Storm Alho did not grow up in a Marine Corps family. He was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa, and moved to the United States three years ago.
But when the Woodbridge Senior High School student sat down to draw his entry for the National Museum of the Marine Corps’ annual student art competition, he focused on a military ideal familiar to generations of service members: never leaving someone behind.
His graphite drawing, “I Swore I’d Bring You Home,” depicts a service member helping an injured comrade through dangerous terrain. The piece won Best in Show in the 8th Annual Marine Corps Student Art Competition and will be displayed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia, from June 2026 to June 2027.
A New American Story Told in Graphite
Alho, a student at Woodbridge Senior High School in Virginia, said he wanted his piece to reflect a quieter form of heroism than the kind often associated with battle. In an interview with Military.com, Alho explained:
Upon reflection of the theme ‘Heroes,’ I wanted to focus on a type of heroism that was more personal. My artwork depicts a soldier helping an injured comrade to safety despite the danger around them. To me, heroism is not just about charging bravely into battle, but it is about loyalty, sacrifice, and the compassion of putting someone else’s well-being before your own.
The annual competition, run by the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, invited K-12 students from across the country to submit original artwork inspired by the theme “Heroes.” Winning entries were selected across grade categories and will remain on display at the museum for a year.
Because the winning pieces will remain on display through June 2027, the exhibit will overlap with the nation’s 250th anniversary year, when museums, historic sites and military institutions are expected to draw renewed attention to the people and stories that shaped the country.
Students were recognized at a June 15 ceremony at the museum, where the foundation presented certificates and cash prizes. Photos from the ceremony show Alho wearing a medal beside his framed artwork, which depicts two service members moving through a battlefield scene, one supporting the other as smoke, a U.S. flag and a helicopter appear in the background.
Alho said the piece was not based on a single service member, battle or event. Instead, he drew from the many stories of troops who risked their lives for others.
I wanted to capture a moment that represents the courage and selflessness found in those stories.
The rising artist spent more than a month on the graphite drawing, working an hour or two each evening after school, sports and club activities.
“Every day when I arrived home, I’d work for an hour or two on my piece,” he said. “I spent a lot of time refining the details, shading, and expressions because I wanted the emotions of the scene to feel authentic.”
What Made the Drawing Stand Out
Kris Battles, the Marine Corps artist-in-residence at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, manages the student art competition each year. Battles, a former Marine reservist and combat artist, said his role at the museum is to continue the tradition of preserving Marine Corps history through art and illustration.
“As Marine Corps Artist in Residence, it is my job to continue the legacy of preserving Marine Corps history via traditional art and illustration,” Battles said. “I am currently working on a series of historical illustrations which tell the Marine Corps’ story, featuring the important Marines and events that made our history what it is.”
Battles said Alho’s drawing stood out not only for its technical skill, but for its storytelling.
“Storm’s work showed not only great aptitude in rendering with graphite, but also a great sense of narrative, in portraying the emotions involved in a story about heroism, fidelity to fellow Marines, and sacrifice,” Battles said.
This year’s entries included depictions of Marines in combat, veterans, military families, service animals and personal heroes. Battles said students were especially drawn to animal heroes, including the military working dog Lucca and the legendary Marine Corps horse Sgt. Reckless. Chesty Puller, one of the most decorated Marines in Corps history, also appeared among the submissions.
Recurring themes, Battles said, included “bravery and self-sacrifice, and what we would call, ‘Esprit de Corps.’”
For Alho, the competition offered a way to engage with U.S. military history even though he does not come from an American military family.
“I am not from a military family, nor do I have any close relatives who have served in the American military,” Alho said. “However, through studying United States history in school and learning more about the sacrifices made by service members to shape this country to what it is today, I have developed a deep respect for those who serve their country and the challenges that they face.”
Seeing his work recognized at the museum, he said, felt especially meaningful given his recent move to the United States.
“Honestly, it was such a surreal experience,” Alho said. “Having my work displayed in such an important museum and being recognized there is a tremendous honor. As someone who moved to the United States fairly recently, it made the experience even more meaningful because it felt like a personal, special connection to my new community and country.”
Battles said that cross-generational connection is part of what makes the competition meaningful.
“For those of us who have earned the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, the Marine Corps is family,” Battles said. “And that family extends to all generations, from those who’ve already served and those currently serving, to those who may one day serve, but are still in school.”
He said the competition shows young people are still paying attention to military service and the responsibilities that come with it.
“We still have a younger generation who look to heroes, understand service and the call to duty, and are willing to tell that story,” Battles said.
Complete List of Winners
The eighth annual competition received a record 193 entries from students across the country. Winners included:
Best in Show: Storm Alho
Kindergarten through third grade
- 1st Place: Emerald Rice
- 2nd Place: Jaimie Choi
- 3rd Place: Adrian Stephan
- Honorable Mention: Aspyn Rice
Fourth through sixth grade
- 1st Place: Alex Schadegg
- 2nd Place: Xioelys Bonilla-Marquez
- 3rd Place: Maddy Peterson
- Honorable Mention: Hanna Goldberg
Seventh through ninth grade
- 1st Place: Sam Zviagilsky
- 2nd Place: Brooklyn Johnston
- 3rd Place: Addison Hogan
- Honorable Mention: Caleb Kolesar
10th through 12th grade
- 1st Place: Keturah Shewcraft
- 2nd Place: Allison Focht
- 3rd Place: Vanvi Nguyen
- Honorable Mention: Carter Hogan
Special Needs kindergarten through sixth grade
- 1st Place: Hannah Gentry
- 2nd Place: Noah Gentry
Special Needs seventh through 12th grade
- 1st Place: Maximiliano Angel
A Student’s View of Heroism
Alho said he was surprised to learn his drawing had been selected as Best in Show, especially given the number of talented students in the competition.
“It was a moment I will never forget,” he said.
Though art will remain part of his life, Alho said he is interested in pursuing a career in medicine. For now, he said, drawing remains one of his main ways of expressing himself.
Asked who his own heroes are, Alho did not point to famous figures first. He said he thinks about ordinary people who help others without expecting attention, including his parents, teachers, students at his school and volunteers in the community.
“Those are the kinds of people I consider heroes because they make a positive difference in the lives of others, without expecting any recognition,” Alho said.
Then he added one more. “And of course, Batman.”
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