SPECIAL TO THE PVT Pahrump Valley High School art teacher Crystal Dabrowski poses with her student, Logan Cratty, and Congressman Dean Heller. The portrait drawn by Cratty is of four-star General Alexander Haig. Advertisement

Logan Cratty was a sophomore at Pahrump Valley High School when he won a statewide art contest in May. His entry, a pencil drawing of Alexander Haig, won him a trip to Washington, D.C., last month.

"I just thought the drawing would be challenging," said Cratty, who completed his entry in art teacher Crystal Dabrowski's Art II class.

Cratty said he grew up in Pahrump and had never taken art before the 10th grade. "But now I plan to take drawing in 11th and 12th grades. It's something off to the side. My main interest is sports -- soccer and wrestling."

Cratty took advantage of his trip to the nation's capitol. "I went to the Smithsonian and was in the White House on June 24. There were 50 of us -- winners from each state -- and we went to workshops and met with our congressmen.

"It was green there," Cratty said. "I'm not used to seeing that much green."