Creativity and pushing the limits of his artistry were never a problem for Hasan Alwaeli, a senior at Cypress Falls High School in Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District.

Even his teacher, Austin Cullen, saw the potential during Alwaeli’s sophomore year in Digital Media class. Alwaeli showed an interest in photography, and Cullen, an award-winning photographer himself, hoped to fuel that drive.

There was an issue in class, however.

“He seemed pretty excited,” Cullen said. “He was a fantastic student but as the year wore on, his drowsiness increased. He was a victim of the sleepy first period.”

Thankfully those moments didn’t define Alwaeli. His art did.

Recently, Alwaeli earned a National Gold Medal through the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. This comes on the heels of winning a Gold Key at the regional level for his graphic design piece, “Under Construction.”

“It was the last thing I expected,” he said. “You see everyone around you making all this cool, crazy stuff. I didn’t think I would have anything that would even be recognized at the regional level, let alone the nation.”

In total, more than 2,500 works received National Medals this year. At the start of the entry process in December, the prestigious scholarship and recognition program for young artists and writers received more than 335,000 entries from over 110,000 teens. Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) serves as the second-largest regional affiliate for Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and received nearly 14,000 submissions from students across Harris, Galveston and Fort Bend counties.

National Medalists are invited to Carnegie Hall in New York City and will be recognized June 10 for their achievements.

Nearly 130 students across the Harris County region earned national honors, including five from Cy-Fair ISD. Alwaeli, however, is the only one from the school district to earn a Gold Medal.

“Earning a National Gold Medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is a rare and distinguished honor that reflects not only artistic excellence but also the strength of our fine arts programs in Cy-Fair ISD,” said Lee Carrier, the district’s coordinator of visual arts. “This achievement highlights the powerful impact of arts education in fostering creativity, voice and high-level student success.”

Alwaeli’s piece features the home screen of the design program, Adobe Photoshop, including the tool bars across the top and along the sides. The workspace is white, but Alwaeli overlayed a crane, scaffolding, work ladder, portable restrooms and a caution sign, all elements found on a construction site.

The crane is lifting a tool bar commonly used in Photoshop, while another box is titled out of place, waiting for the paint in its original space to dry.

With yellow and black construction tape running across the bottom, the artwork is truly “under construction.”

“He was looking at this tool that we use every single day and we don’t really think too much about it,” Cullen said, noting the assignment was to reflect on the mediums the students work in and how they relate to their present situations. “So, this was deconstructing it and spending more time just appreciating the tool that he uses.”

Added Alwaeli: “Every idea I have, I always present to Mr. Cullen to see what he thinks about it. He thought this one was really good and I still think it’s my best piece probably ever.”

Alwaeli’s love for graphic design and photo illustrations go back to middle school, when he pieced together artwork for laughs and even took requests from friends. He explored photography but said he really enjoys editing in Photoshop and creating illustrations.

Doing it beyond high school is still up in the air for Alwaeli, said he has been interested in marine biology since elementary school. Should he go that route, exploring his artistic side will still be a hobby that gets Alwaeli away from everything.

“Whenever he’s engaged and exciting about what he’s doing, this is the result,” Cullen said. “So regardless of if he goes into art or not, or if he wants to be a marine biologist, that creativity within him is something that he’ll use every single day.”