David Bae, a third-grader, poses for a photo with his artwork, which made him one of five finalists in the annual Doodle for Google art contest for kids, at Skaggs Elementary School, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in Plano.
Chitose Suzuki/The Dallas Morning News
David Bae, a third-grader, is congratulated by Principal Karen Lee at Skaggs Elementary School, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in Plano, as one of five finalists in the annual Doodle for Google art contest for kids.
Chitose Suzuki/The Dallas Morning News
David Bae, a third-grader, is congratulated at Skaggs Elementary School, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in Plano, as one of five finalists in the annual Doodle for Google art contest for kids.
Chitose Suzuki/The Dallas Morning News
David Bae, a third-grader, poses for a photo with his family, father Mansung Bae, mother Jihyun Yang and brother Ryan Bae, 5, at Skaggs Elementary School, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in Plano, after Bae was celebrated as one of five finalists in the annual Doodle for Google art contest for kids.
Chitose Suzuki/The Dallas Morning News
A Plano third-grader who says his “superpower is endurance” is gaining national recognition after becoming the only Texas finalist in this year’s Doodle for Google contest.
Family, friends, classmates and school staff gathered Thursday to await his arrival, while his family worked to keep the announcement a surprise for as long as possible. When David Bae walked in, he learned he had been selected as one of five national finalists.
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Local leaders, including Plano Mayor John Muns, were also in attendance. Classmates, family members and school staff erupted in cheers as he learned he had been selected as one of five national finalists.
David, an 8-year-old student at Skaggs Elementary School in Plano, was chosen from thousands of entries in the annual competition, which invites students to redesign the Google logo around a central theme. This year’s prompt: “My superpower is …” was designed for students to share what makes them special and submit artwork that showcased their unique strengths and talents.
For David, the answer was simple.
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“My superpower is endurance, not giving up,” he said.
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His piece, titled “Slow and Steady Wins the Peak,” draws on the classic fable of the slow tortoise versus the speedy hare, layering in obstacles and small milestones to reflect persistence over time.
“My drawing means when things are difficult, you just keep going until you reach the peak,” David said. “The tortoise never gave up. He just kept going.”
The message isn’t just artistic. It’s personal.
“It helps me in life, like basketball,” he said. “If I get blocked, I just keep trying and try to do better next time.”
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That mindset took shape after a tough loss on the court, his father, Mansung Bae said. A moment that became the foundation for both a family routine and the artwork itself.
“The idea came after his basketball team lost a game,” Mansung Bae said. “We asked him if he wanted to give up or try something else, and he said no.”
Instead, David and his family focused on building small, daily habits. Those incremental goals later appeared in David’s drawing as checkpoints along the path to the peak.
“Even when we were tired or didn’t feel like it, we kept going,” he said.
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What started as a lesson after a loss became a daily routine and eventually the foundation for the award-winning piece of art.
As a national finalist, David will receive a $10,000 college scholarship, and his design will be featured in a rotating display on Google’s homepage on April 28, giving millions of users a chance to see his work.
“This is a huge deal. I’m so happy to be here to help celebrate something so special for Plano, Skaggs Elementary and David,” said Chelsea Groen, a Google ambassador.“I was so impressed with his drawing. I can’t believe he’s only in third grade.”
“He’s one of just five finalists across the country and the only one from Texas,” Groen said. “That makes this really special.”
“It’s definitely an honor, and it’s very special,” said Karen Lee, principal of Skaggs Elementary School. “This is the first time we’ve received something like this from Google, something the whole district and city can celebrate.”
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“I’m genuinely impressed with his drawing, his painting and his writing,” Lee said. “I would have picked him too, so I hope he wins and goes all the way.”
For David’s art teacher, the recognition reflects both creativity and effort beyond the classroom.
“It feels fantastic,” said Ilene Baumel. “It’s always important to me that students know they can create art outside of school.”
“I know David is going to inspire his classmates to keep working and just try things to see what happens,” she said. “What I really love about his piece is that it tells a story.”
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The Doodle for Google contest, now in its 17th year, invites K-12 students across the United States to redesign the company’s logo based on a central theme. Entries are divided into five grade groups, with one finalist selected from each before a national winner is chosen through a combination of public voting and judging.
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Public voting opened April 16 and runs through April 29, allowing people nationwide to vote online for their favorite finalist. The winner will be announced May 12 and will receive an additional $45,000 college scholarship, along with a $50,000 technology package for their school.
Each finalist will also receive a Chromebook and be honored with a hometown celebration.
“I’m so proud of him,” his mother, Jihyun Yang, said. “I still can’t believe he’s a finalist.”