Google Reveals Finalists for 2022 Doodle for Google Contest
One of these five artists will be the contest's national winner, with the winning artistic entry displayed on Google's homepage for a day.
Five young, talented artists are a step closer Thursday to having their artwork showcased on Google's homepage for a day and taking home a chunk of change for themselves and gear for their school.
After announcing the state and territory winners earlier this month of its annual Doodle for Google contest, Google has whittled the field down to just five remaining competitors. This year's theme -- "I care for myself by..." -- challenged schoolkids from kindergarten through the 12th grade to design their own variation of the company's famous logo in a way that reflects how they take care of their minds, bodies and spirits as they face the opportunities and challenges every new day brings.
On Thursday, Google announced the contest's national finalists, selecting one person from each of the five grade groups: K-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 and 10-12. Here's the artwork from the five finalists, along with a description of the theme, in their own words.
Grades K-3 national finalist: Edison Lee, Maryland
Dreaming of My Bright Future
Edison Lee of Maryland is the kindergarten through grade 3 finalist with Dreaming of My Bright Future. Edison said: "I care for myself by dreaming of my bright future. In my dreams, I can be anything I want!"
Grades 4-5 national finalist: Anamirel Campos, Delaware
Family Will Always Care for You
Anamirel Campos of Delaware is the grades 4 through 5 finalist, with Family Will Always Care for You. Anamirel writes: "I care for myself by spending time with my family. They taught me many things, but I can't write them all, so I drew them all on a blanket. I love my family!"
Grades 6-7 national finalist: Faridah Ismaila, Pennsylvania
My Self Love
Faridah Ismail of Pennsylvania is the grades 6 through 7 finalist, with My Self Love. Faridahwrites: "I care for myself by making food! I love to make delicious African dishes with my mom. That's why my Doodle shows me smelling all of the delicious African dishes I LOVE!"
Grades 8-9 national finalist: Grace Dai, Missouri
The Lifecycle of Health
Grace Dai of Missouri is the grades 8 through 9 finalist, with The Lifecycle of Health. Grace writes: "I care for myself by being outdoors, especially with family or my sketchbook. My optimism and mental health soars most when I'm outside, because self-care is like nature; they're both beautiful, intricate systems. Like how a bee pollinates a flower, or how the bird hunts the worm, self-care should be as systematic and natural as life itself."
Grades 10-12 national finalist: Sophie Araque-Liu, Florida
Not Alone
Sophie Araque-Liu of Florida is the grades 10 through 12 finalist, with Not Alone. Sophie writes: "I care for myself by accepting others' care for me. Often I struggle to shoulder a burden on my own, and forget that I have so many people, like my mom, who care about me and want to help me. Opening up and letting others support me not only relieves my stress -- it also lets me tackle things I could never do on my own."
The national contest winner will be announced in the coming weeks, and the winning submission will be featured on Google's homepage for a day, one of the many Google Doodles that the company regularly uses to liven up the bare-bones Google logo that usually occupies its search engine page. Along with the exposure, the winner will receive a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 technology award for his or her school.
