Sophomore Eddie Avila has spent countless hours capturing the spirit of Moses Lake High School through the lens of his camera. Now, his efforts behind that lens have earned him national recognition.

Avila was recently named the Section 8 recipient of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Heart of the Arts Award — a prestigious honor celebrating students who demonstrate passion, creativity, and heart through the arts. The award recognizes students across the country who have overcome adversity, made meaningful contributions to their schools, or used the arts as a powerful vehicle for change. Avila is believed to be the first student in Moses Lake High School history to receive the distinction.

“Instead of going to root on his fellow schoolmates in the student section, he picks up his camera and takes pictures for the annual or just as a hobby,” wrote Loren Sandhop, MLHS Athletic Director, in his nomination of Eddie for the award. “He has taken his talents of photography into the community to help sell our need for funding our programs.”

Avila’s love of photography emerged during his freshman year after taking elective courses in photography and yearbook. He was named CTE (Career and Technical Education) Photography Student of the Year and has continued to develop his craft in and out of the classroom — often forgoing typical student downtime to shoot sports events, student activities, and candid moments around campus.

But it was during a time of challenge for Moses Lake School District that Eddie’s talents took on new meaning. In 2023 and 2024, the district faced a $20 million budget shortfall after consecutive levy failures. In response, students, staff, and community members rallied together to save athletics and activities — programs that often rely on local levy funding.

Amid that effort, Eddie chose to use his photography to advocate for those very programs. His work appeared in a Columbia Basin Herald feature, capturing the faces and stories behind the community’s push to preserve student opportunities.

Eddie is also active on the junior varsity basketball team and has volunteered as a coach for youth basketball programs and a referee for Unified Basketball, which brings together students with and without disabilities in inclusive competition.

For the Heart of the Arts award, he was selected out of thousands of students across Section 8, which includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and Wyoming.

“Eddie is a bright light in our district — not just because of his talent, but because of how he uses it to lift others up,” said MLSD’s Director of Public Relations, Ryan Shannon. “His storytelling ability is amazing. This honor reflects the very best of our students and staff.”

For now, Eddie remains humble about the recognition — and focused on the next photo.