Alexandra Grossman, a senior at Smithfield High School, won second place in the Virginia School Boards Association’s ninth annual student video contest.

The contest challenged high school students across Virginia to create a 30-second video around the theme of “How Virtual Learning Changed My School Year.” Grossman’s entry, “Different Look, Same Great School,” highlights how being a student in 2020 Smithfield High School looks different from last year for her and her classmates.

Grossman previously participated in the contest her sophomore year as part of a team of students. As the years have progressed, the team dwindled to just one — her — for the 2020 competition. She worked closely with David Elliott, Isle of Wight County Schools’ coordinator of educational technologies and communications, for technical support and guidance.

Her inspiration for this year’s video stemmed from a humorous conversation she had with Elliot about the differences of virtual learning compared to in-person learning — and what had stayed the same.

“This has been the most enjoyable and creative project for me yet, and I am so thankful for everything Mr. Elliot and this competition have taught me about videography, and most importantly myself,” Grossman said. “This annual VSBA video competition in particular is what inspired me to pursue this area further in college.”

Videos were judged on how well they addressed the topic, the quality of the production of the video, as well as the depth of thought and creativity of the video. The contest was open to Virginia public high school students, and one entry per school division was accepted.

Grossman’s entry is posted on the IWCS YouTube Channel and can be found at: https://youtu.be/6997qpLeA9k.