Magnolia Middle student earns National Canva design challenge

Published 4:12 pm Wednesday, January 7, 2026

By MPSD Report

Alexia Guzman-Vasconcelos, a sixth-grader at Magnolia Middle School, was one of five students selected nationally as winners of the My Future STEM Job Poster category of the Canva Student Design Challenge. Submitted photo

Magnolia Middle School is celebrating a national achievement as one sixth-grade student has been named a winner in the Canva Student Design Challenge, held in recognition of National STEM Day.

Alexia Guzman-Vasconcelos, a sixth-grader at Magnolia Middle School, was surprised when she found out that she was one of five students nationwide selected as a winner in the My Future STEM Job Poster category of the contest.

“I was actually very surprised because I expected there to be students more creative than me who would have made something better than what I had made,” she said.

Guzman-Vasconcelos credits her time spent in the Explorer program in MPSD for helping nurture her artistic side, recalling time spent learning while participating in many art activities.

The Student Design Challenge encouraged students across the country to showcase the power of STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering and Math—through creative design. As part of the My Future STEM Job Poster Contest, Guzman-Vasconcelos used Canva to design a poster highlighting a future career in a STEM field, combining creativity with critical thinking and technical skills.

The student’s entry stood out among submissions nationwide, earning recognition as a contest winner. As part of the honor, she received a special Canva swag pack, and the winning design will be showcased for a global audience.

The young artist chose to center her design on the STEM career and fashion designer, saying that she likes to make clothes.

“I’d like to make a (clothing) line that’s like affordable, but it’s still like clothes that you would use in your everyday life,” said Guzman-Vasconcelos.

Sally Graham, the librarian at Magnolia Middle School, encouraged Guzman-Vasconcelos and other students to enter the contest.

“I’m always on the lookout to foster the arts for the kids,” said Graham. “I was thrilled for her. I was delighted that Magnolia had a student who not only participated but actually won. That’s really cool, when a kid wins a nationwide contest like that.”

For more information about the Canva Student Design Challenge, visit https://public.canva.site/student-design-challenge.