Virginia students are once again representing the United States at the International Aviation Art Competition in Lausanne, Switzerland. Students Andrew Yang, Aspen Xing, and Lalitha Kuchipudi won top honors in the 2025 U.S. Youth Aviation Art Contest sponsored by the National Aeronautic Association. These young artists were selected from among 140 participants from across the country.
Working on the theme, “Women with Wings,” they began their journey in the state competition sponsored by the Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV). There, judges with backgrounds in aviation, art, media, and education sent them – and six other students – on to the competition to be judged against young artists from around the nation. The national winners will go onto compete against such countries as China, France, India, Latvia, Japan, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia, Thailand, Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Oman and Syria.
Last year, among the winners of the 2024 International Aviation Art contest were Virginians Eric Shen and Iris Xie.
DOAV Director Greg Campbell said, “Every year, I look at the art contest submissions and am amazed at the talent these young people possess. And each year I think that it can’t possibly get any better, but each new competition takes it up a notch! I am both amazed and proud of the artistic talent we have here in Virginia.”
The Virginia Department of Aviation celebrates Andrew Yang, Aspen Xing, Lalitha Kuchipudi, and the rest of the national winners of the 2025 Youth Aviation Art Contest.
Please find all the results of the competition below.
Junior Category (7 – 10 years old)
First Place: Andrew Yang – Great Falls, Virginia
Second Place: Jason Li – Arizona
Third Place: Pranav Vemireddy – Texas
Intermediate Category (11 – 14 years old)
First Place: Sofia Garcia-Vazquez – North Carolina
2nd Place: Aspen Xing – Vienna, Virginia
3rd Place: Lottie – Wyoming
Senior Category (15 – 18 years old)
1st Place: Soyoon Kim – North Carolina
2nd Place: Lalitha Kuchipudi – Chantilly, Virginia
3rd Place: Catherine Park – North Carolina
Virginia Department of Aviation • 5702 Gulfstream Road • Richmond, VA 23250-2422 Phone (804) 236-3624 • www.doav.virginia.gov