A Leawood middle school student could have her artwork featured on the homepage of Google this year - if she beats the competition.
Julia Huff is a finalist in this year's Doodle4Google competition, which invites K-12 students across the country to submit their artwork for a chance to be featured on one of the Internet's most popular pages.
Google doodles - stylized versions of the search engine's logo, sometimes featuring built-in games or animations - are frequently posted to celebrate holidays and the birthdays of notable historical figures; this one will celebrate the creativity of America's students.
Huff is one of 12 finalists in her age group and 53 total nationwide. Their submissions are all based on the theme "What makes me...me," and interpretations of this theme range from a rendition of the logo all in dinosaur bones ("One day," wrote the artist, "I will become a paleontologist and share my findings with all the kids in the world.") to Huff's self-portrait, which features her painting the logo with her cat sitting beside her.
"My doodle represents my love for art and the creative process, as well as my love for animals," wrote Huff in the caption. "My doodle is also quite literal as I enjoy painting and drawing with my cat."
The winner of Doodle4Google is ultimately chosen by a panel of judges, but this phase of the competition is all based on votes from the public. One national finalist will be selected from each of the five age groups, and the national winner will be chosen from among the five finalists.
The student whose drawing is ultimately selected will have his or her artwork featured on the Google home page and win a tidy prize package that includes a $30,000 college scholarship, a $50,000 grant to his or her school, a visit to Google headquarters and a few tech goodies to take home.
You can view all of the selected submissions and vote for your favorite in each age group here.
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