Student wins statewide Safe2Say Digital Poster Contest

Nehal Palan, a senior at Harry S. Truman High School, won first place in the state-wide Safe2Say Digital Poster Contest among twelfth grade students. Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. It provides an opportunity for youth and adults to anonymously report tips on individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others. As the winner, Palan’s poster will be displayed on the Office of Attorney General websites, social media platforms, and future digital and print marketing.

Palan began the design-process by sketching out a few ideas for the poster to see which one she liked the most and then began designing in Adobe Photoshop. Her messaging includes “Don’t just be a bystander. Be a reporter” and “See it. Report it.” The graphics showcase a student being bullied by a few students while another student uses her phone to “say something” and report the bullying. “The message and feelings I wanted to create when students look at my poster is a call to action, and a feeling of empowerment to stand up for their fellow students and take action when they see something wrong or worrying,” said Palan.

After she added the messaging and text, she finished her design by including the Safe2Say Something logo, contact information and mobile app. When Palan found out she won the contest, it felt unreal and incredible. “I couldn’t believe that I won because I’ve never won a contest like this before. It felt really great to have my talent recognized by other people and just be seen as talented in general,” she said. “It’s also crazy to think that a poster I designed will be sent out to schools around the state to be displayed just like the other posters I’ve seen. Even though I’m graduating this year, it’ll be surreal if I see it hung up and think, ‘I designed that.’”

In addition to having her poster hung up around schools across Pennsylvania, she also won a GoPro Hero10 and $200 Amazon gift card. “I would like to thank the entire Bristol Township School District community for congratulating me and celebrating my accomplishment, as well as Mr. Morgan for being my graphic design teacher for two years, and introducing me to this opportunity and keeping me motivated because I probably never would have found out about this contest if it wasn’t for him. Even if I had, I might not have felt as encouraged or motivated to enter,” said Palan. “I’m so happy that I was picked as the first place winner and I can’t wait to see what happens next.”