AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – A local high school student is the winner of the top prize in a video contest promoting safe driving.

When it came time for 10th grader Daniel Bagi to pick a project for his audio/video production class, he knew the Buckle Up Georgia video contest was the one for him.

“I wanted to make something that is catchy and stays in people’s minds,” says Bagi, a student at Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. “And I wanted to make it unique so it stands out.”

Bagi’s audio/video production teacher has his students work on projects to hone their skills throughout the year.

“…trying to challenge them to kind of think outside the box and not be cookie cutter like, you know, do what everybody else is doing,” says LeRon James, the Audio/Video Production Teacher at Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. “And those people who really are passionate and self-driven are the ones that usually fare the best.”

With the help of four other Davidson students, Bagi worked on his film for a month before submitting it to the “Buckle Up Georgia” contest. 

“Initially, when he first told me about the idea, I was like, ‘uh…this is cringey’…” says Mr. James. “…you know, because it was like ‘we will rock you’, but it’s ‘buckle up’. But, when he started working with it, I was like, ‘okay, this is unique…it could win’.” 

And it did. 

Bagi’s 30-second video landed him first place. He was presented his award- a MacBook Pro- at the Georgia High School Association Football Championships in December.

“I was making my vision come to life,” says Bagi. “That was a really special moment for me and I will cherish that moment, probably, for the rest of my life.”

As for future plans, Bagi tells me he wants to go into the film or broadcast industries, saying he “can’t wait to see what the future holds”.