HARDWICK – Three Hazen Union School Art Honors students have been awarded top district honors in the VFW Auxiliary’s Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest. Ella Renaud, 11th grade, secured 1st place; Karli Patridge, 10th grade, earned 2nd place and Brianna Holbrook, 11th grade, achieved 3rd place recognition.
Renaud’s winning artwork, an acrylic painting depicting her great-grandmother gazing at a photograph of her great-grandfather who fought at Iwo Jima, has advanced to the state-level competition. The powerful and heartwarming composition features an American flag backdrop that complements the emotional portrait of her great-grandparents.
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“My great-grandfather put his life on the line for the United States of America and also put his future on hold with his fiancé,” Renaud wrote in her artist statement. “I also feel that my great-grandmother made a tremendous sacrifice to wait three years for her fiancé to hopefully return; never knowing if and when he would come back. I am honored to have them as my great-grandparents, as they showed unimaginable strength and courage in such dark and scary times.”
Established in 1979, the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest invites high school students to create artwork that expresses their interpretation of patriotism. Over 4,000 students participate nationwide each year. If Renaud’s work is selected at the state level, it will advance to the national competition.
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The national competition offers scholarship prizes totaling $31,500, with the first-place winner receiving $15,000 and the remaining nine national winners receiving varying amounts, all paid directly to their chosen American university, college or vocational/technical school.
“I am incredibly proud of my students’ achievements,” said Hazen Union art teacher Cindy Camber. “Their dedication to the arts combined with a deep appreciation for patriotism and family sacrifice represents the very best of Hazen Union.”
Additional information about Hazen Union School can be found at https://hazen.ossu.org.
This story was embargoed until the announcement of the national winner in August 2025, at the request of Hazen Union School and the VFW.
