William Floyd High School graduate Bella Humberstone was named a 12^th grade winner in the annual Shanti Fund Peace Art Contest. The Shanti Fund, a local organization committed to promoting enlightenment and peace through education, presented Bella a $501 prize for her artwork at a special award presentation held at the Stonebridge Country Club during the spring. Her artwork will also be featured as part of the Shanti Fund’s annual calendar.

Bella’s piece depicts two of the world’s most well-known civil rights leaders, Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi, standing alongside Malala Yousafazi, a contemporary civil rights leader who became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate in history when she received the prize at 17 years old in 2014. Malala was selected for her fight for the right of every child to receive an education. She was specifically recognized for her courageous activism and advocacy for girls’ schooling in Pakistan, where she risked her life to defy the Taliban’s ban on female education.

“When creating this artwork, I wanted to display the legacy of prominent figures who changed the world in a positive way,” wrote Bella. “The eagle and the dove represent how, when peace and justice unite, any movement can become an unstoppable force for the greater good.”

Bella hopes that this representation serves as an inspiration to future generations to continue to create change and make the world a better place.

This fall, Bella will be attending Daemen University as a member of their honors program. She will be majoring in illustration and minoring in graphic design.

Congratulations, Bella!