Junior Chris Cavender is a top twenty finalist in the "Herschel Workshop Challenge", a competition for National Art Honor Society students throughout the US and Canada. This program offers twenty National Art Honor Society (NAHS) semi-finalist students a career-focused online design education in backpack design, working with PENSOLE instructors and Herschel Supply design mentors.
Chris’s innovative backpack drawing won him a five-week mentorship with professional product designers, and a $200 gift card. Out of the twenty finalists, only two will be chosen to receive a $10,000 scholarship, an actual prototype manufactured from their design, and a trip to Herschel Supply Company HQ in Vancouver, British Columbia.
“I am really excited about being a finalist,” said Cavender. “Going into any contest, I was hopeful, but I was blown away about being selected. I have designed clothing for friends in the past but this was my first backpack product design.”
Beginning in January, Chris will be in a 5-week virtual mentorship program where he will meet weekly for three hours.
“Honestly, the class is an amazing opportunity in an area that I am passionate about. It will be able to provide me with hands-on experience in product design with other very qualified students across the country and Canada. The instructor will be able to provide valuable input and critiques to my designs.”
Sophomore Isabella Gordon’s digital artwork, “Lost in Space” placed in the top 25% in “Celebrating Art”, a nationwide student contest sponsored by Blick Art Materials. Isabella’s work was created on the school’s Wacom Cintiq computers as part of her Art I class with Susan Ulrich and Bot Roda. Besides winning an art supplies gift card, her drawing was accepted to be published in a national anthology of student work. The book will be printed and available in March 2022.