Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 01, 2026

AACI Celebrates Winners of 2026 Growing Up in America Youth Art, Essay, and Video Contest

SAN JOSE, CA — AACI proudly announces the winners of the 2026 Growing Up in America (GUA) youth art, essay, and video contest, which has been uplifting young voices and promoting creative expression across the Bay Area for over 30 years. 

Launched in partnership with NBC Bay Area, the Growing Up in America contest invites K–12 students to share their personal stories and perspectives through original creative works. Each year, the contest offers a platform for youth to reflect on identity, culture, and their lived experiences in a diverse community. 

This year’s theme, “Growing Healthy Connections,” brought in over 370 entries from students across 8 Bay Area counties, representing a wide array of cultural and ethnic backgrounds including Chinese, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, Latino, White, Filipino, Black, Taiwanese, Burmese, Egyptian, Pacific Islander, and many more. Students submitted artworks, essays, and videos exploring what healthy connections mean to them, and how supportive relationships, both with others and within themselves, help them learn, grow, and feel valued. According to participant feedback, 99.5% of students reported increased confidence in self-expression, highlighting the contest’s impact on youth development. 

“Each year, the Growing Up in America contest gives us a glimpse into how our youth see the world. This year’s theme, ‘Growing Healthy Connections,’ highlights how important it is for young people to feel supported, by others and by themselves. Their creativity reminds us that strong relationships help youth grow, build confidence, and feel valued. It’s inspiring to see their voices come through so clearly, and we’re proud to support a space where they can express themselves.” 

— Sarita Kohli, AACI President & CEO 

Bay Area students receiving the Lance Lew Grand Prize, Best in Class, and Honorable Mention awards for art, writing, and video, and their winning entries can be found at aaci.org/gua/2026-winners. The Grand Prize and Best in Class winners were awarded monetary prizes in recognition of their outstanding work.  

Each student’s name, title of the piece, grade level, and category is listed below. 

Lance Lew Grand Prize Winner 

• Justin Tha – A Cantaloupe and A Connection, Grade 6–8, Essay 

Best in Class Winners 

• Elise Chang – A Place at the Table, Grades 9–12, Art 

• Vera Ou – The Bridge, Grades 6–8, Art 

• Liwon Lim – Rowing Together, Grades 3–5, Art 

• Chelsea Pan – Growing a Healthy Connection Tree with Love, Grades K–2, Art 

• Genevieve Yuen – The Lazy Susan, Grades 9–12, Essay 

• Khai Vo – Ba Ngoai–the best grandma and the Food Warrior, Grades 3–5, Essay 

• Shaurya Dave – Bridges of Mud and Magic, Grades K–2, Essay 

• Anya Gote – Love in my Life, Grades 9–12, Video 

• Kelly Teng – Forget Me Not, Grades 6–8, Video 

Honorable Mention Winners 

• Yuri Seo – Between Two Worlds, Grades 9–12, Art 

• Rebecca Guo – One Hot Pot, Many Connections, Grades 6–8, Art 

• Levi Liu – My Teammate, Grades 3–5, Art 

• Andrew Zhang – Connecting Hands, Building Peace, Grades K–2, Art 

• Natalie Tha – The Living Jar, Grades 9–12, Essay 

• Hieu Vo – Ba Ngoai, Grades 6–8, Essay 

• Jayson Kim – The Chicken Soup Restaurant, Grades 3–5, Essay 

• Jonathan Feng – My Big Bridge from a Monster School, Grades K–2, Essay 

• Johana Tran – The Connections That Stay, Grades 9–12, Video 

• Clarissa Cuento – Connections Bring Us Together, Grades 6–8, Video 

The contest is generously supported by our sponsors and community partners: CSAA Insurance Group (a AAA Insurer), Valley Water, California Bank & Trust, San Francisco 49ers Charitable Giving Program, Lance Lew, Farrington Historical Foundation, CreaTV, Nichi Bei News, KTSF 26, Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), and India Currents. A portion of this contest’s prize money was supported by funding awarded by the Equality in Domestic Violence Prevention & Services Grant Program EX25 01 8501 through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).  

About AACI — Founded in 1973, AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement) serves individuals and families with cultural humility, sensitivity, and respect, advocating for and serving the marginalized and ethnic communities in Santa Clara County. AACI’s mission is to strengthen the resilience and hope of our diverse community members by improving their health and well-being. Our vision is for everyone in our diverse community to be healthy, safe, and well. Our many integrated programs provide support that is client-centered and remove barriers to accessing care. Current programs include behavioral health, primary care, dental, center for survivors of torture, shelter and services for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, senior wellness, youth programs, and community advocacy. To learn more visit www.aaci.org. 

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