For 47 years, students have been designing posters for the annual Keep North Dakota Clean poster contest, with the hopes of having their poster made into a billboard. But in all those 47 years, there has likely not been a winner as enthusiastic as Naomi Hegwood.

“We were given the assignment in home base one day,” says Naomi, an eighth grader at Wachter Middle School. “I love art, so coming up with a design was easy for me. It took me only a few hours to do. I never really thought I’d actually win.”

In fact, Naomi got busy with other things (she’s also in track, Math Counts, and Science Olympiad) and forgot all about the contest. That is, until the day the letter arrived in the mail.

“I got the mail after school and saw there was a letter from Keep North Dakota Clean addressed to me, so I ripped it open, read the letter, and immediately started screaming,” says Naomi. “My mom thought something was wrong, but when I showed her the letter, she started screaming too.”

Naomi’s poster took first place in the eighth grade division. That means it will be made into a billboard, which will go up on the Bismarck Expressway. Naomi also received a $100 cash prize, a certificate, and a medallion. But for Naomi, the best part is knowing that her art is good.

“I really love art, and I guess winning this contest proves I’m good at it,” she says with a smile. “Maybe someday I’ll make a living with art.”