Kameirah Johnson, an 18-year-old senior at Lakeside School in the Seattle area, is the national winner of Google’s 2026 Doodle for Google contest and a whopping $55,000 college scholarship. Her artwork is also Google’s Doodle of the day, displayed on the search engine’s homepage.

The work was chosen from tens of thousands of K–12 entries across the U.S. after Johnson was selected as one of five national finalists in April. Giannis Antetokounmpo was also a guest judge. The 2026 contest asked students to answer the prompt “My superpower is …” 

And her original piece, titled “Hair Power: The Crown That Grows from Us,” depicts Johnson along with her mother Simone and her sister Kalieyah lying in the grass, their hair styled as crowns.

“My superpower is my hair, and the family it carries,” she said, describing the Doodle. “Each texture and style holds culture, care, and survival passed down without words. Lying in the grass, our crowns rest without weakening. This kinky hair refuses conformity. It makes us different. Shaped by our lineage, our hair is undeniably beautiful.”

On Thursday, Johnson appeared on "Today in New York" for the announcement and revealed her mother also played a major role in her journey as an artist. “Just being Black, growing up with a lot of pride in my hair. I’d say the biggest inspiration, however, is my mom. When I was a little kid, I’d go to preschool, and every single week I’d have a new hairstyle. Whether it’s braids, afropuffs, etcetera. She just really taught me to love my hair and love my culture and who I am,” she said.

For now, she said she’s “super excited” that her artwork can reach millions of people on Google’s homepage. In the fall, she’ll attend NYU, her “dream school” since childhood, to study economics and studio arts. She hopes to own a gallery someday.