This year, 855 students have participated in the Korean-American Day art contest, hoping to win a trip to Korea or a $500 scholarship. Out of hundreds of artists across the nation, Diamond Bar High School junior Elena Deng won the grand prize of the Korean-American Day art contest, with her artwork, “Not Too Far From the Light.”

Every year, the Korean Education Center in Los Angeles hosts a Korean-American Day art contest to commemorate Korean-American immigration history. The contest is open to students ranging from kindergarten students to high school seniors.

The theme of this year’s art competition was “representation of Korean proverbs,” and asked students to submit works reflecting a Korean proverb. Deng used the proverb, “even in the mouse hole there is light” as inspiration for her painting.

“People don’t really realize that there may be something good in front of them like the light in the mouse hole,” she said via Facebook.

The art contest was the second contest Deng has competed in; last year, she placed second in California in the State Fish Art Contest.

“I’ve only attended this Korean art contest once, so when I won it came as a surprise because I didn’t think I would place, much less win the grand prize,” she said.

Deng was the only Chinese student who placed in in the whole contest.

For her prize, Deng has chosen to attend the summer program in Korea next summer. She will be receiving a trophy during the award ceremony at the Korean Education Center in Los Angeles on January 9. Her artwork will also be available for public view in the Art Exhibition in the Koreatown Galleria from Nov. 23 to Dec. 10 and at the Cerritos Library from Dec. 14 to Dec. 28. In addition, her painting will be included in the education center’s 2016 calendar.

“It will be my first time going there and I’m super excited about it,” she said. “I really want to try all the food, go shopping, see all the sights.”

Deng plans to pursue her art career by attending an art college after graduating from DBHS in 2017.