When Arizona drivers have the option to choose a new specialty license plate for their vehicles in 2025, the design and colors of the plates, which will provide financial support for the nonprofit Teen Lifeline, will be influenced by the creative talent of an Arizona teenager.

Teen Lifeline has announced three winners of its specialty license plate design contest, and one of them is from Peoria.

Top entries were chosen for their creativity and their ability to convey hope within the format of an Arizona license plate. Contest winners were:

• First Place – Trevor Owens, from Show Low High School, who received a $500 gift card.
• Second Place – Chloe Patterson, from Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, who was awarded a $250 gift card.
• Third Place – Daniela Garay, from Peoria High School, who won a $100 gift card.

The contest was created to give Arizona teenagers the opportunity to express their creativity by designing a new specialty license plate that will remind drivers that there is hope for adolescents struggling with depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide.

The contest was open to all teens aged 19 and younger throughout Arizona. In addition to winning cash prizes, three students can share bragging rights that their creative talents were considered for developing the final design of a new specialty license plate that will soon be seen on vehicles statewide.

“Teen Lifeline is founded on the belief that teenagers have the best and most trusted voices for reaching other teens,” said Michelle Moorhead, executive director at Teen Lifeline. “The designs submitted by students from every corner of Arizona reflect a deep understanding of the struggles young people are facing and their need for support and hope.”

The design contest generated more than 80 concept submissions.

The new Teen Lifeline specialty license plate is expected to be available to Arizona drivers beginning in early 2025. It will cost $25 annually, with $17 from each purchase supporting the Teen Lifeline suicide prevention hotline and its other programs and services.

Specialty license plates were first made available in Arizona in 1989 and must be authorized by the Arizona Legislature. House Bill 2859, authorizing a Teen Lifeline license plate, was signed into law by Governor Katie Hobbs on April 9, 2024.

Teen Lifeline is an Arizona-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to prevent teen suicide by enhancing resiliency in youth and fostering supportive communities.