FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Incoming freshman Morgan Ison was named the Arkansas winner for this year’s “Doodle for Google” scholarship contest. If selected as the overall winner, Ison’s illustration will be displayed on the Google homepage.

Ison, a native of North Little Rock and a recent graduate of the North Little Rock Center of Excellence, entered her illustration earlier this year of the Google name in the theme of “I show kindness by…” The illustration shows shows children of different races and cultures playing and talking on a playground.

“Kindness, especially in times of tension, is an extremely important thing to share,” Ison said in her artist’s statement. “Learning to share, be patient, be there for one another, and to give one another space are all skills that are extremely helpful to learn at a young age, all of which are shown throughout my Doodle.”

Morgan Ison

Doodles were judged by artistic merit, creativity in use of the Google letters, as well as representation of the contest’s theme. Doodles were grouped by five grade groups and then 10 were selected from each group. Ison’s doodle was the sole winner from the state of Arkansas.

"When I created my Doodle, I was inspired by all the different ways we show kindness to each other,” Ison said. “People show kindness by connecting with others, giving to one another, waiting our turn, and, possibly most importantly, making time to give yourself space, showing kindness to yourself.

“I am excited to start my first term at U of A so that I can begin my studies as a Studio Art major, and work towards a career in illustration. Meeting and connecting with both my professors and fellow students will surely help me improve both as an artist and as a person.”

The next phase of the contest will be public voting which will take place Aug. 17-21. Five national finalists will be selected and receive a $5,000 scholarship among other prizes.

The five finalists will then be judged by Google’s national judges and the winner will receive a $30,000 scholarship and $50,000 in technology for their school.

To vote for Morgan’s doodle, visit the Doodle for Google voting page.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among fewer than 3 percent of colleges and universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.