Local 5th Grader Wins Statewide DOJ Poster Contest, Advances to National Finals

Fifth-grade student Jocelyn Cadena from Rio Bravo-Greeley Elementary School has been named the California winner of the U.S. Department of Justice’s 42nd Annual National Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest. Judges chose her artwork from over 200 entries statewide. Now she is going for the national title.

On Friday, April 25, the school gathered to celebrate Jocelyn’s achievement. Representatives from the California Department of Justice and the Kern County Board of Supervisors honored her during a special ceremony.

“She’s very artistic, super creative,” Jocelyn’s teacher, Anastasia Jelmini said. “She could probably go to art school right now. The stuff that she does — if you didn’t know her, you would assume an adult made it.”

Jelmini said she immediately thought of Jocelyn when the contest opportunity came across her desk. Calling Jocelyn very intuitive and smart, Jelmini knew she would be great for the contest. After sharing the opportunity with Jocelyn’s mom, Jocelyn jumped right in — dedicating countless hours to her piece, even staying up until 1 a.m. some nights to perfect it.

Jocelyn’s poster, titled The Leap of Hope, portrays a globe in the center with people of various professions and an embracing couple at the top. Ropes connect each figure down to the bottom of the page, with a young child reaching out to take it. Shadowy hands reach up as if to grab the child. Words circle the globe: “Together We Can Continue Bringing Our Missing Children Home!”

“All the people are working together every day to find the children who are missing around the world,” Jocelyn said. “Parents never lose hope when they have the support of judges, social workers, medical staff, firefighters, search and rescue, law enforcement officers, friends, and neighbors.”

Jocelyn is excited about the possibility of winning nationally and traveling to Washington, D.C. for National Missing Children’s Day on May 21. Jocelyn’s school, community, and supporters are all rooting for her. Regardless of the outcome, Jocelyn Cadena has already made her mark as a talented artist with a big heart.