MIHS Creative Arts Magazine Pegasus Receives 2 First Class Ratings

Pegasus Creative Arts Magazine Students that received First Class Ratings from REALM and NSPA.

Mercer Island, WA, February 24, 2026 – Pegasus, the Mercer Island High School Creative Arts Magazine has been recognized with two First Class Ratings from two different scholastic organizations.  

The 2024-25 issue of Pegasus has received a REALM First Class magazine rating by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The second First Class rating is from the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and includes a Mark of Distinction for Writing and Editing.

This is the third consecutive year Pegasus has earned First Class honors from REALM, and the second consecutive year they have received the top NSPA rating. These two national programs recognize the best high school literary magazines in the country.

Check out 2024-25 Pegasus Now

The Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines (REALM) program publicly recognizes excellent literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers. REALM is designed to encourage all schools to develop literary magazines that celebrate the art and craft of writing. Schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, US territories, Canada, and American schools abroad are eligible to nominate magazines.

From REALM, the magazine received a First Class rating and is linked on the REALM website. One of the judges commented that "This is one of the best magazines I have read in a long time.  The prose is thoughtful, insightful and creative.  The art is whimsical (in the pagination) and beautiful, especially the photography. The art complements the essays and stories consistently.  The opening concept of the collaborative poem is very well done."

This year, schools in 44 states, Washington, D.C., and six countries nominated 456 student magazines for a REALM award. Magazines from middle school, high school, and higher education were welcomed for the 2025 contest. 135 magazines were awarded the contest’s highest distinction, REALM First Class.

From the NSPA, the magazine received a First Class rating with one mark of distinction for Writing and Editing. The NSPA judges commented that Pegasus "features a rich assortment of written pieces that are relatable to many readers. There are many outstanding photographs that showcase what must be a strong photography program in your school."

Pegasus is the product of the Writing and Publishing class in collaboration with its associated CTSO with some overlap. All decisions regarding piece selection, design, layout, editing, etc. are made by students in consultation with their teacher, Ms. Carrie Thompson.

Ms. Thompson states that she is "deeply proud of these students and their work on Pegasus. It's so gratifying to have a space for students to share their written and visual creativity in a lasting way, and to see their effort recognized nationally is a testament to the level of care and effort that is put in by students in the class and club. They run the show and I try to keep up as best as I can."

We congratulate the 2024-2025 Pegasus Staff! Their hard work and dedication to a quality publication is reflected in their achievements, but most importantly, reflected in the magazine itself!