A fellow University of Michigan-Flint student has made it into the finals for the 2012 Democratic National Convention poster design contest. Katie Cawood, a junior history major, is competing with contestants from around the nation to represent the Obama campaign. She skillfully designed a poster to represent the National Democratic Convention taking place Sept. 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Cawood is currently one out of 12 contestants competing to embody the Obama campaign. Each design is unique in style and approach to the issue. Cawood said she solves the problems through her design while drawing influence from Flint.

“I used gears to symbolize prosperity because it’s something that all of us are familiar with in Flint. We’re all acquainted with gears. That idea was exclusive to my poster. To me, it has a Midwestern feel,” Cawood said. “The poster is broken up into pieces, communities for the DNC, a tool to represent labor, and a person reading to symbolize education. I believe we all have to work together to have prosperity.”

Along with being a contestant, Cawood is thrilled that her ideas were so successfully received. She feels deeply about the upcoming presidential campaign.

“I am extremely flattered to be a finalist. We all have something to contribute. Change cannot happen with criticism alone, but with contributions,” Cawood said. “I feel honored to contribute this poster to the National Democratic convention. It is an honor to be so successfully received by the judges.”

The poster’s theme is “Building a Better Future.” Many people across the country wish to create a better future and Cawood’s poster is building on this idea. The Democratic National Convention is focusing on creating jobs, better education, and prosperous communities. Cawood said that she thinks these things will ensure growth in the nation.

“The message is positive: Three gears working together to create prosperity,” Cawood said. “The top gear represents labor, the bottom education, and the middle strong communities.”

Cawood is not only an artist but is also a democrat. Cawood said she followed Obama in his last campaign and is excited at the possibility of being a significant part of his next one.

“The poster in the last campaign was really important in spreading his messages,” Cawood said. “It’s interesting for me to be think oh my gosh, maybe my poster could be potentially used for the Obama campaign or be influential like the other poster was.”

The finalist who receives the most votes will earn $1 per poster sold. They also receive a framed copy of their work.

“The idea that it would become the official poster and that it would be available for people to purchase, as an artist and a democrat, I like that idea,” Cawood said.

If you would like to see Katie Cawood’s poster, visit http://charlottein2012.com/poster/.

Helen can be reached at helund@umflint.edu