Congratulations to Craftsbury Academy junior Matthew Califano who has been selected for a 2023 Achievement Award in Writing, given by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

The NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing is a school-based writing program established in 1957 to encourage high school students to write and to recognize some of the best student writers in the nation.

For his essay, Matthew was the recipient of the highest possible level (First Class) of NCTE's 2023 Achievement Awards in Writing. He is the only student from Vermont ever to receive the First Class distinction.

Matthew commented, “This year the NCTE asked students to write about the importance of education. My essay, ‘Most of All Beware this Boy: Our Battle to Eradicate Ignorance and Save Civilization,’ argues that we, as a society, must come together to advocate for and fund educational systems that value open-mindedness, diversity, and deference to science. If we can succeed in these efforts, we can finally eradicate ignorance and prejudice and ensure that our nation continues to thrive. I am proud that my work earned the First Class distinction from the NCTE and was able to bring national recognition to Craftsbury Academy and the State of Vermont.”

For more information about the NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing, including past winners, see http://www.ncte.org/awards/achievement-awards-in-writing/.