Vy Nguyen, a senior from Destiny Christian Academy, won first place in this year’s Sacramento County Academic Decathlon art contest. The Student Art Competition aims to weave the threads of artistry into academic fabric, selecting works that best represent the Academic Decathlon theme, and addresses concept, content, aesthetics, and design.
“I incorporated these factors (pollution, deforestation, etc.) in my piece along with a melting earth in a human hand, representing the power of climate change in our fate,” explained Nguyen in her application.
The mixed-media masterpiece titled “Self-Apocalypse” was a standout to the judges among many entries. Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) Coordinator, Craig Irish, commented, “Vy Nguyen’s image of a hand cradling a melting Earth above a fire-infested landscape stood out to us with its use of colors and how it captured this year’s theme: Our Changing Climate.”
The winning art was selected earlier this school year and reproduced for posters, t-shirts, the program cover, and other printed materials throughout the Decathlon season. Nguyen’s victory will be commemorated during the awards ceremony that follows the event.
Students and families are invited to cheer for the competitors on Saturday, February 1, 2025, during the fast-paced Super Quiz portion of the competition—held in front of a live audience starting at 1:30 p.m. in the gymnasium at Folsom High School.
The Art Competition runner-up, Addie Luong, from Vista del Lago High School in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District, chose to portray a delicate butterfly perched atop a California poppy in a mixed media painting titled “The Butterfly Effect.” Luong wrote, “Just like butterflies, we flutter and wander in search of resources found in nature, but meanwhile we are burying ourselves in the mess we create, ‘trashing’ our relationships with nature, and harming the natural environment that bears the brunt of our choices.”
The 2025 Sacramento County Academic Decathlon Student Art Competition highlights the extraordinary talent and thoughtfulness of its participants, who use their creative voices to address urgent global issues. Vy Nguyen’s “Self-Apocalypse” and Addie Luong’s “The Butterfly Effect” serve as compelling reminders of the role art plays in fostering awareness and inspiring change. Their work not only celebrates the intersection of art and academics but also challenges their audience to reflect on their relationship with the environment. The contributions of both artists left an indelible mark on this year’s Academic Decathlon season.