Alexandria Student Photographer Earns National Prize in PTA Reflections Contest
ALEXANDRIA–The work of an Alexandria fourth-grader is gaining national attention in the PTA Reflections contest. Adelaide Flint, a student at George Mason Elementary, has won a national Award of Merit in the Photography category, Intermediate division, for her photograph, “Stronger.”
The photograph is a black-and-white self-portrait taken with a tripod and timer. It shows Adelaide holding a teddy bear and looking in a mirror, reflecting on her future after being treated for cancer. “Yes, this is me, strong, caring, brave and artistic,” she wrote in her Artist’s Statement. She concluded by hoping her future will be “bigger and better.”
Before advancing to the national competition, the photograph had already won first-place awards at every other stage of the contest — at George Mason, Alexandria City, the Northern Virginia district, and the Virginia state competition.
National award winners will be celebrated at the National PTA Convention and Expo in New Orleans in June. They will also be invited to the U.S. Department of Education to attend the January 2019 opening gala of a national touring Reflections art show.
The national Award of Merit is equivalent to a third-place award. National awards include a medal, certificate, and cash prize.
Reflections is a multi-level PTA arts contest for K-12 students, with categories for Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts. The theme for this year was “Within Reach.”
Ten Northern Virginia entrants won national Reflections awards this year. Adelaide is the only ACPS student to make the list.
Students are encouraged to start thinking about next year’s contest; most ACPS school deadlines are in October. The 2018-19 theme is “Heroes Around Me.” See https://reflectionsalexandria.com/ for more information, or contact your school’s PTA.
