America250 is a nonpartisan initiative working to engage every American in commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. America250 is hosting a contest for students in grades three to 12 to share their perspectives on what America means to them with the chance to travel to some of the country’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks. 
 
ALA Department of Pennsylvania Junior Member Lydia Zink is one of those contest winners. 
 
Can you describe the artwork you submitted for the America250 Contest?
I drew a portrait of myself, making sure to include my long, blonde hair and blue eyes, with a thought bubble coming from my head. Inside the thought bubble were drawings of different careers like president, judge, astronaut, doctor, architect, lawyer, scientist, teacher, and detective. On the artwork, I wrote, “America means freedom to be anything when I grow up.” I wanted to show how a girl like me could grow up to be any career she wants.
 
How did you feel when you found out you were one of the winners out of thousands?
I was really excited. I didn’t think I would win because of how many entries there were. I saw what the prizes were and thought I would try my best, not knowing what would happen. I couldn’t believe I was a winner, and I was able to choose the trip I wanted out of a bunch of choices. I chose Yellowstone National Park because I would be able to fly on a plane to get there and see something that is on a lot of people’s bucket lists.
 
Tell us about your visit to Yellowstone. 
It started with my very first flight ever. We flew from Pennsylvania to Chicago, then to Bozeman, Montana. The scenery was very different from where I live in Pennsylvania. 
 
The next day, we started by visiting the Roosevelt Arch entryway into Yellowstone. As we drove, three huge bison came strolling down the road right past our bus! We made stops all along the way to different pull-offs to see different animals. 
 
Most of the animals we saw were around the Lamar Valley, the famous valley known for having lots of bison. We ended the afternoon by visiting the Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center, a place that houses historical artifacts about the park. We got a behind-the-scenes tour of the archives and library, learned how to tell different animal footprints apart from each other, and saw the skeleton of Wolf 302M, a famous wolf from the park. 
 
The next morning, we headed out to see the thermal features of Yellowstone. Our first stop was the Emerald Spring, a large turquoise pond, then Steamboat Geyser — which didn’t erupt — but had huge clouds of steam coming from it. Then we went to the Grand Prismatic Spring, one of the most famous features in Yellowstone. It was so colorful and there were bison and coyote footprints in the hot thermal mud nearby. We used an infrared thermometer to test the temperatures of the springs. Some parts were very hot — it makes sense that we were only allowed on the boardwalk and not allowed to walk or touch any part of the springs or thermal features. 
 
Our next stop was the Old Faithful Inn for lunch. Our group ate lunch on the deck and watched the Old Faithful Geyser erupt while we were eating! We then hiked and explored the areas around Old Faithful, then were able to watch it erupt again about an hour later! 
 
We also went to the visitor center and I got my National Parks passport, which is a book where you collect stamps from each of the National Parks in the U.S. 
 
What was your favorite part of the trip?
It’s hard to pick a favorite part because I liked all of the trip, but I really liked seeing Old Faithful erupt twice.
 
What does it mean to you as an ALA Junior member that your America-themed artwork was one of the winners in this contest?
It means a lot. I have been a Junior member for two years, and I am the current poppy princess. I am
involved with the ALA because my grandfather served in the Army, and my grandmother is one of the
officers for our local chapter. I have helped with different events for the ALA, such as their Pumpkins and Pancakes event, the Memorial Day events and parade, and my school’s Veterans Day program where I handed out poppy flowers to the veterans. I have also won my local-level Poppy Poster Contest for my age group, which is run by the ALA. I have a lot of pride in our country and our veterans. All of the winners I met on the trip each had their own unique way of showing their patriotism, which helped show the meaning of the contest in the first place.
 


Any advice to other Juniors who may want to participate in this contest in the future?
Think about what America means to you and express it in your words or your artwork. Make it unique to you and how you feel. 
 
The contest for the 2025-2026 school year will begin in Fall 2025. For updates, visit America's Field Trip Contest.