Madison, WI, June 16, 2025
WEA Member Benefits and the WEA Member Benefits Foundation, Inc., announced the 11 finalists in the 10th annual Student Art Contest, which drew more than 150 entries from Wisconsin public school students.
The contest is part of the Foundation’s efforts to support creativity and public education. Students submitted artwork based on the theme of “Happiness is … ,” which encouraged students to think outside the box and express what happiness means to them.
From those submissions, 11 exceptional young artists were selected as the 2025 finalists:
- Avani Awasthi, 3rd grade, Belleville
- Henry L’Allier, 3rd grade, Grafton
- Aria Eichelkraut, 4th grade, Belleville
- Ans Ahtasham, 5th grade, Belleville
- Elias Kadoch, 5th grade, Tomorrow River
- Isla Kadoch, 7th grade, Tomorrow River
- Amy Ma, 8th grade, Middleton Cross Plains
- Karissa Schwoerer, 9th grade, Columbus
- Hadley Wozniak, 10th grade, Stevens Point
- Kambelle Syth, 11th grade, Winneconne
- Serena Scott, 12th grade, Winneconne
Each finalist will receive a $500 prize. One finalist will receive the Loeymae Lange “Best in Class” Award, which includes an additional $1,500 prize, to be announced later this summer at the Foundation’s Swing for a Cause golf event on Monday, Aug. 4. The award is supported by an endowment from Dr. Paul Lange and his wife, June, in honor of Paul’s sister, who was a former art teacher from Burlington.
“The theme this year invited students to dig deep and explore joy in its many forms,” WEA Member Benefits President and CEO David Kijek said. “We’re thrilled to recognize these talented students for the energy and perspective they bring to the arts. We’re also incredibly grateful to the Lange family for their continued support.”
Finalists’ artwork can be viewed here: https://www.weabenefits.com/studentartcontest/