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Pine Crest Upper School Students Earn National Recognition For Original Writing
May 20th 2026
Two (2) Pine Crest Upper School students have earned national recognition in the 2026 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Achievement Awards in Writing, a prestigious program that honors some of the top young writers in the country.
Established in 1957, the NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing encourage excellence in high school writing and recognize outstanding student voices from across the United States and around the world.
This year, Alaina Jamal ’27 received a First Class distinction, one of only two students in the state of Florida to earn the honor. Ananya Patel ’27 received a Superior distinction for her submission.
Both students responded to this year’s prompt, “The Joy and Power of Reading,” crafting original pieces that explore the transformative role that reading and writing have played in their lives.
Additionally, Alaina’s poem, “danyal called danny,” will be published in the 2026 anthology American High School Poets. The poem was submitted through a competition hosted by National Poetry Quarterly and the Just Poetry website, where fewer than 2% of submissions were selected for publication.
Congratulations to Alaina and Ananya!
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