'Finding Hope': Kentucky teenager honors late father with award-winning 'Google Doodle'

A Kentucky teenager's artwork in memory of his late father will appear on computers around the world Tuesday. Milo Golding's "Finding Hope" was named the winner of the 2021 Doodle for Google competition, and the piece will appear on Google homepages.

Golding, an 11th grader at Lexington Christian Academy, was told the good news by Google CEO Sundar Pichai after being named one of five finalists out of 54 students from every U.S. state and territory.

"I can't tell you how inspiring we found your story, and we're all rooting for you," Pichai said in the announcement.

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The competition, in its thirteenth year, draws submissions from K-12 students from around the country. In addition to having their work showcased as the "Google Doodle," the winner gets a $30,000 scholarship and $50,000 in technology for their school.

Golding told Pichai he plans to use the scholarship money to study medicine, a field he was drawn to in the wake of his father's sudden death.

"Ever since my father passed away, I've felt like going into medicine was a great way to help people, to help my patients not have to go through what I went through," he said.

His late father, who immigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica, also inspired his winning artwork, Golding said. Golding chose to focus on "hope," something his dad spoke of often, in his response to the competition's prompt: “I am strong because …”

The winning piece features a young boy wrapped in a red scarf being handed a yellow ballon, a color that Golding said represents hope.

Golding credited both his parents for encouraging his love of art.

"Ever since I can remember, I’ve been drawing and creating — to the point where my parents had to apologize to my relatives because I used to draw on their walls when we would visit their homes," he said in an interview with Google. "From that point on they always carried sketchbooks and pencils for me."

Golding's success drew attention from many in his home state, including Gov. Andy Beshear, who honored the 11th grader at a Monday event.

"Milo's art, inspired by his late father's words, stood above submissions from across the U.S. for it's ability to instill hope in others," Beshear wrote on Twitter alongside photos from their meeting. "We are so proud."

Reach reporter Mary Ramsey at mramsey@gannett.com, and follow her on Twitter @mcolleen1996. Support strong local journalism in our community by subscribing to The Courier Journal today.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 'Finding Hope' Google Doodle honors Kentucky teen's late father