BISMARCK, N.D. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 North Dakota Junior Duck Stamp Contest. Francesca “Cheska” Flores Gagarita, a senior at Valley City High School, earned Best of Show honors for her stunning-colored pencil rendering of a male and female Northern Shoveler gliding peacefully across the water.
Judging took place on March 26th at the Ducks Unlimited office in Bismarck, where 1,110 entries were reviewed across four age groups. Cheska’s work, inspired by a photo she captured on a birding trip, stood out for its detail, composition, and emotional resonance.
“Last spring, I managed to take an amazing photo of a Northern Shoveler drake on one of my birding trips,” said Cheska. “I loved the composition of the photo, as well as its pose, and was inspired to use the photo as my main reference for my Duck Stamp this year. Though I was initially struggling to figure out how I wanted the final draft’s composition to look, I finally came to the idea of adding the hen in my entry as well.”
Her piece will now represent North Dakota at the 2025 National Junior Duck Stamp Contest, scheduled for April 22, 2025, in Falls Church, Virginia. Each state’s Best of Show winner competes at the national level for the top honor of having their artwork turned into the next Junior Duck Stamp.
“This program is a wonderful way to connect young people with wildlife, conservation, and the arts,” said Stephani Krueger Valley City Jr/Sr. High School Art Teacher “Francesca’s piece captured not only the natural beauty of the Northern Shoveler but also a sense of serenity that resonated deeply with all of us.”
An awards ceremony honoring the top 36 student artists and the conservation message winner will be held at the Heritage Center in Bismarck on Saturday, May 3, from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM. The public is invited to attend and celebrate these remarkable young artists.
Cheska is preparing for graduation this spring and has exciting plans for the future in the arts. “I’m planning to go to the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) where I’ll be majoring in Graphic Design,” she shared. “I’ve been teetering on whether I want to major in Illustration instead, but I feel like I will enjoy the Graphic Design program and I’m excited to be enrolled in the fall!”
Valley City High School saw strong representation in this year’s contest, with several students earning top honors:
1st Place – Elly Tombarge & Layni Bakalar
2nd Place – Charlize Trullinger
Honorable Mentions – Audrey Jacobson, Kinley Larson, Alivia Even, Claire Shanenko,
Kiyah Hayes, Leah Hochalter, Shonte Gonzales, and Tessa Kinney
Cheska also shared some heartfelt advice for younger students and aspiring artists:
“Do not wait to take an art class! For the majority of my life, I’ve been a self-taught artist. My art
style was always inconsistent and slow to improve. It wasn’t until my junior year that I finally
took formal art classes, and my skills improved exponentially. My only regret is not doing it
sooner.”
The panel of judges for this year’s contest included:
Jessica Christy, Executive Director, North Dakota Council on the Arts
Heath Hagy, Project Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Sherri Neisar, Curriculum Specialist, North Dakota Game and Fish
Randy Renner, Manager of Conservation Programs, Ducks Unlimited
Daniel Schumacher, Local Artist and 4-time ND Junior Duck Stamp Winner
Backup Judge: Rick Warhurst, Wetland Biologist, North Dakota Natural Resources
Trust
The North Dakota Junior Duck Stamp Program combines science and art to inspire youth to
engage with nature and conservation through artistic expression. For more information about the
program, visit www.fws.gov/program/junior-duck-stamp.
