Albuquerque Public Schools
Renaissance Student
Albuquerque High’s Adina Clark won a national honor in art, but she’s got her hands on science, too.
Adina Clark may be one of the coolest, most versatile seniors in Albuquerque Public Schools’ Class of 2025.
She plans to attend the University of Iowa, where she’ll double-major in chemistry and art history. It’s an unlikely but telling quinella for a young woman whose wide-angle interests are taking her toward a career goal of becoming an art conservationist.
“It’s the best of both worlds – hopefully, getting to interact with art while also interacting with science,” she says of the profession.
Even before heading to college this fall, the Albuquerque High senior has made great headway on the art front. Clark recently was honored with a gold medal at the 2025 National Scholastic Art Awards. The competition, founded in 1923, is juried and is considered highly competitive. Professionals judge the entries without any knowledge about the student.
Clark wasn’t the only AHS student so honored; Lelia Smith, a talented jewelry-maker, also is a gold medalist in the competition and earned an American Visions medal for a piece entitled “Insides.”
For her part, Clark’s art was entitled “Chapstick,” a mixed media work that combined painting and embroidery and was completed in the fall semester as part of her Advanced Placement art class.
“It actually took me longer (to make) than I wanted it to; about a month and a half,” she says. “I worked a pretty long time on it … it was good seeing it all come together.”
Clark says she’s always been interested in art and has taken classes in the subject all four years at AHS. She says the experience has been so rewarding that she wanted to continue learning more about the subject as she pursues her interest in chemistry.
Her willingness to pursue her passions – and purpose – is of no surprise to those who see her on a daily basis.
“Adina is curious, thoughtful, and focused. Her art is meticulously crafted and humorous and reflects both her personality and her desire to grow as an artist,” says David Leigh, an AP art teacher at Albuquerque High, where the Visual Arts Department has long been held in high regard. “This attention to detail and unbounded curiosity will serve her well in a career as an art conservationist.”