From left, Mary Kokuashvili; Michele Russo, Seneca Valley Intermediate High School English teacher; Paige DeStasio; John Eaton; Megan Kelly, Seneca Valley Intermediate High School librarian; and Landon Clark attended the Waldman Arts & Writing Competition on May 9 at Chatham University in Pittsburgh.

Four students from Seneca Valley Intermediate High School were recognized at the 2024 Waldman Arts & Writing Competition hosted by the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh.

Entries were selected from Michele Russo’s 10th-grade English class, following a unit focused on rescue efforts amid the Holocaust.

Paige DeStasio, who was named the grand prize winner of the overall competition, also placed first in the 2-D art category with her artwork showcasing her research on the Bielski brothers and how they rescued Jewish people and formed communities in the forests.

John Eaton won in the 3D art category for his model of Tadeusz Pankiewicz’s pharmacy. His model depicted how the pharmacist operated his store in the Nazi occupied Krakow Ghetto while saving countless Jewish lives during the Holocaust.

Mary Kokuashvili won the top prize for her essay and Landon Clark for his poem. Paige and John also were awarded monetary prizes and educational books.

The awards ceremony took place on May 9 at Chatham University in Pittsburgh.