A seventh-grader’s understated design beat out nearly 70 entries to win the Summit Chamber of Commerce’s vehicle sticker competition.
Sugey Cepeda’s winning design will appear on the village’s 2026-2027 vehicle tags. Summit Mayor Sergio Rodriguez and the Board of Trustees presented the award at their May 18 meeting.
The chamber partnered with the village to engage middle school students in the project, offering $250 for first place, $100 for second, and $50 for third. The first-place winner also receives a pizza party at school.
The response exceeded expectations. Nearly 70 designs were submitted from sixth, seventh, and eighth graders — a volume that made judging difficult.
“The talent that these kids have and the effort they put in, it was so hard to even narrow it down to 10,” said Quynh Ho, owner of My Twist Frozen Yogurt and Boba Tea and president of the Summit Chamber of Commerce. “I’m very surprised at the level of talent that we have here.”
Cepeda said she chose simplicity over elaboration after watching other competitors go bold.
“Other kids were being really extreme with it,” she said. “I was like, ‘Nobody’s really gonna see mine.’ So I decided to just keep mine casual.”
The strategy worked. Cepeda, who has drawn since childhood but takes no formal art classes, said the news came as a shock.
“I didn’t even know what to say when I heard,” she said. “I’ve never done something like this before.”
Her family shared the excitement. “I told my family. They were all excited about it, and so was I,” she added.
When asked about formal training, Cepeda credited natural ability and lifelong practice. “I have been drawing ever since I was a kid — as long as I can remember,” she said.
Ho expressed hope that the student artists will continue pursuing their creative work.