The N.C. Department of Transportation's Division of Aviation recently crowned the winners of the 2025 North Carolina Aviation Art Contest. Echoing a commitment to highlight the impact of women in aviation, they aptly themed this year, “Women With Wings," prompting participants to present works that honor the varied roles women have played as pilots, skydivers, mechanics, and engineers within the field. A diverse group of judges, including art teachers, aviation professionals, Gov. Josh Stein, and NCDOT employees, undertook the task of selecting the winners from over a thousand entries, according to an announcement by the NCDOT.
With the contest's adherence to creativity, technical quality, and theme, the outcome was a lineup of skilled young artists divided into three age-based categories. According to the NCDOT, Nick Short, interim director of the NCDOT Division of Aviation, expressed his admiration: “Aviation has been shaped by countless pioneering women and this year's theme challenged students to bring their stories to life through art.” He witnessed young artists not just revisiting aviation's past but also dreaming about what its future might hold.
The contest was divided into Junior, Intermediate, and Senior categories, corresponding broadly to elementary, middle, and high school-aged students respectively. Deliberations of the judges proceeded over several weeks. Amongst the youngest cohort, Kriti Verramachaneni emerged first from Triangle Math and Science Academy, followed by Enya Mei Thomas and Aeliana Luca-Phillips attaining second and third places. Otto Wolff rounded out the Junior category in fourth place. The Intermediate winners included Megan Moshman nabbing first place, Carolynn Kim in second, Sofia Garcia-Vazquez claiming third, and Evelyn Scarboro finishing fourth. In the Senior category, Catherine Parks was the first-place victor, with Soyoon Kim and Audrey Song landing second and third places and Ericka Ocampo Miranda taking the fourth spot.
All of the winning art is hosted for viewing on the NCDOT Flickr site, providing a digital showcase of the contestants' creative expressions. Moreover, the top trio from each category not only received kudos but also qualified for the National Aviation Art Contest in the country’s capital. There, they will compete for international glory—a feat not out of reach, considering that, since 2017, 16 young artists from North Carolina have finished in the national top three, with three achieving international recognition. The contest, sponsored by the North Carolina Airports Association, celebrates talent and provides additional benefits, supplying cash prizes to both the state winners and their schools.
