A sophomore at Joliet Central High School won second place in the Will County State’s Attorney’s Dangers of Heroin Art Scholarship Contest. Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow last week announced the winners of the contest, which sought to illustrate the dangerous and often deadly consequences of heroin use. More than 60 Will County high school students participated in the contest, which awarded college scholarships for the top three submissions.
Jessica Johnson, a senior at Plainfield Central High School, took first place and a $3,000 scholarship for her work, titled “Outer Demons.” Alexis Smith, a sophomore at Joliet Central, won second place and a $2,000 scholarship for her submission, “Suffering.” Lincoln-Way Central High School student Rebecca Kahney won third place and $1,000 for her submission, “Heroin Kills.”
“The goal of this contest was to enlist high school students to sound a warning for their peers about the heroin scourge that has destroyed so many lives in Will County,” Glasgow said. “I asked students to first educate themselves about the horrendous dangers of using heroin, and then to use their knowledge to create a powerful piece of original artwork to drive home an anti-heroin message.”
Because of the number of quality submissions, Glasgow said he decided to create a “Runners Up” category and award three additional $500 scholarships for three entries he felt should be honored.
Runner up winners were Lincoln-Way Central senior Skylar Bojan, Lincoln-Way North freshman JoHannah Ann Eckert and Joliet Central senior Kolton Skeldon.
“Across the board, the artwork I received exceeded every expectation in terms of quality and thoughtfulness,” Glasgow added.
The winning works will be reproduced and featured prominently in an updated version of the state’s attorney’s “Gang Awareness and Prevention Book,” scheduled for release later this year. Fatal heroin overdoses in the county are on pace to reach as many as 90 in 2016, shattering the previous record high of 53 in 2015 and 2012.