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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.<\/p>\n
Chitose Suzuki\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Chitose Suzuki\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Chitose Suzuki\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Chitose Suzuki\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
A Plano third-grader who says his \u201csuperpower is endurance\u201d is gaining national recognition after becoming the only Texas finalist in this year\u2019s Doodle for Google contest.<\/p>\n
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Family, friends, classmates and school<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Local leaders, including\u00a0Plano 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.<\/p>\n David, an 8-year-old student at\u00a0Skaggs 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\u2019s prompt: \u201cMy superpower is \u2026\u201d was designed for students to share what makes them special and submit artwork that showcased their unique strengths and talents.\u00a0<\/p>\n For David, the answer was simple.<\/p>\n Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMy superpower is endurance, not giving up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n His piece, titled \u201cSlow and Steady Wins the Peak,\u201d draws on the classic fable of the slow tortoise versus the speedy hare, layering in obstacles and small milestones to reflect persistence over time.<\/p>\n \u201cMy drawing means when things are difficult, you just keep going until you reach the peak,\u201d David said. \u201cThe tortoise never gave up. He just kept going.\u201d<\/p>\n The message isn\u2019t just\u00a0artistic<\/a>. It\u2019s personal.<\/p>\n \u201cIt helps me in life, like basketball,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I get blocked, I just keep trying and try to do better next time.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n That\u00a0mindset 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThe idea came after his basketball team lost a game,\u201d\u00a0Mansung Bae said. \u201cWe asked him if he wanted to give up or try something else, and he said no.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead,\u00a0 David and his family focused on building small, daily habits. Those incremental goals later appeared in David\u2019s drawing as checkpoints along the path to the peak.<\/p>\n \u201cEven when we were tired or didn\u2019t feel like it, we kept going,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n What started as a lesson after a loss became a daily routine and eventually the foundation for the award-winning piece of art. \u201cThis is a huge deal. I\u2019m so happy to be here to help celebrate something so special for\u00a0Plano, Skaggs Elementary and David,\u201d said Chelsea Groen, a Google ambassador.\u201cI was so impressed with his drawing. I can\u2019t believe he\u2019s only in third grade.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s one of just five finalists across the country and the only one from Texas,\u201d\u00a0Groen said. \u201cThat makes this really special.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s definitely an honor, and it\u2019s very special,\u201d said Karen Lee, principal of\u00a0Skaggs Elementary School. \u201cThis is the first time we\u2019ve received something like this from Google, something the whole district and city can celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m genuinely impressed with his drawing, his painting and his writing,\u201d Lee said. \u201cI would have picked him too, so I hope he wins and goes all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n For David\u2019s art teacher, the recognition reflects both creativity and effort beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels fantastic,\u201d said\u00a0Ilene Baumel. \u201cIt\u2019s always important to me that students know they can create art outside of school.\u201d By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n
As a national finalist, David will receive a $10,000 college scholarship, and his design will be featured in a rotating display on Google\u2019s homepage on April 28, giving millions of users a chance to see his work.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know David is going to inspire his classmates to keep working and just try things to see what happens,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat I really love about his piece is that it tells a story.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775016909_917_rawImage.jpg\" "\\"#\\"")
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