Samiya Fagun, a senior at Newtown High School, has won Congresswoman Grace Meng’s fourth annual congressional district art contest.
Starting this June, Fagun’s winning artwork, along with winning entries from districts across the country, will be displayed for a year at the Cannon Tunnel in the United States Capitol building.
Fagun and one of her parents will also be awarded roundtrip plane tickets to Washington, D.C. to join Meng at the opening ceremonies of the national art competition in June.
“I congratulate Samiya Fagun for winning this year’s art contest and look forward to her winning artwork representing our Congressional district in the nation’s capital,” Meng said.
Meng announced the winner at the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Fagun is the first student of Bangladeshi descent to win the competition.
The first runner-up in the competition was Ashley No, a student at Benjamin Cardozo High School in Bayside. The second runner-up was Ruotao Ma, a student at the Windsor School in Flushing. Lastly, Alexis Martinez, a student at St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, was the third runner-up.
A total of 46 students from 13 schools, including Townsend Harris High School, Flushing High School and John Bowne High School, participated in the contest.
Fagun, an 18-year-old Elmhurst resident, won with a watercolor piece called “Moments of Life.” She plans to attend City College in the fall.