Seventh grader Sophia Garvida won the Middle School Category in the 2023 Otay Water District Student Poster Contest. Photo: Otay Water District Six student artistsSeventh grader Sophia Garvida won the Middle School Category in the 2023 Otay Water District Student Poster Contest. Photo: Otay Water District

Six Student Artists Win 2023 Otay Poster Contest

Six students from schools in the Otay Water District are the winners of the annual Student Poster Contest. More than 53 students submitted entries from schools in Chula Vista, El Cajon, and Spring Valley. The poster art depicts the value of water and using water wisely.

Students in all grades were asked to create and submit a poster illustrating the theme “Being water wise is…” The District selected winners for the elementary and middle school categories. No high school entries were submitted.

“We are impressed by the representation of water conservation and stewardship in each participant’s artwork,” said Eileen Salmeron, communications assistant and contest coordinator. “Through this program, we find confidence that the young generations have a great awareness of the importance of taking good care of our most precious resource for the future needs of our region.”

Middle school winners

 First place: Sophia Garvida, seventh grade, Bonita Vista Middle School Six student artists

First place: Sophia Garvida, seventh grade, Bonita Vista Middle School. Photo: Otay Water District 

Second place: Andrian Oraha, sixth grade, Hillsdale Middle School. Photo: Otay Water District Six student artists

Second place: Andrian Oraha, sixth grade, Hillsdale Middle School. Photo: Otay Water District

 

Third place: Alyssa Burkard, sixth grade, Hillsdale Middle School. Photo: Otay Water District Six Student artists

Third place: Alyssa Burkard, sixth grade, Hillsdale Middle School. Photo: Otay Water District

 

Elementary school winners

 

First place: Elias Mendoza, fifth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. Photo: Otay Water District

First place: Elias Mendoza, fifth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. Photo: Otay Water District

 

Second place: Katherine Soehn, sixth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. Photo: Otay Water District

Second place: Katherine Soehn, sixth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. Photo: Otay Water District

 

Third place: Sofia Cardenas Loera, fifth grade, STEAM Academy

Third place: Sofia Cardenas Loera, fifth grade, STEAM Academy. Photo: Otay Water District

Winners honored by Otay Water District Board of Directors

The six winners will be honored at the Otay Water District monthly Board of Directors meeting on Wednesday, August 2. Each winner will receive a gift card, certificate, art kit, and goody bag.

In addition, the winning posters are entered in the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s annual student poster contest. MWD selects posters from participating water agencies across Southern California to feature in its 2024 regional student art calendar.

Otay Water District students have an impressive record of being selected.

Two students from the Otay Water District had their artwork featured in the 2023 MWD calendar. Khilee Haull is a seventh grader at Hillsdale Middle School and won first place in the middle school contest. Christian-Kealoha Rogacion is in the fifth grade at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School and won second place in the elementary school category. Sisters Lucia Perez Valles and Sofia Perez Valles had their work featured in the 2021 MWD calendar.

To learn more about the District’s contest and other education programs, visit otaywater.gov/education-programs.

(Editor’s note: The Otay Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.)