Education, Latest News, Preston County

Preston BOH honors high school student who designed new logo

KINGWOOD — Preston High senior Benjamin Pell isn’t playing around on his cell phone. He’s working.

Pell used an app on his phone to design the winning logo in a competition sponsored by the Preston County Health Department. On Thursday, the Preston Board of Health honored Pell; his parents, Patrick and Crystal Pell; and Jamie Spahr, who teaches the digital imaging class where Pell worked on the design.

Art’s Commercial & Custom Meats contributed a $250 cash prize to Pell. Owner Art Lipscomb is one of her former students, Spahr noted.

“We really didn’t have a logo,” said Preston Health Department Director V.J. Davis. “We always just used the Preston County logo.”

When the department decided to do its own logo, Davis said his first thought was to contact Preston High to get students involved.

About nine logos were submitted for consideration. Spahr said she was impressed by her students’ designs and by Pell’s choice to use his phone.

Pell said he looked at other counties’ logos and then looked around at Preston for inspiration. The winning design shows a family and the county outline held in a pair of open hands. Encircling it are the words, “Preston County Health Department.”

Davis said Pell’s design was the unanimous choice of the judges.

“You did an excellent job,” Board of Health President Jim Fields told Pell.

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