Winston High School Student Earns Top Costume Design Honors at Winkie Con

Submitted by Mary Mancerra:

Sixteen-year-old Katie McKittrick was very productive over her summer vacation: She imagined, sewed and hand-crafted a contest-winning costume that stole the show at this summer’s Winkie Con 50, a convention that celebrates the iconic film The Wizard of Oz.

Her masterpiece paid homage to the fantasy idol Glinda the Good Witch. Well, more like half of Glinda.

While her peers at Del Mar’s Winston School were on summer vacation, McKittrick was deep in creative mode working on her project.

Dorothy is her favorite Oz character in the film, but going against the grain, she wanted a costume that would stand out. Her choice: A good-versus-evil combination of Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West, complete with ruby slippers and a handmade broom.

Her artistic precision especially shined in the ruby slippers she crafted by gluing individual strands of red sequins to an original pair of 1930’s dress shoes.

“I tried to create something unique that no one else would do,” says McKittrick, who has exhibited an extraordinary artistic aptitude since she was three years old.

Creating is fun for her and she didn’t mind a bit that the project took two weeks of her summer break to complete. It’s passion, not work to her.

“I love expressing myself creatively,” she bubbles. The costume netted McKittrick Best Costume in the Winkie Con contest and earned her $100 Winkie Bucks in Winkie Con merchandise.

“Katie’s artistic talent is a gift,”says her mother Jennifer. “She has been creating, drawing and painting since she was little.

“Katie’s imagination is boundless and she has the talent that enables her to bring her ideas to fruition.”

That’s an understatement. McKittrick’s creative streak surfaced at just 3 years old when she drew a three-dimensional design for her family’s annual Christmas card.

Since then she has traversed artistic media over the years with painting, sculpting, sewing and animated film projects.

“Katie has vision.

“She is fascinated with anything Disney and old Hollywood. She often spends her time creating animated shorts, writing songs and of course, painting,” says proud mom Jennifer.

Her ambition is to work for the Disney studios.

Both Jennifer and Katie credit the Winston School’s focus on art as a learning tool for helping to cultivate the teen’s talents.

The curriculum is tailored for students with learning differences and teachers actually pinpoint the learning style that works best for each student while supporting a particular talent or area of interest.

“We use art to create literacy and cultivate expression,” says Winston School Headmaster Mike Peterson. “It’s very individual.”

Judging by Katie’s natural born talents and recent accomplishments, a budding career may soon be in the making. Artist? Filmmaker? Costume designer? Who knows? But jot down the name Katie McKittrick as you’re sure to read about this talented teen again in the future.