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St. Joseph fifth-grader recognized for artistic drug-free message

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry St. Joseph Catholic School fifth-grader Izzy McMonigal holds a copy of the poster she created for the annual Pennsylvania Attorney General Drug-Free Calendar Contest. McMonigal’s scene was selected as one of the finalists and will be featured in January.

When Pennsylvania residents open their 2019 Attorney General Drug-Free calendars to January, they’re going to see artwork by Izzy McMonigal of St. Joseph Catholic School.

Fifth-graders from all over Pennsylvania entered the contest. All they had to do was create original artwork illustrating a drug-free message.

“I really like to draw,” McMonigal said. “When I was younger, I would always draw and I wanted it to be really good.”

On poster day, McMonigal was thinking about cows.

“I thought it would be fun to draw a cow,” she said.

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry St. Joseph Catholic School fifth-grader Izzy McMonigal created a poster for the annual Pennsylvania Attorney General Drug-Free Calendar Contest. McMonigal’s scene — depicting a cow —was selected as one of the finalists and will be featured in January.

Then, all she needed was the drug-free message.

Of course, it had to start with Moo.

“Mooove off drugs,” she said.

She made it colorful — “I used about all the colors in my art box,” she said.

And she had the cow deliver a direct message, “Don’t use them.”

It was colorful, direct, and effective.

The contest judges at Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s office picked it among the final 12 — one for each month.

In addition to seeing their art in a statewide calendar, McMonigal and the other contest winners are invited to a December luncheon in Harrisburg with Shapiro, tour the state Capitol, and will receive college fund contributions.

“I get $529 to go into my college fund,” she said. The amount matches the number on the 529 qualified tuition plan.

McMonigal plans to take her mother and grandmother, and teachers Rita Cecco and Pam Nasman with her to Harrisburg.

“We’re really thrilled for her,” Principal Nancy Warner said. “It’s a nice award.”

“Thank you for helping me educate your fellow students across Pennsylvania to say No to Drugs,” Shapiro wrote in a letter to McMonigal.

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