Students at West Potomac have been very busy. Not only did one of their former art students win top prize in a calendar contest, but their yearbook was recently honored as well.
Bienna Ham, a 2003 graduate of West Potomac High School, was awarded top prize in the annual First Virginia Bank calendar contest. Hamm, who now attends Parsons School of Design in New York City, received a $500 cash prize for her acrylic painting representing the State of Virginia. Her work appears on the bank's 2004 calendar. The West Potomac art department was awarded $250 for sponsoring the contest's winning student.
The 2003 Predator, West Potomac's award-winning yearbook, was recently honored by Virginia High School League (VHSL) for excellence in photojournalism. According to Yearbook Advisor Melanie Mobley, The Predator was named a VHSL Trophy Class yearbook which means the yearbook ranks among the top 20 high school yearbooks in the entire state.
In the judges' rating critique, the West Potomac yearbook was said to be "Simply an outstanding publication, beautifully designed, interesting and entertaining. This is a textbook of the way a yearbook should be done."
The 2003 Predator also won first place with three marks of distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association and Gold Medalist rating from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.