Doodle for Google competitor Harika Jhanwar.
A contest is on to choose the best “Doodle for Google” as submitted by young artists from across the country, and third grade student Harika Jhanwar from St. Thomas wants your vote.
Eight-year old Harika, who attends the All Saints Cathedral School, has been entering her artwork as potential Google Doodles for the past three years to little fanfare. “She is an art lover, and any competition related to art she likes to participate,” Harika’s mother Nidhi Jhanwar told the Consortium. This year, Harika’s passion for art has paid off, as her Doodle was selected from thousands of entries as one of 55 state and territorial winners.
Now, her artwork is among those vying for national recognition. On June 4, one national winner will be selected, based on voting from residents across the country. The winner will receive a college scholarship worth $55,000, as well as a supplies and technology package for their school or selected non-profit organization worth $50,000. The national winner will also receive a trophy for themselves and their school, a package of Google hardware, as well as “fum Google swag.” The winning Doodle will appear on http://Google.com for 24 hours.
Five runners-up will receive a $5000 scholarship, as well as the hardware and Google-branded promotional items. The artwork of the national finalists will be included in the Doodle for Google gallery. Specialty awards will also be handed out for Doodles which “speak to Google-aligned values,” according to the competition website.
Harika’s artwork is titled “Ocean in Motion”, and is a representation of her wish “to have a clean ocean so the animals can be protected and live in their environment daily,” said Ms. Jhanwar. The ocean theme is in keeping with Harika’s dream of becoming a marine biologist when she is older.
As the eight-year old observes, “keeping the environment clean starts from the ocean so it’s good for humans too.”
Voting in the Doodle for Google competition is currently open, and ends on Tuesday June 4. Those who wish to throw their support behind Harika can do so by clicking here and scrolling down to find the entry from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
