A teen from Pasco County, Florida, simply received a $10,000 money scholarship after spending over 100 hours making a robe out of a seemingly not possible materials—duct tape.
Grace Vaughn received first place within the costume class for Duck model’s yearly Caught at Promenade Scholarship Contest.
Impressed by the Yin and Yang concept, which represents stability in a single’s routine, the 17-year-old Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Excessive Faculty rising senior’s work was chosen as the very best amongst over 100 entries within the competitors.
She was awarded scholarship cash, which is able to assist fund her dream of finding out trend and design on the Savannah School of Artwork and Design (SCAD).
Grace was in North Carolina for a working camp when she received an electronic mail with the excellent news. Upon seeing the phrase “congratulations,” she knew it was the announcement she had been ready for.
However the teen needed to hold it to herself for a couple of hours till it was formally declared by Duck model later that day.
That is Grace’s second 12 months of becoming a member of the competition. Final 12 months, she additionally made a costume and submitted it. Though she didn’t win, she loved your entire course of, so she determined to take part once more this 12 months.
She began by sketching out completely different designs.
“I began making the costume, and my costume and concept utterly shifted,” she recalled. “Typically that’s how the artistic course of works. It simply utterly modifications and undoubtedly in a great way.”
Ashley Luke, the senior product supervisor at Shurtape Applied sciences, LLC, the corporate that markets the Duck model, mentioned in a press release:
“Every of our contestants had a particular story to inform this 12 months, from hoping to empower others with their designs to pushing their creative skills to the restrict, and they need to all be very happy with their Duck Tape® seems.”
For Grace, the reward isn’t merely a money prize—it’s a big first step into her dream profession.
“I used to be tremendous excited as a result of I knew that it was form of step one into my trend profession,” she mentioned.
Grace has dreamed of going to SCAD since she was a highschool freshman. A recruiter from the establishment got here to her faculty and confirmed them pamphlets of designs and creations from college students and the campus.
She even received the possibility to go to the school in the summertime of 2021.
“I beloved how the campus was actually in tune with the town of Savannah. It was all the things I might hope it could be,” she mentioned.
The $10,000 scholarship cash can be an immense assist in overlaying the prices of her trend schooling.
“It undoubtedly means lots as a result of I wish to go into trend, and getting some cash for the college that I wish to go to essentially helps out,” she mentioned.
Plus, considered one of her designs getting acknowledged feels actually good.
“I feel I’m fairly shocked that folks prefer it this a lot,” Grace mentioned.
Grace’s mother, Krissy Vaughn, is thrilled to see her daughter’s onerous work repay. She was there to witness the costume come to life after 45 rolls of duct tape and 143 hours spent finishing the 13-pound floor-length ball robe.
“As I watched her work on it within the household room, I actually had no concept what was going to occur as a result of she simply works meticulously and centered,” she mentioned. “I used to be fairly blown away that it got here out to appear like that.”
Except for the monetary advantages, the scholarship will even give Grace’s resume a lift when she applies to trend faculty.
The proud mother is worked up to see extra folks acknowledge Grace’s expertise and creativity.
“We see it on a regular basis, however it’s onerous to have everybody else see that,” she mentioned. “We’re very happy with her, and we all know she’ll be doing nice issues. It’s only a matter of watching all of it unfold.”
Click on on the video under to be taught extra about this story.