This year’s judges are all passionate about self-care and wellness. The judging panel will help us determine our 54 state and territory winners and five national finalists, one of whom will become the overall national winner.
Selena Gomez is a Grammy-nominated artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. One of her personal passions is starting conversations about mental health, and in 2019 she founded the Rare Impact Fund, pledging to raise $100 million for mental health services for individuals in underserved communities. “Art has always been an important part of my life,” she says. “I’m excited to join this year’s jury for the Doodle for Google competition, as the theme is ‘I Take Care of Myself’, a topic close to my heart. As a long-time advocate for mental health awareness, the idea that self-care has become part of our daily conversation gives me hope for the future.
Our second judge, Elyse Fox, is a director, model and mental health activist. She created Sad Girls Club, a nonprofit organization committed to destigmatizing the mental wellness of millennial and Gen Z women, girls, and women of color, and is a member of the Rare Beauty Mental Health Council. “This year’s theme of ‘I take care of myself’ is an important question we should all be asking ourselves, especially in today’s climate,” she says. “I love this theme because sometimes people can think that taking care of ourselves is selfish, but instead it’s necessary that we prioritize being the best versions of who we want to be.”
Our final judge, Juliana Urtubey, is the 2021 National Teacher of the Year and she is currently a special education co-teacher at Kermit Booker Elementary School in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has spent her career advocating for joyful and just education for all, and community well-being is at the center of her mission. “One of the ways I take care of myself is through self-reflection and engagement with my community,” she says. “Knowing yourself and understanding how and why you process certain emotions is influenced by where you come from, and for me, my collective community keeps me grounded and centered. I teach my students how to recognize and regulate their emotions and since their relationships and interactions with family, friends and community members can have a major impact on their health and well-being, we always talk about our emotions in a community context.
