By Uvalde Leader-News staff, Dec. 13, 2020
Robb Elementary fourth-grader Maura Astling’s artwork was chosen as the winner of the elementary category for Education Service Center Region 20’s holiday card competition.
She is the daughter of Nikki Astling and the granddaughter of Marlene and Joseph Astling.
Astling’s festive Christmas tree, painted with ornaments and a star tree topper, was chosen from hundreds of entries.
Her art teacher, Elaine Valenzuela, said Astling is an artistic student.
“I’ve had many students throughout the years, but Maura truly has an artistic mind. She has an appreciation and a deep understanding of the arts and she’s only in fourth grade. This will give her the confidence to reach out for her dream of being an artist,” Valenzuela said.
Contest winners were selected from three brackets, including elementary, middle, and high schools.
ESC Region 20 services 796 school campuses across 19 counties, including Uvalde.
The selection process is multifaceted, and winners are chosen on a variety of criteria including color, theme and design. To begin the process Region 20 narrows the hundreds of entries down to five per bracket.
Then those five entries are voted on electronically by Region 20 employees. The entry with the most points is deemed the winner.
Astling’s painting is now a holiday card that has been given to superintendents and stakeholders across the region.
She received a $25 Visa gift card, a set of 12 holiday cards with her design, and a framed poster of her winning painting.
See the original article: https://www.uvaldeleadernews.com/articles/fourth-grader-astling-wins-regional-holiday-card-contest/
