Fairfax County students again dominated the 2025 Virginia Aviation Art Contest.
Youth from McLean, Herndon and Chantilly swept first-place honors in all three age categories, the Virginia Department of Aviation announced on Feb. 19. A total of eight students from the local area will move on to national competition, with an opportunity to potentially compete internationally.
Nearly 70 submissions addressed the theme “Women with Wings.” Judges with backgrounds in aviation, art, education and media selected the winners.
Those winning honors ranged in age from 9 to 16. Winning entries, which can be viewed online, were selected based on creativity, color, composition and connection to the theme.
“Our students’ talents are stunning. So many of these pieces of art could go in a museum,” Greg Campbell, director of the Virginia aviation department, said.
Those receiving first-, second- and third-place honors will move on to compete in a national competition, sponsored by the National Aeronautic Association. An additional five students received honorable-mention awards.
Winners at the national level advance to the international competition, which will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
Last year, 8-year-old Eric Shen and 14-year-old Iris Xie — both from Vienna — won honors in the international competition, placing second and third, respectively, in the junior and intermediate categories.
This year’s state-level honorees from Fairfax and Falls Church in the three age categories included:
Group I (Junior)
- First place: Lena Shi, McLean, age 9
- Second place: Andrew Yang, Great Falls, age 9
- Honorable mention: Aiden Zhang, Falls Church, age 9
Group II (Intermediate)
- First place: Ivan Li, Herndon, age 13
- Second place: Ryan He, McLean, age 13
- Third place: Aspen Xing, Vienna, age 12
- Honorable mention: Adrian Qin, McLean, age 12
Group III (Senior)
- First place: Lalitha Kuchipudi, Chantilly, age 14
- Second place: Ava Zhang, McLean, age 15
- Third place: Janet Li, Herndon, age 15
- Honorable mention: Shirley Wang, McLean, age 16
