OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) - Students at El Camino High School have a chance to put their stamp on pop culture.
They're designing shoes for the Vans Custom Culture competition.
El Camino High School is one of just 500 schools in the country to be picked for the contest.
More than 200 students submitted designs at the school, but only two will advance to the national competition.
Sophomore Isiah Duran is one of the students whose design was chosen.
"I basically did what I thought was Oceanside," he says. "The pier, sunsets, the beach."
The students could make designs based on two categories, "Local Flavor" and "Off the Wall."
"It resonates with the younger culture," says El Camino Art Teacher Diego De La Luz. "It resonates with activities that range from biking to skateboarding and really just the Southern California vibe which Oceanside is all about."
The winner will receive $75,000 for their school's art department. Vans will also endow a scholarship for a student from the winning school to attend the Laguna Art Institute.
De La Luz says the students will decide how to spend the money at the school if they win. He adds that $75,000 would provide a big boost to the art department, especially as districts tighten their budgets and art programs are often among the first to be cut.
"Having that opportunity for the cash prize would cushion some of our artistic ambitions for the students," says De La Luz.
Students say it's pretty amazing to try and design for a company they already love.
"I'm wearing Vans right now," says Junior Aymee Locke. "If I had my own design on a shoe and I get to show that off to everyone, I would totally do that. I think that's super cool."
The schools have to turn in their designs by April 16. Public voting takes place from April 22 to May 3. The top 5 designs will be announced May 6-10 with the winners announced sometime between May 13 and 17.
