Morgan Go, a junior at Stony Point High School in Round Rock, TX, is the winner of the first-ever sticker design contest for National Student Leadership Week (NSLW) held in April. Go is the secretary of her school’s NHS chapter and will serve as vice president next school year. Here, she talks about the contest and her interest in graphic design.
What was your reaction when you found out that yours was the winning sketch?
Go: I was screaming! When it comes to design, art is so subjective. Anytime someone else says, “Hey, this design looks really great,” I take it to heart. The fact that my sticker design was even considered a finalist, that already meant the world to me. The fact that it won and that people in my chapter were saying it was such a great design made me incredibly happy. It encourages me to work harder on my other design projects.
How did you come up with the idea for the winning sketch?
Go: I actually had too many ideas. When our sponsors sent out the contest information, I drew a bunch of sketches. I probably had 30 total, and I emailed them to my sponsors to see which ones they liked. Besides the two I ended up submitting, we’re going to use some of the other ones for our school and our chapter. The winning one was my second choice, but one of the sponsors really liked the design because it embodied what people immediately think of with NHS, like the torch and the hand and the fire. I also did more of a floral thing, which was a complete 180 from the winning design, in case they wanted to go in a totally different direction.
How do your artwork and NHS fit into your school experience?
Go: I really enjoy drawing and art in general, especially digital art. At my school, we have a lot of opportunity to contribute our work. For example, I’ve been able to do shirt designs for some clubs. The NSLW contest was perfect because I was looking for opportunities outside of our school to keep improving my skills. I also think NHS is the best club ever. So, this contest happened to be the perfect mix of everything I enjoy doing.
Are you thinking of studying graphic design in college or as a career?
Go: I’m mainly thinking about 3D animation and game design for my major in college. Graphic design is a passion of mine, but 3D animation is something I especially enjoy, and I want to be able to apply it to lots of different things. We have a 3D animation program, and it’s been my favorite class.
Learn more about NHS here.