A fourth-grader from Hazelton Elementary School has earned a prestigious award in a nationwide art competition honoring America’s most influential figures, with her work now slated for permanent display in the nation’s capital.
Josie Starr won the Idaho Elementary School Category in the National American Heroes Student Art Contest, a competition designed to mark America’s 250th anniversary. Her submission, titled “Beyond the Stars,” depicts Katherine Johnson, the pioneering NASA mathematician whose calculations were critical to early American spaceflight.
The contest invited students across the country to select from 250 American heroes and create original artwork. More than 1,000 submissions were reviewed across state, regional, and national levels before judges selected winners. Starr’s work advanced through this rigorous process to earn recognition at the national level.
Recognition at the Nation’s Capital
The award ceremony for national winners took place on July 8 at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Whitten Patio in Washington, D.C. Starr traveled to the capital in early July to attend the ceremony alongside her mother, marking a significant moment in the young artist’s educational journey.
Starr’s artwork will be featured in the National Garden of American Heroes, an ambitious new monumental park project planned for the nation’s capital. The inclusion places her work among art selected to celebrate the nation’s most impactful citizens.
A Week of Focused Creation
The student’s creative process moved quickly. Starr completed her watercolor artwork in approximately a week, channeling her longtime passion for science and space into the piece. Her mother, Katy Starr, noted that Josie’s interest in these subjects made Johnson a natural choice for the assignment.
“Josie has always loved science and space, and I think that was a very impactful person for her,” Katy Starr said.
Josie herself articulated the deeper meaning behind her artistic choice. She explained that Johnson’s life story—marked by hardship yet sustained by determination—carried an important message for young people. “The artwork’s message is important because it shows that Katherine had a very hard life, but she worked hard and never gave up and the arts message shows that no matter how hard things get you should always work hard and never give up,” Josie said.
Local Arts Support
Starr’s artistic development has been supported through the Magic Valley Arts Council in Twin Falls, where she attends watercolor classes. Leslie Lambert, who teaches those classes, has helped nurture the young artist’s skills with the medium she used to create her award-winning piece.
Katherine Johnson’s selection as the subject of Starr’s work reflects the mathematician’s outsized influence on American history. Johnson’s contributions to NASA’s space program—particularly her precise calculations for the Mercury and Apollo missions—made her an icon of scientific achievement and perseverance. Her life story gained renewed prominence following the 2016 film “Hidden Figures,” which documented her groundbreaking career and the barriers she overcame.
The National American Heroes Student Art Contest served as a vehicle for young artists to explore American history and celebrate the individuals who have shaped the nation. By selecting from a diverse roster of 250 potential subjects, students had the freedom to champion heroes from various fields—science, civil rights, politics, military service, and beyond. Starr’s choice to focus on Johnson underscores the lasting impact of scientific pioneers, particularly those whose contributions were long overlooked or underrecognized.
For students in Bonneville County interested in developing artistic skills, INL also offers hands-on programs that introduce young people to STEM careers, reflecting the region’s deep connections to science and innovation.
What Comes Next
With her work destined for the National Garden of American Heroes, Starr joins a select group of student artists whose creations will be viewed by visitors to the new monumental park. The recognition positions her among emerging talents in Idaho and signals her early promise as both an artist and a thoughtful young person engaged with history and achievement.