Kentucky teen's winning Google Doodle honors dad who died

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington Christian Academy senior Milo Golding has won the national Doodle for Google contest, landing a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 technology package for his school.

On Tuesday, millions of people are seeing his artwork, depicting his father and a young Milo among several symbols of hope, featured on Google's homepage for 24 hours, Google officials said in a news release.

Doodle for Google is an annual contest open to students in grades K-12 across the nation. Students were invited to submit their artistic interpretations of this year's theme, "I am strong because..." for the chance to be featured on Google.com.

"I am strong because I have hope," Milo said, describing his entry and its inspiration. "I once asked my father how he overcame obstacles and became who he wanted to be. "

His father, Deeno Golding, replied, "Hope, hope keeps me strong."

"After I unexpectedly lost him at 13 due to a heart attack, it helped me overcome grief and support other children who lost loved ones," Milo said.

Google received tens of thousands of submissions from all over the country for this year's contest, Google officials said Monday.

"Milo's Doodle, titled 'Finding Hope,' speaks to the resilience and hope that lives in all of us," Google officials said. "The Doodle is inspired by his father's advice to find hope in all circumstances as a source of strength. It was inspired by Milo's journey to find hope after the loss of his father."

"Regardless of life's hardships and uncertainties, hope is always there," said Milo. "It's our job to find that hope in order to move forward.

After the Google winner was announced on NBC's "Today Show" Monday, Milo explained to the anchors the symbolism he used in his artwork.

— The uppercase blue and green letter G represents the world, and inside the letter, a young child opens the door in a symbol of hope for the future. A balloon is yellow, the color of hope.

— The middle characters represent Milo's father giving comfort and hope to little Milo, who is wrapped in a scarf and mittens, the last Christmas gifts received from his father.

— The letter l is a side view of a bookshelf, and a child climbs to the top to represent using education and new experiences to find hope.

— The letter E is a dying tree sprouting buds also to symbolize hope.

— In the background are a roller coaster and little monsters, representing the uncertainties of life.