What began as a casual assignment quickly turned into a thoughtful piece of visual storytelling for CCHS junior Kyra Miller. She designed a banner for Carroll County to be displayed at the Kentucky School Boards Association conference, centered around the theme “Built to Last.”
“When I heard the theme, I immediately thought of buildings, bricks, construction,” she said. “But I didn’t want it to just be about an actual building. It could be about anything, like friendships, the community, or how things come together over time.”
Her design reflects that broader idea. Instead of focusing on a single symbol, Kyra chose to highlight teamwork and connection. Words selected for the project, such as those representing values and qualities, were incorporated into individual bricks, reinforcing the message that a strong community is built piece by piece.
Kyra’s process blends traditional and digital techniques. She began with a hand-drawn sketch on paper, then photographed it and refined the design using Ibis Paint, a free app she uses regularly on her iPad.
“It depends on what I’m drawing,” she explained about her artistic choice. “I like sketching on paper, especially for bodies and shapes, but it’s easier to color and add texture digitally.”
Even with the finished banner selected for display, Kyra remains her own toughest critic.
“I’m pretty hard on myself,” she admitted. “There were some parts, like the bricks in the middle, where I kept trying to get the shadows just right. I didn’t want it to look like a flat wall.”
That drive to improve has been part of her artistic journey since childhood. Kyra has been creating art since she was about five years old, experimenting with different styles and mediums along the way.
“When I was little, I just drew for fun and didn’t worry about how good it was,” she said. “Then I started comparing myself to other people and wanted to get better. But I realized you improve more when you actually enjoy it.”
Today, she focuses on drawing and painting, often creating original characters and stories or taking inspiration from her favorite shows, especially anime. She has taken art classes every year at CCHS, building on a foundation that started in middle school after moving to Carroll County from Hazard in eighth grade.
Despite her talent and recognition, Kyra doesn’t plan to turn art into a career.
“If it becomes a job, I feel like I wouldn’t enjoy it as much,” she said. “I want it to stay something I love doing.”
Instead, she is considering a future in science education, possibly as a high school biology teacher. Her curiosity about how the world works, especially topics like human anatomy, has fueled that interest.
“Biology is my favorite,” she said. “Life is just really interesting. Even something like how your eyes work. Your brain has to flip everything you see because it comes in upside down. That’s just so cool to me.”
Outside of school, Kyra continues to explore her creativity in new ways, including animation projects she shares on YouTube and a growing collection of paintings and drawings she displayed at the school’s annual art show.
“Thanks to Miss Miller for lending her artistic talents to our school district's KSBA submission poster,” Carroll County Schools Superintendent Casey Jaynes said. “She certainly has skills that are "built to last" with her art and her academic studies.”