Destrehan High School senior Zoe Cloughessy hopes to become an animator, but as of this week her artistic talents have already been recognized on a statewide level.
Cloughessy’s design won the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Logo Contest competition for high school students to design a logo for the Louisiana Seafood Board. Her design features a group of sea animals, including crawfish, lobster and crabs, in the shape of the state of Louisiana.
Cloughessy and her classmates were surprised with the news Tuesday morning and by the visit of Louisiana Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, who spoke to her and her art classmates, and presented them with T-shirts featuring her design.
“We had a lot of great designs all over the state, but this is such a unique thing to take the State of Louisiana and put all that seafood in there in a way where it’s attractive to the eye and sells Louisiana seafood,” Nungesser said. “We’re real proud of all of the applicants, but especially what she did to earn this award.”
Cloughessy said she revised her original design idea, which would have grouped the animals in the shape of a streetcar.
“I realized that was more geared to New Orleans than all of Louisiana,” she said. “The first one was very similar but I wanted it to have a wider appeal.”
She’s been interested in art since the third grade and particularly in drawing. Although a bit anxious about the presentation, she was nonetheless honored and proud.
“I don’t usually get up and talk in front of people, so I had some nerves,” she said. “I’m not used to all that attention, but it does feel good.”
Nungesser said he made the visit because he feels it’s important to promote art and culture as much as possible, especially when it can help motivate and nourish students’ considerable artistic talents.
“We have such talent in our schools in Louisiana,” Nungesser said. “We grow unbelievable talent here in the arts and culture. For the size state we are, we punch way above our weight in the talent we provide for the world.”
He said that during a visit he gave at a school elsewhere, he recognized the passion so many students had for their state was an inspiration for the contest.
“We hope to do more things like this to help them help us promote Louisiana,” Nungesser won this honor weeks ago, but it was kept quiet to make it a surprise.
“Zoe’s a very quiet and obviously talented young lady. We’re very proud of her,” Weber said. “This is a contest where you’re picking a logo to represent Louisiana seafood, which means just about everything in our state. She’s a great kid and she deserves it.”
Weber added it was an honor to have Nungesser at the school, and “It shines a bright light on Destrehan and St. Charles Parish schools. But, ultimately, it highlights Zoe’s talent, and that’s what it’s all about. We take a lot of pride in academics and the arts … it’s paramount over here. I’m proud of her.”
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