SHS Junior Rylan Workman Earns Silver Medal at Scholastic National Art & Writing Awards
Latest in a string of honors for sketch ‘A Big Birdie Told Me’
SALEM (Apr. 9, 2025) – Rylan Workman, a junior at Salem High School, earned a silver medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards national stage for his sketch titled “A Big Birdie Told Me,” the Alliance for Young Writers and Artists announced Apr. 7.
The Alliance, which crowned 1,100 gold medalists and 1,500 silver medalists, received more than 310,000 submissions from 110,000 students nationwide.
Mr. Workman’s sketch will be featured in Scholastic’s online gallery as well as its 2025 yearbook. In March, he received Gold Key honors in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards’ regional competition, making him eligible for the Scholastic national awards. The sketch was on display at Tufts University’s Broom Hall Mar. 15-22.
Mr. Workman received the news while he was in his AP European History class. “It was really hard to focus for the rest of the class,” he quipped. “I was 100 percent shocked. I had been checking (the honors portal) all day. I wasn’t expecting anything like this. I was definitely excited.”
“A Big Bird Told Me” was one of four pieces of artwork Mr. Workman submitted to the Scholastic awards. He also earned Honorable Mention honors during the regional round for a sketch titled “Flight School,” which depicts a red-tailed hawk soaring over a prop plane (based on a model his grandfather built).
The honor is more impressive considering Mr. Workman submitted his works simply to bolster his art portfolio while applying to colleges. He plans to study environmental science and to continue art on a recreational basis.
Along with the Scholastic awards, “A Big Birdie Told Me” was selected for the 2025 Congressional Art Competition exhibit at the Montserrat College of Art Mar. 13-15. The Congressional competition encompassed selected artwork from 22 high schools north of Boston.
Mr. Workman’s submissions and honors embody the District’s Strategic Plan, particularly the core principle of elevating learning.
He is the son of Jon Workman, a grade 7 social studies educator at Collins Middle School (pictured in his sketch), and Amy Workman.
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are all passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens we view all of our work through. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff serve all of our students, regardless of ability or language. Salem Public Schools enrolls approximately 4,000 students across its eleven schools.
