Two North Carolina students are soaring after their paintings celebrating flight earned them top honors in the 2019 National Aviation Art Contest and a chance to compete in an international contest.
First place in the Intermediate division (students born between 2005 and 2008) went to Kailyn Becker, who attends Lufkin Road Middle School in Apex. Jessica Wu, who attends Davis Drive Elementary in Cary, earned third place honors in the Junior division (students born between 2009 and 2012).
After placing in the top three of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s State Art Contest, both students’ paintings were sent on to the national competition hosted by the National Association of State Aviation Officials in Washington, D.C. Their art will now be sent to Switzerland to compete in the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale’s International Art Competition. They also received cash prizes for themselves and their schools.
This year’s contest theme was “My Dream to Fly.” NCDOT received a record 2,793 entries, more than any other state, from 243 schools in 67 counties. A total of 5,816 students have participated in the N.C. Aviation Art Contest over the last five years. Artwork from all N.C. finalists can be found on the NCDOT Flickr page.
