With thousands of applicants from around the nation, only one for Google’s prestigious Doodle for Google comes out on top. The winner for this year’s competition was none other than recently graduated senior Maisie Derlega with her piece “Family Dinner.”

“It’s such an honor,” Derlega said. “It’s especially special because I’m going to art school next year. I had this opportunity to put my art out there and to have so many people see it is so incredible. I met a lot of cool people and this whole experience has just been great!”

The prompt for the competition this year was “My wish for the next 25 years…” After the deadline of March 21, Google selected a winner from each individual state/territory. The public was then engaged to vote on the remaining options for the next two weeks. Following this, Google released the most voted five finalists, each earning specialty awards that represent a Google-aligned value. Derlega’s doodle won the Biggest Smile Award, which is designated for the most contagiously funny and playful Doodle.

Each specialty award was posted onto Google’s Instagram account with over 15 million followers and connected to a Google initiative. Derlega’s artwork, depicting the buzz of a family dinner around a delectable table of food, was tied into Food Mood, a rudimentary Google Arts and Culture AI project that remixes recipes across different cultures. “It’s a big thing to have your art on Google, so this experience can be something I use to show people what I am able to do,” Derlega said.

Derlega’s time at Jackson-Reed played a crucial role in her development as an artist. She has been an avid member of The Beacon staff since her sophomore year. “The Beacon was one of the most impactful parts of my high school experience.” Serving as one of the Directors of Art and Design as a senior, The Beacon taught Derlega “what she was capable of artwise, how to draw quickly, and how to come up with good ideas.” Derlega credits her time with The Beacon in teaching her to manage herself and other people in a professional setting.

On June 26, Derlega sat down with the Today Show in New York City for an early morning interview. Her family stood proudly in front of her artwork as the anchors asked Derlega about her doodle. 

“[The Beacon] taught me how the news process works,” Derlega asserted. “As I go through all these interviews, I understand how this all functions.”

Most of all, Derlega said that The Beacon “helped me realize that I do want to pursue a creative pathway because it’s something that I really, really enjoyed and I want to continue to find that joy in similar spaces.”

Along with the honor of winning such a well known competition, Derlega will receive a $55,000 college scholarship. She will be attending the University of Michigan, where she will work to receive a degree in art and design. 

In regard to her next chapter in college, Derlega is “excited about applying to the Michigan Daily to do graphics and potentially do layout editing, we’ll see!” Part of the reason Derlega was drawn to Michigan was its interdisciplinary approach to its art school. “They want you to try and experiment with a lot of things. It will probably make me uncomfortable but overall I will learn about a lot of different types and processes of art which will be helpful to my growth as an artist.”

With Derlega’s win, Jackson-Reed is designated $50,000 to improve its own computer lab or technology program. She hopes that some of the money could be used to improve the school’s art program.

“Our school is filled with so many talented artists. There is this incredible community out there who will help you and support you and make you a better artist if you go looking for it,” Derlega said. “It’s important to put yourself out there! You miss every shot you don’t take.”