Pasadena Water and Power Announces Winners of Art Contest and Academic Scholarships

Two students from the same Pasadena Unified elementary school drew the two winning entries in Pasadena Water and Power’s 2026 water conservation art contest: a fifth-grader who drew a girl holding a melting Earth shaped like a heart, and a third-grader who drew a waterfall running through a forest.

The utility announced Tuesday that Isabella B., 5th grade, took first place for “Water is a Necessity,” and that Jonpatrick (Jordan) S., 3rd grade, took second for “Water is Part of Nature.” Both attend Daniel Webster Elementary School on East Washington Boulevard.

The city also named the winners of PWP’s annual STEM scholarships, worth $5,000 and $2,500, and pointed students toward a third award that has not yet closed.

The contest is open to Pasadena students in grades K-12 and is run each year with the Metropolitan Water District, according to the release. Entries were due April 30, 2026. PWP’s water system serves Pasadena and portions of unincorporated Altadena, East Pasadena and San Gabriel, and the utility’s program rules require applicants to live inside that territory.

Adrianna Bäumle of Blair High School won the first-place scholarship. The release says her submission highlighted her enthusiasm for mechanical engineering and her intention to apply her problem-solving skills to climate change.

Mildred Gonzalez of John Muir High School Early College Magnet won second place. According to the release, she plans to study Business Economics and Finance and is interested in environmental sustainability and ethics in STEM-focused business leadership.

Applicants for both scholarships submitted a video of at least three and no more than five minutes, responding to a prompt about how a STEM field connects to the utility industry, public service or sustainability. Submissions for the 2026 educational scholarship are closed.

The four winners were presented certificates of recognition inside the Pasadena City Council chambers, PWP said. General Manager David Reyes, Vice Mayor Jess Rivas and Assistant General Manager Jen Guess Mayo joined the youngsters for the presentation.

One award is still open. PWP is offering a $1,000 Utility Trade Scholarship, new this year, to a Pasadena resident enrolling in a utility trade at a vocational or technical school or a community college in Southern California for the 2026-2027 academic year. The deadline to apply is Thursday, December 31, 2026.

Applications and requirements are posted at pwp.cityofpasadena.net/scholarship. Questions go to PWP Communications at PWPCommunications@CityOfPasadena.net or (626) 744-4005, weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Transcripts may be mailed to the PWP Marketing Team at 150 South Los Robles Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91101.