Portsmouth student is Rhode Island's Doodle 4 Google winner

Ignacio Burgos’ creation only one of 53 chosen nationwide

By Jim McGaw
Posted 5/3/18

PORTSMOUTH — Ignacio Burgos stool alone among students inside the Portsmouth Middle School gymnasium, and that’s when he knew his Google Doodle was named tops in Rhode Island.

The …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Portsmouth student is Rhode Island's Doodle 4 Google winner

Ignacio Burgos’ creation only one of 53 chosen nationwide

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — Ignacio Burgos stool alone among students inside the Portsmouth Middle School gymnasium, and that’s when he knew his Google Doodle was named tops in Rhode Island.

The seventh-grader is in very select company, as his doodle — which he hopes will eventually end up on the search engine’s homepage — was one of only 53 selected nationwide. 

Students from kindergarten through grade 12 in 53 states and territories are invited each year to submit their artwork to the Doodle 4 Google contest. This year’s theme was “What inspires me,” and students had until March 2 to submit something.

The overall Rhode Island winner was kept a secret right up until the end of a seventh-grade assembly in the school gym Thursday, which was led by two Google representatives.

After talking to students about the company and showing them a few videos, Lauren McCann, a product marketing manager on the Google for Education team, and Sara Sin, an account manager, asked all students to stand. 

Then, they gave away brief hints about the winner and asked students to sit if they didn’t fit the descriptions:

• Speaks Spanish

• Is Puerto Rican

• Plays clarinet in the band

• Is a member of the Small Art Gallery, an after-school art club

After those clues were read, only Ignacio remained on his feet. He smiled broadly and joined the Google team up front as his classmates — all wearing Google T-shirts — cheered him on.

Ignacio’s Google Doodle, called “Ideas from Fashion,” puts the brand name inside a dressmaker’s studio. (The “G” is used as a hanger, while the “e” is part of a sewing machine.)

“I think it’s unbelievable,” Ms. McCann said of Ignacio’s design. “He did a really great job in staying true to himself with the theme, and he was really creative. He’s obviously a fantastic artist, so we just thought his piece really stood out from all the rest.”

Ignacio said his doodle expresses his passion for both art and clothes.

“Well, I’ve loved fashion for a long time, and I feel it reflects a lot of what’s happening with the world. I thought it would represent Rhode Island well,” he said.

Ms. McCann said although Google’s own doodlers create most of the artwork that appears on the homepage, the company always looks forward to receiving fresh contributions from younger people.

“The student doodles are by far the most creative; you guys think out of the box,” she told students.

Google has been running the contest for a decade now, and this year it received 200,000 entries from around the nation. Judges included celebrities such as actor Neil Patrick Harris, Olympians Laurie Hernandez and Ibtihaj Muhammad, and former professional baseball player Carlos Beltrán.

What’s next?

“(Ignacio’s) the Rhode Island winner. It’s a huge deal,” Ms. McCann said afterwards. “The next step is, he could go on to be a national finalist, which means he could come to Google and get a college scholarship.”

There will be public voting on the state finalists’ creations from May 7 to 18 at doodle4google.com, she said.

Five finalists will be chosen, and the national winner will be announced in first week of June. The winning creation will be featured on Google’s homepage and the artist will be awarded a $30,000 college scholarship. In addition, another $50,000 in technology will go to the winner’s school or favorite charity.

Ignacio has already picked up some swag from Google, however.

“Today, he won a T-shirt with his doodle on it, and also a Chromebook,” Ms. McCann said.

Portsmouth Middle School, Google, Doodle 4 Google

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
MIKE REGO

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.