Viviana Martinez, a freshman at Pendleton High School, has won second place in an Oregon-wide Young Employee Safety Media Contest for her graphic design illustrating the importance of workplace safety.

For the first time in the contest’s 13-year history, the 2020-21 contest featured a graphic design category and a new theme. Students were invited to create a 30-90 second video or a graphic design that inspires young workers to think twice about their personal health and safety at work, while highlighting the theme “Work. It can be more dangerous than you think.”

Martinez’s design highlights being careful not to trip on wires or cords on the floor of a workplace. In an interview on the contest’s website, Martinez said the most difficult part of the design was getting the proportions and layout right.

Alice Thomas, art teacher at PHS and Martinez’s instructor, said some things that make Martinez successful as an artist are she is not afraid of hard work, seems to enjoy pushing herself to improve and is competitive. “Viviana involves herself in investigation, and she’s full of curiosity. In other words, she’s “comfortable” with the sometimes uncomfortable process of growth and exploration,” Thomas said.

Martinez will receive a cash prize of $400 and a $25 Amazon gift certificate. This year’s winners came from four high schools across the state: Parkrose High School (Portland), Pendleton High School (Pendleton), Ridgeview High School (Redmond) and Sutherlin High School (Winston).

To view Martinez’s design and those of the other winners, please visit the 2021 Media Contest Winners website.