Walgreens Awards $25K in 15th Annual Expressions Creative Arts Contest
Walgreens has granted over $25,000 in prize money to high school students and teachers as part of the 15th annual Expressions by Walgreens creative arts contest. This free contest offers teens a platform to express their thoughts and emotions on any topic they choose. This year's popular submission themes included the impact of social media, social justice, and mental health.
Addressing youth mental health is a top priority for the US Surgeon General, highlighted by a 2023 survey indicating that 87 percent of young people in the U.S. regularly experience mental health issues. Clinical psychologists praise The Expressions Challenge as an excellent platform that helps teens confront emotions, reduce anxiety, and build confidence.
This year marked a record number of student entries, with submissions increasing by nearly 80% from the previous year. Walgreens received nearly 9,000 student submissions from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with nearly double the online votes for the People’s Champs winners. Entries are judged in four categories: visual arts, media arts, spoken word, and creative writing. Walgreens also honors educators as Teacher Champions for their exceptional support of students.
"It warms our hearts that our 15th Anniversary year of Expressions by Walgreens has been such a banner year. All the students who entered shared their voice through the art they created, and that’s exactly the intention of Expressions,” said Alethia Jackson, Senior Vice President of ESG and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance.
“Our commitment to championing healthier communities is of critical importance to current and future generations. The high school years can often be filled with many pressures and distractions, and self-expression through art can be therapeutic in handling those pressures. Our overall mission is to reimagine how local healthcare improves societal health and well-being, and the Expressions Challenge helps us achieve that mission among our teens.”
Click here to see our compilation highlighting this year’s contest and participants.
Here is the full list of winners:
Visual Arts
Addressing youth mental health is a top priority for the US Surgeon General, highlighted by a 2023 survey indicating that 87 percent of young people in the U.S. regularly experience mental health issues. Clinical psychologists praise The Expressions Challenge as an excellent platform that helps teens confront emotions, reduce anxiety, and build confidence.
This year marked a record number of student entries, with submissions increasing by nearly 80% from the previous year. Walgreens received nearly 9,000 student submissions from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with nearly double the online votes for the People’s Champs winners. Entries are judged in four categories: visual arts, media arts, spoken word, and creative writing. Walgreens also honors educators as Teacher Champions for their exceptional support of students.
"It warms our hearts that our 15th Anniversary year of Expressions by Walgreens has been such a banner year. All the students who entered shared their voice through the art they created, and that’s exactly the intention of Expressions,” said Alethia Jackson, Senior Vice President of ESG and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance.
“Our commitment to championing healthier communities is of critical importance to current and future generations. The high school years can often be filled with many pressures and distractions, and self-expression through art can be therapeutic in handling those pressures. Our overall mission is to reimagine how local healthcare improves societal health and well-being, and the Expressions Challenge helps us achieve that mission among our teens.”
Click here to see our compilation highlighting this year’s contest and participants.
Here is the full list of winners:
Visual Arts
- First Place: "Lost Remembrance" by Zeno P., Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, NJ
- Second Place: "Juvenile Witness" by Soleil F., Osceola County School for the Arts, Kissimmee, FL
- Third Place: "September 20th" by Kiara P., Escuela Especializada Central de Artes Visuales, Dorado, PR
- People’s Champ: "September 20th" by Kiara P., Escuela Especializada Central de Artes Visuales, Dorado, PR
Media Arts
- First Place: "Frame" by Chauncey V., James Campbell High School, Ewa Beach, HI
- Second Place: "Anxious Love" by Lilli N., Gorham High School, Gorham, ME
- Third Place: "Autism, my mental pet" by Jayden A., Denton High School, Denton, TX
- People’s Champ: "Static Starvation" by Emma G. and Emma S., Midwood High School, Brooklyn, NY
Spoken Word
- First Place: "The Question vs. The Statement" by CarRyn G., Cass Technical High School, Detroit, MI
- Second Place: "Show Us What You Have Done" by Sasmitha B., Solon High School, Solon, OH
- Third Place: "The Children of America" by Amora S., Dekalb School of the Arts, Lithonia, GA
- People’s Champ: "Acceptance" by Aiden F., Gorham High School, Gorham, ME
Creative Writing
- First Place: "Versatile or Violent?" by Aliyah B., Dekalb School of the Arts, Scottdale, GA
- Second Place: "Home" by Jae B., Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, KY
- Third Place: "To You, My Memory" by Sophia D., Pine-Richland High School, Gibsonia, PA
- People’s Champ: "A Two-Sided Sword" by Fabiana H., Littleton High School, Littleton, CO
Teacher Champions
- Whitney Davis, CE King High School, Houston, TX
- Sheanna Eggers, Burnsville High School, Burnsville, MN
- Nicole Jacob Licht, DeKalb School of the Arts, Avondale Estates, GA
- Jonathan Webb, RFK School for the Visual Arts and Humanities, Los Angeles, CA
Companies