A Tray Full of Creativity

Jada Lin ’29 wandered through the aisles of the American Girl Doll store with her mother, excited to see the store’s new Harry Potter collection. The pair came across a school display featuring a miniature dining hall lunch tray. The sight instantly sparked an idea.

Jada had been thinking about the upcoming seventh-grade clay food project at school—something she had looked forward to ever since seeing the colorful creations created by the class of 2028. She told her mother how excited she was to eventually sculpt her favorite food, soup dumplings, nestled in a tiny bamboo steamer. That day, her mother suggested that making a full lunch tray would be a fun idea, and she could include many different foods and make the project her own.

That heartwarming moment in the store became the inspiration behind Jada’s vibrant and creative ceramic piece, “School Lunch Tray.” 

The turquoise segmented tray, which features mac and cheese, a carton of milk, and a collection of other lunchtime staples, each in their own carefully sculpted partition, earned Jada national recognition – a Silver Medal from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. 

Her journey to national recognition began at the regional level, where the Mid-South Art Region panel first evaluated her work. At the juried show for 7th - 12th-grade students, it received a Gold Key, which qualified her piece for national consideration. In addition, Jada was honored with the Ceramics Award, naming her piece the best-in-show among entries from 7th and 8th-grade students.

“I’ve always enjoyed going to art class,” Jada shared. “My art teachers at school have always been encouraging, helpful, and fun.” She treasures the creative freedom she finds in the classroom and credits her teachers for helping her grow.

This national recognition is a testament to Jada’s talent, creativity, and passion to turn a fun idea into a nostalgic and vibrant piece of art. We are incredibly proud of her achievement and excited to celebrate this well-deserved honor.

 

Written by Anna Osias