Justin Bennett won the Senate Committee On Natural Resources logo contest, beating out more than 400 contestants statewide.
Bennett and nine other finalists stood in front of the committee on Feb. 5. As Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, read off the names of the runners-up Bennett kept expecting his name to be called.
“I really thought I had come in 10th, but they kept not calling my name and when they called the second place winner, it was crazy.”
Bennett was awarded $3,000 and his design teacher Julie Weatherly was given $1,500.
Bennett also was given a Texas flag that had flown over the Austin Capitol and Ms. Weatherly was given a wooden gavel engraved with the contest details and the state seal.
Bennett submitted a sketch of his logo design, which was taken by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, colorized and adapted for publication.
“The basic idea was keeping it simple and incorporating the Earth because you drive on the Earth and it is because of the Earth you have cars in the first place,” Bennett said.
Bennett’s logo will be included on billboards, mailouts and on the Web site, www.driveacleanmachine.org.
The “Drive a Clean Machine” program will give people cash toward a fuel-efficient vehicle when their 10-year-old vehicles fail emissions testing.
Bennett got interested in the contest for the cause, not the art itself. He is interested in getting into politics and the environment. He said the money will be used to help pay for his first year at Temple College.
Ms. Weatherly required Bennett’s digital graphics and animation class to enter the contest as a project. She said contests help students learn.
“I think competitions fuel kids,” Ms. Weatherly said. “It really makes them see the relevancy to real world jobs and careers. It helps them be motivated. It certainly motivated my kids when Justin came home with $3,000.”
She said Bennett’s logo would likely be used for years to come.
“The best part of that is the student gets published and he is going to be on billboards and mailouts all over the state,” Ms. Weatherly said. “That’s a pretty incredible thing to have happen to teacher and student.
“This is the first time a student has won something for me in 22 years of teaching.”
