Bayside High School sophomore Layla Anderson is the winner of the divisionwide design contest for the African American Male Summit.
Her design will be printed on T-shirts and other materials for the summit. She also received a box of art supplies. A committee reviewed submitted entries from all middle and high schools and Layla’s was selected by a unanimous vote.
The summit honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by empowering young men with leadership skills, future-ready abilities and opportunities for academic and career planning. It will be held at Green Run High School from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. VBCPS male students in grades six through 12 can register through Dec. 20 at https://bit.ly/aams2025.
Layla said she’s doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t interested in art.
“I was the artist of the family, so I always got little art kits every Christmas and birthday,” She said. “I learned how to draw by following drawing tutorials on YouTube.”
Mixed media art is her favorite. Bayside teacher Karen Chiariello says Layla is a very hardworking student in the digital art and media class.
“When I saw the contest flyer, I thought it would make a great project to supplement our graphic design unit and a great connection to community,” Chiariello said. “I am proud of Layla and her accomplishments. I know she will never forget this.”
From the start of the project, Layla knew she wanted to reach a large margin of people with the message, “Everybody can be great.” Her design includes handprints of different skin tones.
“I know that handprints can be symbols for something greater, so I did some research,” she said. “I found that handprints can be a symbol for all of humanity and a way to express a passage to the soul, just as your eyes can be. I thought this was perfect, so I started making some designs.”
She can’t wait to see her image on the event’s T-shirts.
“It makes me proud of myself knowing that something I did may have some sort of significance,” she said. “That’s what I love about art.”
