Irvington High School Student Earns Scholastic Gold Key and American Voices Nomination

Irvington High School senior Josh Greenbarg has earned national recognition for his writing, receiving a Scholastic Gold Key Award and an American Voices nomination for his creative nonfiction piece, “Boca Brag and Schmear.”  

"Boca Brag and Schmear" is a clever and poignant creative nonfiction essay that serves as a satirical yet empathetic study of life inside a luxury retirement community. Structured as a series of morning dispatches from "the Bagel Room," the narrative follows a young man—a self-described "standard Jewish puppa shayne"—as he navigates a spring break trip to the Polo Club in Boca Raton with his grandmother. 

Josh submitted the piece to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in November and was recently notified of his achievement as first-round results were released. His work stood out among submissions for its originality, skill, and strong personal voice –– hallmarks of the prestigious Scholastic Awards program.  

The American Voices Award is part of a national scholarship initiative supported by Dav and Sayuri Pilkey. Approximately 150 student works across the country are selected each year as the American Voices or American Visions nominees, with each nomination carrying a $500 scholarship. To be considered, students must first earn a regional Gold Key award, after which nominated works advance to national-level judging.  

Josh wrote “Boca Brag and Schmear” last spring as part of his AP Language and Composition coursework.  

The Irvington School District congratulates Josh on this outstanding accomplishment and celebrates his success as a reflection of the creativity, dedication, and strong academic culture within the district.  

Josh’s achievement continues a recent tradition of excellence in writing at Irvington High School –– another student earned the same honors last year.