Aldine ISD Students Sweep Top Three Places in MASBA Art Competition

Three Aldine ISD middle school students earned the top three awards in the 2026 Mexican American School Boards Association District Art Contest, receiving a combined $2,250.

Three Aldine ISD middle school students earned the first-, second-, and third-place awards in the 2026 Mexican American School Boards Association (MASBA) District Art Contest, showcasing the creativity and personal perspectives of Aldine student artists.

The annual competition, held alongside the MASBA Annual Conference in September, invites students to express their perspectives, identities, and stories through visual art. This year’s theme was “Nuestra Voz, Nuestro Futuro” — “Our Voice, Our Future.” This year’s conference took place in San Antonio, TX.

Aldine ISD submitted eight pieces to the competition. The three middle school winners received a combined $2,250.

A Reflection on Growing Up

Sofía Gómez, an eighth grader at García Middle School when she submitted her artwork, earned first place and $1,000 for Reality of the Passing Grades. Gómez is now a ninth grader.

Her mixed-media piece explores the dramatic change in workload students can experience as they move from elementary school into middle and high school.

Sofía said the work was inspired in part by her own transition into more demanding schoolwork.

A cardboard box filled with cartoon-like toys represents childhood, while a chair covered with books and school-related items represents the increasing demands of school. Sofía used warm colors for the childhood elements and cooler colors for the school-related items. The background is covered with school papers to reinforce the feeling of being overwhelmed by assignments.

Inspired by Henri Matisse’s use of bold, contrasting colors, Sofía said the artwork also reflects her own experience.

“I realized I have nostalgia for my childhood, despite being relatively young,” Sofía wrote in her artist statement.

Melinda Howard taught Sofía.

A Portrait of Growing Up

Mercedes Carrillo, an eighth grader at Stovall Middle School, earned the second-place award and $750 for Only Me, a charcoal self-portrait.

Mercedes used smoke-like imagery to represent the transition from childhood to adolescence.

“This is a charcoal self-portrait of me in the eighth grade,” Mercedes wrote. “The clothes are fading into smoke to represent me growing up and saying goodbye to the child I was.”

Mercedes’s teacher is Cherri Collins.

Nostalgia for Home

Saled Ginarte Ramos, a sixth grader at Aldine Young Women’s Leadership Academy, earned the third-place award and $500 for No Place Like Cuba.

Saled created a collage using photographs and other materials to express her connection to Cuba, her culture, and her family. The piece reflects the nostalgia she feels for her home country and her desire for others to understand what Cuba means to her.

“My love for my country inspired me to do this artwork, showing the nostalgia I have toward Cuba,” Saled wrote.

Her teacher is Leida Vázquez.

Eight Students, Eight Perspectives

The three winning pieces came from eight artworks submitted by Aldine ISD students, each offering a different perspective.

Other student entries included:

• Valeria Hernández Hernández, an 11th grader at Aldine High School, created María Magdalena, a photograph reflecting her faith and connection to a religious tradition in San Luis Potosi. She said the candles in the photograph represent God’s trust in people and the light women bring to the world.
• Lessly Urías of Aldine Ninth Grade School created 6-Piece Woman, a Cubist-inspired work influenced by Pablo Picasso. The colorful exterior of the face represents how others see her, while the black-and-white interior represents how she feels inside.
• Kimberly Rodríguez, an 11th grader at Carver High School, created Rhythm of a Blazing Heart, a linoleum print inspired by a friend’s passion for playing mariachi music. Kimberly used flowing and sharply angled lines, warm colors, and sheet music to capture the passion she sees when her friend performs.
• Amanda Negrete, an 11th grader at Aldine Young Women’s Leadership Academy, created Ave Maria, inspired by her faith and her desire for peace in a world affected by war, poverty, and pollution.
• Elizabeth Brooks, an 11th grader at Aldine Young Women’s Leadership Academy, created The Family Blessing, inspired by family, Hispanic cultural traditions, and religious imagery, including La Virgen María and representations of Madonna and Child.

Together, the eight Aldine entries show how students use art to share personal stories — from the pressures of growing up and questions of identity to family, faith, music and cultural heritage. For Sofía, Mercedes and Saled, those stories earned the top three places in the middle school category. For all eight artists, the contest offered an opportunity to share their voices and visions for the future beyond their classrooms.