Katy Student Wins National Title in American Heroes Student Art Contest
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KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
July 27, 2026
By Natalie Cook Clark
A fifth grader from Tom Wilson Elementary School won the first place in the American Heroes Student Art Contest organized by Freedom 250 in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Jiyun Kim, an outgoing fifth grader from Tom Wilson Elementary won first place in the American Heroes Student Art Contest organized by Freedom 250 in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities.
"Winning first place still feels a little unreal,” says student Jiyun Kim. “What I loved most was standing in a room full of artwork from students across the country and seeing how many different ways there are to tell a story. I also learned about American heroes I had never heard of before, and it made me want to keep learning and keep painting."
Jiyun Kim attended the national Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. earlier this month where student artists from across the United States were honored as part of the nationwide commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary. Her artwork was also exhibited at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall.
Jiyun was a fifth-grade student at Tom Wilson Elementary School. She chose Helen Keller after a school project.
"Even though she could not see or hear, she still learned how to communicate and understand the world in her own way,” says Jiyun. “She shows that people can achieve great things even when facing difficulties."
The painting is acrylic on paper in an impressionist style. Helen Keller is shown touching braille and holding a flower, the braille for how she learned to read and connect with others, the flower for the beauty she could still experience through touch and smell.
Jiyun used soft colors and visible brushstrokes so the painting would feel calm and thoughtful, showing that even in silence and darkness there is still beauty, strength, and meaning.
The nationwide competition invited students to depict one of the 250 American heroes who will be featured in the National Garden of American Heroes through original artwork and artist statements. After reviewing more than 1,000 submissions from students across the country, judges recognized outstanding artists at the state, regional, and national levels, celebrating creativity, historical reflection, and civic pride as America commemorates its 250th anniversary.
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