Julia Hong will begin her freshman year at Skyline High School with an impressive credential: professional artist.

The Aug. 27 meeting of the school board opened with the Issaquah School District’s purchase of “The Soaring Dream,” a painting Hong submitted to the annual Reflections art show held in March.

“The Soaring Dream” depicts a young child watching the launch of a space shuttle from a farm, while perched on a swingset with the family dog. Superintendent Ron Thiele praised the painting’s attention to detail, down to the well-worn sneakers and Cheez-its in the foreground.

“Know that this will be in a place of honor in our hall for many years to come,” Thiele told Hong at the unveiling ceremony.

Every year, the school district purchases one or two paintings from the PTSA’s Reflections art show to become a permanent fixture in the Kateri Brow Memorial art collection in its administration building. The Reflections art show is open to submissions from students at all grade levels and includes works from all performing, aural and visual arts.

The district purchased in June another painting, “The Bird,” from Sunset Elementary first-grader Thomas Rosario. “The Bird” depicts, according to Rosario’s artist statement: “a young bird, a baby – he hasn’t flown yet but he knows he can, he believes he can. He is ready.”