Throughout the 2025-2026 school year, many Jupiter High School (JHS) students earned recognition for their skill, talent and hard work.
Zoe Loren Make a Difference Foundation Photography Contest
Kevin Mullen, junior, won third place in the high school division of the Zoe Loren Make a Difference Foundation’s annual photography contest.
To fit the contest’s theme of “generations,” he submitted a photo of a lichen.
“This lichen is ancient, likely more than 200 years old. Its base, the oldest part, is dried and withered with age. The ending buds are pale blue and ripe with youth, disconnected from each other by the browning branches,” Mullen said. “From one there are many generations that all represent the same whole, their only difference being the small distance between them.”
Mullen’s prize was a $200 photo credit to B&H Photo Video and a $200 Armory Art Center gift card. He plans on using the money towards a new Canon camera, suitable for his hobby of insect and nature photography.
He thanks his Advanced Placement 2-D Art & Design teacher, Sarah Knudtson, who encouraged him to enter the contest.
Town of Jupiter Art and Poetry Contest
Veronica Scheid, junior, won third place in the high school division of an art and poetry contest for the Town of Jupiter.
For Jupiter’s Centennial Celebration, the contest’s prompt was, “What Does Jupiter Mean to Me?” Scheid responded with a drawing of a wave and the lighthouse, as well as a description explaining Jupiter’s unique beauties.
“To me, Jupiter means laid back happiness with a perfect amount of excitement and peacefulness,” Scheid said.
As a result of this achievement, Scheid was recognized at the town council meeting on Dec. 2, and her work will be displayed at the Jupiter Branch Library. She also received a prize package with a gift card.
Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is a prestigious contest that students participate in nationally. The competition allows a wide variety of work to be showcased with 18 art categories and nine writing categories.
The most prestigious of the regional awards is Gold Key, followed by Silver Key and Honorable Mention.
This year, 25 students from JHS art, digital media, writing and journalism classes won regional awards.
Gold Key winners: Layne Hobbie (Printmaking), Danielle Karimpanal (Photography), Stephen Prowell (Photography).
Silver Key winners: Ava Cecchini (Photography), Blake Cobey (Photography), Grace Cothran (Photography), Grace Cothran (Art Portfolio), Mya English (Photography), Gemma Glover (Experimental Photography), Lily King (Experimental Photography), Dara Levine (Photography), Alexis Michaels (Photography), Sophia Mullen (Journalism), Julia Ray (Printmaking), Lilliana Strain (Photography), Slater Woodard (Personal Essay & Memoir).
Honorable Mention winners: Olivia Davis (Photography), Ryan Goodwin (Photography), Khiara Haria (Photography), Zephyr Hicks (Photography), Alivia Kotkiewicz (Photography), Rachel Li (Printmaking), Cesar Najera Cardona (Drawing), Sydney Nguyen (Photography), Ai Pham (Ceramics and Glass), Parker Scheffel (Photography).
While some students discovered the contest independently, others were inspired to submit by their art and writing teachers and classes.
“This year I’ve taken AICE Digital Media with Ms. K [Knudtson],” Parker Scheffel, sophomore, said. “Personally, while this class has been a fun challenge, it’s taught me a lot about how to take many styles of photos.”
Drop Savers Poster Contest
The Drop Savers Poster Contest is an annual competition hosted by the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association (FSAWWA). Students in kindergarten through grade 12 create and design posters to raise awareness and encourage water conservation.
Caroline McCarthy, junior, won first place in the high school division.
McCarthy took many art-related classes throughout her high school career that helped to develop her artistic skills: AICE Digital Media as a freshman, AP 2-D Art and Design as a sophomore, AP Drawing as a junior, and Chieftain (Yearbook) since sophomore year.
Florida Scholastic Press Association
Florida Scholastic Press Association (FSPA) is an organization that works with student journalists in middle and high schools.
This spring, two students on the Chieftain staff won FSPA All-Florida photography awards: Connor Shookus, junior, and Grace Daversa, junior.
Shookus won in the Personality Portrait Student category with his photo of a football player standing on the field.
Though he is in his first year of being a Chieftain staffer, Shookus is an experienced photographer with his own sports and cars photography business, Shookus Photography.
Daversa won in the Florida Nature Photo category with her photograph she took of a bee. She is a Chieftain Editor-in-Chief, so she felt grateful to receive recognition for her hard work in journalism.
“I’ve been practicing photography for a long time, so it’s really validating to finally win an award,” Daversa said.
