Valley Springs Student Earns Second Place in State Aviation Art Contest

Lexi McGrath, a student at Valley Springs Middle School in Arden, placed second in the Intermediate Division of the 2026 North Carolina Aviation Art Contest, a statewide competition administered by the N.C. Department of Transportation's Division of Aviation. The achievement, which drew expressions of pride from Valley Springs' official school accounts, reflects what local observers have called a demonstration of Buncombe County's STEM and artistic talent.

McGrath competed under this year's theme, "Fly to Save Lives," which challenged students to illustrate the life-saving potential of aviation: delivering food and medicine to remote areas, fighting wildfires, and rescuing people and animals in emergencies. Judges evaluated submissions on creativity, technical quality, and how effectively each piece captured that theme. Entries poured in from across the state, with artwork representing 45 North Carolina counties.

McGrath finished second in the Intermediate Division, which is open to students born between 2012 and 2015. First place in that division went to Carolynn Kim of Apex Friendship Middle School in Apex, and third place to Ellie Yoon of Morris Grove Elementary School in Chapel Hill.

The full list of 2026 state winners spans three age-based divisions. In the Junior Division, for students born between 2016 and 2019, Leia Scarborough of South Mebane Elementary School in Mebane took first place, followed by Aaron Chen of Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy in Charlotte and Enya Thomas of First Impressions Academy in Fayetteville. The Senior Division, open to students born between 2008 and 2011, was won by Soyoon Kim of Chapel Hill High School in Chapel Hill, with Avaya Morrison of Elkin High School in Elkin placing second and Ada Sain of Lincoln Charter School in Lincolnton placing third.

"The talent and imagination our students show each year is truly inspiring," said Nick Short, director of the NCDOT Division of Aviation. "The artwork submitted for this year's contest was exceptional. Through their creativity, these students captured the many ways aviation serves communities and saves lives."

The North Carolina Airports Association sponsors the contest and provides cash prizes to state winners and their schools. The winning artwork from all three divisions is available to view on the NCDOT Flickr site.