By Eric Cravey
For The Register-Herald
Beckley — It’s not often that a middle schooler’s artwork ends up on thousands of pieces of clothing, but that is the new reality for Reese Childers, of Beaver.
The Shady Spring Middle School eighth grader is the winner of the West Virginia Secretary of State’s first-ever “I Voted!” Sticker Contest. Reese’s work was selected from art submitted by more than 1,100 eighth grade students from 42 West Virginia counties. The 42 first-place winners were separated into four regional contests. On Feb. 17, Secretary of State Kris Warner named Childers one of four Regional Winners who would then also serve as finalists for the statewide award.
Reese learned about the contest in her West Virginia Studies class and, having been an accomplished artist whose award-winning work was displayed at Tamarack in 2025, she knew immediately what she wanted to draw for her contest entry.
“Typically when I set my mind to something, my brain just rushes with, like images or ideas of what I usually want to do, and it’s hard for me to change from that,” she said. “So, I knew right there on the spot what I was going to put in the sticker drawing. And I rushed home, and I started doodling and sketching it out.”
Childers has been exposed to art and creative pursuits since she was born as her mother, Crista Childers, teaches art at Shady Spring Elementary. She was also Reese’s fifth grade art teacher.
“She just has such a natural gift for it. She’s very talented, and it’s just something she’s always doing,” Crista Childers said. “And she’s always like, doodling on her hand, doodling in her binder, drawing in a sketchbook. You know, just everything is just like, she said, in pictures to her.”
Contestants were limited to using three colors, but Reese chose to use black. The sticker, which will be given to voters statewide in the May Primary, could be placed on lapels all over West Virginia. After all, she used some of the Mountain State’s most precious icons to promote the civic duty of voting.
“Well, my sticker showcases all of the state symbols for West Virginia, like the black bear, the monarch butterfly, the state outline, New River Gorge Bridge, the red Cardinal, the Rhododendron and the honey bee,” Reese said. “So really, it’s just, it’s kind of some of them have bright, vibrant colors, but a lot of them also have lots of black in them.”
Even though Reese’s West Virginia Studies class included a lesson on civics and why it is important to vote in a democratic society, she has had similar lessons in such duties previously. Her grandfather Sam Suttle, of Beckley, has served for years as an election poll worker. When he found out she was a finalist for the contest, he became her biggest cheerleader.
“I put it on Facebook. I told everyone I knew,” Suttle said. “I worked in the public for years, and I knew a lot of people, so anyone I saw, I would show the artwork and say, ‘She’s in this contest. And these are ‘I Voted!’ stickers. So if you would look for I’d appreciate it.’”
From Feb. 17 until 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 27, the general public was allowed to vote online for their favorite of the four designs. Warner’s office said 15,947 votes came in during the 10-day period.
As the winner of the contest, Reese took home a plaque featuring her artwork, while Raleigh County Clerk Scott Van Meter took home 11,000 stickers featuring Reese’s design.
Warner presented Reese the award on March 11 after his office hosted a forum dubbed “Civic Learning for a Stronger West Virginia.” The forum and the press conference were held in the Chambers of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals at the State Capitol.
During the ceremony, Reese became the first person to use one of the stickers she designed as she placed it on her grandfather’s lapel.
“Oh, that was a highlight for me that day. I mean, to think that I got the very first sticker that was to go on people’s lapels after they voted, a symbol that, you know, saying, ‘I voted in a West Virginia election,’” Suttle said. “I mean, it was very flattering.”
Suttle characterized Raleigh County voters as committed and said the County Clerk’s Voter Registration staff takes a lot of pride in increasing the number of voters each year.
“I mean, they’re very, very excited about the fact that the winner of this contest is from Raleigh County,” Suttle said. “And I think the people that vote in Raleigh County will be excited to know that they’re wearing a sticker that was created by someone from this area.”
And while art and civic duty are not often paired together, Reese hopes her sticker design will make people think differently.
“And, judging by my sticker, it may change people’s minds, to maybe get out more and do more hikes and see the natural beauties we have out here,” she said.
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