Harika Jhanwar’s artwork is the territory’s winner in Doodle for Google contest

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A doodle created by All Saints Cathedral School third-grader Harika Jhanwar is the territory’s winning entry for the 2024 Doodle for Google contest.

“I feel very proud and happy, and really excited,” Jhanwar said Monday. The 8-year-old said her doodle, “Ocean in Motion,” was inspired by her art teacher, and by UVI’s Youth Ocean Explorer’s summer camp. In January, Google asked students across the U.S. to submit their ideas for the 16th annual Doodle for Google contest.

For 2024, in celebration of Google’s 25th anniversary, they asked students to answer the prompt “My wish for the next 25 years…” through their art.

Jhanwar hopes to become a marine biologist to help keep the ocean clean and protect sea life. The artwork shows her cleaning up litter from the ocean. Her submission included the following answer to the “My wish for the next 25 years…” prompt:

“To become a marine biologist cleaning the ocean infested with litter. Animals, such as sea turtles, can think that a white plastic bag floating in the ocean would be jellyfish or another kind of creature. Litter is harmful and can kill sea animals. They have to be protected or safe in their environment.”