AUGUSTA, Ky. — A piece of art created by a Kentucky high school senior is in the running to be viewed by millions of people around the world. She could also win thousands of dollars for herself and for the school she’s about to graduate from.

Erica Kegley started drawing at 9-years-old when her sister went missing, and she hasn’t stopped since.

“I started doing art as a coping mechanism. And that’s what really started my passion for art,” Kegley said.

Although it has notoriety for having the oldest basketball gym in Kentucky, no one outside of Bracken County could be blamed for not knowing of Augusta Independent School. They could, of course, always Google it.

Soon, the Google Doodle they and millions of other people might see featured on the homepage could be one drawn by Kegley.

“It would be amazing to see it, because I come from such a small school,” she said.

Kegley had been searching for art-based scholarships to use toward studying pre-art therapy at Northern Kentucky University this fall. Because art helped her through tragedy, she wants to make a career out of helping others do the same.

“Because I have this talent, I want to use. And if I can just draw up a piece and get money for it, it’d be amazing,” she said.

Kegley didn’t find much in the way of scholarships, though, until she learned about Doodle for Google. The national contest gives students the opportunity to create a drawing that could end up on Google’s homepage. It also includes a $30,000 scholarship for the national winner and a $50,000 award to the winner’s school district.

“I didn’t really have hope. But I was like, ‘let me just do some type of artwork, and get it out there,’ and the process was really fun,” Kegley said.

The theme for this year’s contest was “I am grateful for…”.

That blank space could’ve been a lot of things for Kegley, but she decided on her mother, who she watched overcome poverty growing up.

“I have the biggest supporter in my life, which was my mom. And I said that connection between a mother and daughter can be so strong. And that can come through all cultures,” she said. “Even through animals.”

So, that theme of mother-daughter relationships through different human cultures, and even in animal form, is exactly what she drew. She also had to follow one other guideline.

“You want to spell out Google as much as you can,” she said.

Kegley’s piece was selected as Kentucky’s winner, putting her into the national competition.

With roughly 300 students, including grades pre-k through 12 in one building, the support at Augusta Independent School behind Kegley may be small, but it is powerful.

“I’ve been here 20 years. I’ve literally watched Erica from preschool all the way up. I’ve got to watch her grow, learn, and come into her own. You could tell early on from Erica that she had that artistic, think outside of the box, kind of mentality,” said Brandi Brewer, Augusta Independent School’s assistant principal. “Watching her become an adult and get these accolades is almost the same as my own child getting these accolades. Being from a small community, we don’t always get the shine that we deserve. And she very much deserved it. We’re very proud of her.”

The school has been heavily promoting Kegley’s piece, making fliers and QR codes for people to vote for her.

That support has meant the world to Kegley, who said she never thought she’d be in this position, but couldn’t be happier to have taken a chance on herself.

“If you are trying to do something big, and you’re afraid, and you don’t know what the next step is, and you don’t know if you should do it, you never know until you try it.”

While she now has the chance to become one of five national finalists, she’s clearly already made her mark in Augusta.

Voting to become a national finalist is open until 9:00 p.m. ET on May 25. Details can be found on the Doodle for Google contest page.

Kegley’s doodle is in the grade 10-12 section. Finalists will be announced on May 30. The winner will be selected on June 6.