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COURTESY PHOTO
Sophia Gregory, 8, won the state level of the Doodle 4 Google contest over 114,000 other students.
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Sophia Gregory, 8, won the state level of the Doodle 4 Google contest over 114,000 other students.
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Eight-year-old Sophia Gregory, a third-grader from King Kaumuali‘i Elementary School in Kapaa, Kauai, was named the state winner in the annual Doodle 4 Google competition.
Gregory’s doodle was selected from more than 114,000 entries that were submitted this year. The competition, open to students in kindergarten to 12th grade, challenged students to design a Google logo inspired by the theme "If I could travel in time, I’d visit …" Her doodle title is "Old Hawaii" and incorporates King Kamehameha, a canoe and flower lei.
"I wanted to see what they would wear and do in old Hawaii," Sophia said. "I wanted to know what they like to do for fun."
Sophia and her parents, Camille and Mark Gregory, were honored at a school assembly as she was presented with the award.
The artwork of Hawaii’s finalists will be exhibited at the Honolulu Museum of Art throughout the summer. All 50 state winners will have their doodles displayed in a special exhibit at the New York Public Library.
The 50 state winners receive trips to New York City, along with one parent or guardian, where the national winner will be announced Thursday at Google’s offices. Sophia is excited about the opportunity to visit New York City for the first time.
The winning doodle will be displayed on the Google homepage Friday and on a special edition of Crayola’s 64-count box of crayons.
The national winner also receives a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 technology grant for his or her school. This year’s guest judges include singers Katy Perry and Jordin Sparks, and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, creator and executive producer of Disney’s "Phineas and Ferb."