Bolden students land top spots in national art contest

Ten-year-old Sophie Roth-Douquet is proud to be the daughter of a Marine.

"Military families are just a little deeper than a lot of people realize," Sophie said. "It's not just my father that goes through all the hard work; it's the whole family that is military."

Sophie is one of four Bolden Elementary/Middle School students to win a national art contest by the Armed Services YMCA that encourages the children of servicemen and servicewomen to submit drawings demonstrating their pride in being part of a military family.

Bolden Elementary/Middle School is part of the Department of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools and is in Laurel Bay, a military housing development near Beaufort.

Sophie drew her family -- her mother, father, 7-year-old brother and her puppy, Spirit -- singing The Marines' Hymn in front of the American flag.

Her artwork was displayed with 25 other winning pieces in the historic Russell Senate Office Building in Washington last week to celebrate Independence Day.

Bolden Elementary art teacher Theresa Karlyk encouraged her students to enter the contest and allowed them to work on their drawings during class. About 50 students at the school submitted entries.

"I think these students should be proud of their families and what their families do for the country," Karlyk said. "This contest helps promote the family side of the military."

First- and second-place prizes were awarded for each branch: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, National Guard/Reserves and Navy.

The four Beaufort winners, selected from among hundreds of applicants nationwide, represented the Navy and Marine Corps:

• Nikita Martin, 11, daughter of Capt. Kevin Haws, is the first-place winner in the Navy category and won a $500 U.S. savings bond.

• Sophie Roth-Douquet, 10, daughter of Col. Greg Douquet, is the first-place winner in the Marines category and won a $500 U.S. savings bond.

• Veronica McLeod, 10, daughter of Hospital Corpsman John McLeod, is the second-place winner in the Navy category and won a $100 U.S. savings bond.

• Kailyn Maynor, 11, daughter of Gunnery Sgt. SteveMaynor, is the second-place winner in the Marines category and won a $100 U.S. savings bond.

Nikita drew her father with his arms around her and her mother. The blues in the background of her picture symbolize the view of the water from her family's backyard in Beaufort, she said.

"My dad serves for this country," Nikita said. "He does things that are really important."