R.L. Turner High School student wins statewide graphic design competition

Leaders from Medical City Las Colinas and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas recently surprised R.L. Turner High School student Sam Wilson with the news that she had been named the top graphic artist in a premier statewide competition.

Wilson earned first place in the Medical City Healthcare Kids Teaching Kids Healthy Lifestyles graphic design contest.

The competition challenged students across Texas to interpret the theme “Fill Your Cart with Color.” Wilson’s winning design featured playful cartoon fruits and vegetables, skateboarding and riding in a shopping cart along a network of rainbows.

“Sam is an exceptionally talented artist,” said Jeffrey Scott Wilson, Turner’s graphic design teacher. “This recognition is so well deserved and not a surprise at all to Sam’s teachers, friends and family.”

Judges at the March 26 final event, held at the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, selected Wilson’s design from hundreds of entries submitted statewide. They praised her work for its professional-level creativity and ability to connect with both children and adults.

The victory also serves as an investment in future student creators. As the grand prize winner, Wilson secured a $2,500 donation from Medical City Healthcare for the R.L. Turner High School Academy of Media Arts and Technology (AMAT) program.

Wilson will now spend the coming months leading the design of the official 2026 Kids Teaching Kids Healthy Lifestyles digital cookbook. The cookbook features nutritious recipes developed by high school culinary students and will be published in both English and Spanish.

The digital resource is the centerpiece of an annual 21-day healthy snacking challenge. During the 2025-26 school year, the program engaged more than 32,000 elementary students, encouraging healthier eating habits through peer-led education.

Since its inception, the Kids Teaching Kids initiative has reached more than 500,000 students across Texas. By combining artistic leadership with wellness education, Wilson’s work will continue supporting that mission when the cookbook debuts this fall.