancestors
Who danced to the chimes of the mbira
In the warm Kenyan savanna.
Or perhaps the strength in my mother’s fingers
As she touched the stove’s fire while cooking fresh chapatis
As she used magic to turn my gravity-defying curls
Into a beautiful aura of braids.
Perhaps it was the fearlessness in my father’s eyes.
As he stood up for his people
Despite being in a world that would never stand up for him.

But eventually,
The lemon juice disgusted me.

Because Black
Is the color of my ancestors.
Black
Is the epitome of a survivor.
Black
Is the smell of fresh chicken from an aunties back porch
that migrates through the neighborhood streets,
gathering all of the cousins together.

Despite our pain.
Despite our grief.
Despite the whisper in our everyday life
That tells us we will never be enough for anything.
No matter how dark,
Black.
Will.
Always.
Be.
Beautiful.