Three talented high school students from the Socorro Independent School District were recognized as some of the nation’s top young artists in the 2025 Congressional Art Competition.
Adali Valles from Socorro High School received first place, Roselyn De la Cruz from Eastlake High School took second place, and Brooklyn Rodriguez from Montwood High School was awarded third place in the annual art competition.
Valles, a rising senior, was chosen by Congressman Tony Gonzalez’s office in Texas’s 23rd Congressional District. Her black-and-white painting titled "Beatriz" is on display in the US Capitol for one year. The artwork depicts the hands of an elderly woman making tamales. Valles said she was proud to represent her Mexican-American culture through her art at the Capitol.
In June, Valles, her father, and her art teacher, Alejandra Lopez, traveled to Washington D.C. to attend the Congressional Art Competition Winners' Celebration, where Valles was recognized for her achievement.
“Having the opportunity to showcase my artwork at the Capitol is an honor for me,” Valles said. “Not only is it a chance to demonstrate my artistic skills, but it also means I get to share my family's legacy. A legacy that started with my grandparents and a new country to call home despite the adversities.”
The annual Congressional Art Competition invites high school students nationwide to submit their artwork to their congressional representatives. The artwork of first-place winners from congressional districts across the country is displayed in the Capitol for one year.
Although second- and third-place winners usually display their artwork in their representative’s Washington D.C. and district offices, De la Cruz and Rodriguez, who earned second and third place from Congresswoman Veronica Escobar’s office in Texas’s 16th Congressional District, are proudly exhibiting their artwork at the El Paso Museum of Art this summer.
Escobar hosted a celebration at the museum in May to honor the Texas District 16 winners. She said that while every congressional office celebrates in its way, her office is unique in that it displays students' artwork in an accredited museum.
"It is so important to celebrate the brilliance and the talent of these incredible young people, and we did from the music - the mariachis, for example - to the actual art competition," Escobar said. "We want these young people to know that their brilliance and their talent matter to us and that they're special and having (their art) at the El Paso Museum of Art is something they can put on their resume."
Brooklyn Rodriguez, a rising senior at Montwood High School, was thrilled that her piece, “Long Live the City of the Sun,” won third place. In her painting, she skillfully used fabric to create the mask of a “luchador” or wrestler. She said that her artwork allowed her to combine her passion for art and sports while highlighting her city.
“At this point, I have been trying just to put all my artwork out there just for the city to see,” said Rodriguez, a high school wrestler. “And I do really love the Mexican folk style. So, I tried to stick within that, and this competition was really big for me. So, I'm super happy to be here right now.”
The competition was a significant moment for Roselyn De la Cruz's art teacher, Claudia Castañeda.
Castañeda said she encouraged De La Cruz, who graduated from Eastlake High School in June, to participate in the contest. She said she was impressed with the three-dimensional elements De la Cruz incorporated into her piece titled “El Cumpleaños,” which depicted a young boy getting ready to hit a piñata with a stick.
Castañeda said she planned to continue promoting the Congressional Art Competition to her students next year.
“I keep telling the students, the more you participate, the more you can add to your resume,” Castañeda said. “You're exposing your work, and then you get the opportunity to exhibit here at the art museum, and it is a big honor. You're considered a professional artist at that point.”