June 24, 2026
For many students, writing is an assignment. For Kurn S., it has always been something deeper—a way to understand the world, and himself within it.
That passion culminated this year in one of the highest honors a young writer can achieve. Kurn was named a 2026 National Gold Medal Portfolio Award recipient in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, placing him among just 16 students nationwide selected from over 10,000 submissions. The award represents the highest distinction in the competition and is awarded to only 16 high school seniors each year—8 artists and 8 writers. As part of this recognition, Kurn received a $12,500 scholarship and traveled to New York City, where he was honored on stage at Carnegie Hall.
His winning portfolio, Cosmology of My Second Spines, explores themes of identity, memory, and reconstruction. Rather than building a perfectly cohesive collection, Kurn leaned into something more authentic.
“My portfolio existed less as a curation of connected works and instead displayed the real, live way the human mind moves through memories the body refuses to remember,” he shared.
This willingness to embrace complexity—and even fragmentation—is part of what defines his voice as a writer. His English Subject Expert Teacher, Hal Hansen, describes his work as “sincere, personal, and very intuitive,” noting that “he’s very creative and original.”
In addition to his Scholastic recognition, Kurn was also named a 2026 YoungArts Winner with Distinction, placing him among the top 150 young creatives nationwide. Earlier this year, he traveled to Miami for National YoungArts Week, where he collaborated with peers across disciplines and performed his work at the historic Lyric Theater. He also served as the 2025–2026 Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate, acting as a literary ambassador and working with local schools and organizations to expand access to creative writing.
Behind these accomplishments is a process grounded in observation and patience. Kurn describes constantly capturing small, fleeting moments—details that might otherwise go unnoticed—and later transforming them into layered imagery and metaphor. His work often evolves over time, revisited and refined with fresh perspective.
At BASIS Independent Silicon Valley, he credits his growth in part to his AP English Literature experience, where he was able to put language to instincts he had developed on his own. Through studying poetic structure, sound, and technique, he strengthened both his analytical and creative confidence.
Still, sharing deeply personal work has not always come easily. Writing, for him, is often an act of vulnerability—one that requires both courage and acceptance.
“It’s most important for me to be proud of what I have created, and to know that it is brave to share my work with the world,” he reflected.
This mindset has shaped not only his success, but also his perspective on achievement. While recognition has been meaningful, he remains grounded in the purpose behind his work.
“Art should always be written first for the self and second for the audience.”
Hansen sees this dedication as something lasting well beyond high school. “I think Kurn is going to be writing for the rest of his life,” he shared. “He’s a natural born writer, and writers tend to write.”
This fall, Kurn will attend Stanford University, where he plans to major in Symbolic Systems, an interdisciplinary field combining neuroscience, linguistics, computer science, and philosophy. While he does not plan to pursue writing professionally, he intends to continue engaging with poetry through spoken word groups, student publications, and research exploring the intersection of neuroscience and creative expression.
“In a lot of ways, this recognition feels like a simultaneous cap on my high school creative writing career and a stepping stone for the next era of my life,” he said. “I will always consider myself a poet.”
His achievement also reflects a broader culture of writing at BISV. As Hansen noted, “There are more young writers at BISV than you’d maybe think… and Kurn did really well this year.”
From the classroom to the stage at Carnegie Hall, Kurn’s journey reflects the power of authentic expression and the impact of pursuing one’s passions with intention. As he begins this next chapter, his voice—and the stories he tells—will undoubtedly continue to evolve.
BASIS Independent Silicon Valley is a TK – Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Bobcat community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.
