Mecca Givens
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Typewriter
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
3D art
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Mecca Givens, whose brother recently completed Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, entered two pieces in a Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation
arts and crafts competition. 'Madness in Wonderland,' above, took second place in the 3D Mixed Media ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

As Mecca Givens browsed Fort Jackson's website to find more information on where her older brother would be spending 10 weeks of his life, she stumbled across an ad for a contest.

"The website said something about an art contest going on," she said. "I went to Mississippi School of the Arts and had never won anything before, so I thought I would give it a try," she said.

Givens entered two pieces into the FMWR Arts and Crafts contest. Eager to learn if she won or not, she called the contest department often to see when judgments would be announced.

"I called one day and the lady said she would email the winners Monday," she said. "When Monday came around and I didn't get an email, I called my mom and told her the bad news that I didn't win."

Wanting to see what improvements she could make to get better at her craft, Givens went on FMWR's website to look at pictures of the contest winners pieces.

" I started strolling and then stop. I looked at the picture and said 'Wait, that's mine!'," she said.

Givens reaction was to cry from happiness. She won first place in the Novice 2D Mixed Media for her piece "Typewriter in the Theatre" and second place in the 3D Mixed Media Novice for "Madness in Wonderland."

"I couldn't believe I won. I was so happy," she said.