SVHS senior Rene Harter has aspirations to one day design video game graphics. Her career is off to a promising start as she beat out hundreds of Comal ISD students from grades K-12 in Comal ISD’s Technology, Art and Learning Showcase Logo Contest.
Her logo will now be featured on T-Shirts, programs, brochures, banners, print and social media outlets, and website advertisements for the Showcases, which will be held April 29 (Canyon Lake High), May 6 (Smithson Valley High), and May 13 (Canyon High). Each Showcase will run from 6-8 p.m.
This year’s Comal ISD Technology, Art and Learning Showcase theme is “Design 2 Learn.”
“When we saw the logo, the committee said, ‘That’s it,’ we knew we had our winner,” said Sharon Spinks, instructional coordinator for technology. “The detail Rene put into the images of this year’s theme ‘Design 2 Learn’ really made it stand out.”
Harter was surprised when members of Comal ISD’s technology team snuck into her Advanced Graphics Design class at SVHS and announced she was the grand prize logo winner. She was presented with a Samsung Galaxy Tablet.
“Wow, I didn’t even know there was a prize,” Harter said. “I’m a little bit overwhelmed knowing my entry beat out so many others. This definitely gives me confidence in my ability as I head to college. I want to major in Computer Science and eventually go into video game design, and graphic design is a big part of that.”
Harter’s SVHS teacher Chris Nisley said he thought Harter had a chance to win when he initially saw her design.
“When I saw her entry I thought it was fantastic,” Nisley said. “Rene is very talented and always does great work.”
Last year, more than 3,000 students, parents, faculty and community members attended the three Comal ISD Technology, Art and Learning Showcases.
In addition to viewing technology and art displays from the elementary to high school level, great door prizes were given away to some lucky attendees.
LCD HDTV, laptop computers, and Schlitterbahn passes were among many prizes given away last year.
Comal ISD’s Technology, Art and Learning Showcases will also feature a visit from the “Geek Bus,” which includes many cutting-edge features such as robotics, video game design, 3D printing, and the newest innovations in renewable energy.
“I think our technology showcases always challenge our students to raise the critical thinking bar,” Spinks said. “Our current generation of students will address future world challenges using some of these technologies.”
Creative designs will be on display in the art gallery area at each Showcase featuring artistic mediums such as pottery, oil paintings, pen and ink drawings, watercolor paintings, and 3-D Art.
Students in grades K-12 have been working on artistic creations for the Showcase since the fall semester.
“Every student in grades K-5 take art,” said Mandy Epley, Comal ISD Director of Fine Arts. “Art gives students creative ways to express an idea, which will not only serve them well if they decide to continue in art, but are vital skills needed in a variety of academic subjects and career fields.”
At the art portion of the Showcases, one of the new areas on display will be “Make and Take Art Projects,” in which students work collaboratively with parents and community members to help them create art on the spot that the Showcase visitors can take home with them that night.
“I think the students are very proud of what they produce,” said Indian Springs Elementary art teacher Edyta Ellison, a former Comal ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year. “They love the new and innovative ideas they get to take on each year. I know personally I love seeing the progression my former students have made as they continue on to middle and high school. My elementary students also like to look at the secondary-level art so they know what they have to look forward to in the future.”
