Monica Brimmer plans to study engineering, but it is her artistic talent which has put her name in lights at Tumut High School.

Soon, her name will also be emblazoned on Snowy 2.0's fourth mega tunnel boring machine, after the 15-year-old Aboriginal student won an art and storytelling competition to celebrate its construction.

Monica was surprised to hear at a recent assembly she had won.

"I wasn't feeling nervous because I really didn't think I was going to win," Monica said.

"I felt proud of the artwork and the message behind it.

"I put a lot of work into it.

"To know that my name is going to be on the machine gives me something to look back on as a really big achievement, not just for me, but my school community."

Snowy 2.0 established the competition with the school and the Stars Foundation, a mentoring program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women.

A Snowy 2.0 spokesperson said Monica's entry was "inspired by flowing water, connected dams, mountains, energy, an underground power station and a connection to Country".

Tumut High School principal Brad Taylor said he was proud of all his students' entries to the competition.

"The quality of the pieces and the story behind each of them was truly amazing, demonstrating the deep connection to the local environment and the understanding of the importance of renewable energy that is at the heart of the Snowy scheme," Mr Taylor said.

"The Tumut High School community has strong connections to the mountains and waterways, both through historic family ties to the original Snowy Scheme and ongoing connections culturally, recreationally and through work opportunities.

"As a proud Aboriginal student, Monica has created an artwork that represents her culture as well as the broader connection to the local environment."

Monica told organisers her artwork represented the creation of renewable energy and symbolised a “greener future in which the land and our animals are better cared for”.

“Knowing there’s something really important to the project out there with my name, in the mountains, is really cool," she said.

“I’ve been interested in engineering for quite a while – and it’s pretty cool to put art and engineering together as part of something I could put my mind to.”