Student Winners Announced for Pennsylvania American Water’s Annual “Protect Our Watersheds” Art Contest

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (June 24, 2022) – Pennsylvania American Water today announced the winners of its 20^th Annual “Protect Our Watersheds” art contest, with a sixth-grade student from Cumberland County scoring top honors. The company received more than 400 entries from fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders across the Commonwealth.

Sixth grader Colton Stamy of Eagle View Middle School in Mechanicsburg earned the grand prize for his artwork, which will be featured on the cover of Pennsylvania American Water’s annual “Protect Our Watersheds” wall calendar. The calendars will be printed and distributed across the Commonwealth later this year for use in 2023. 

“With increasing emphasis on environmental education in schools, we are seeing more students take an active role in watershed preservation and protection,” said Pennsylvania American Water President Mike Doran. “Activities like our art contest help to remind us that we all have a part in protecting our water sources.”

Stamy’s artwork earned first prize among eastern Pennsylvania entries, followed by Ellie Hine, a sixth-grade student also from Eagle View Middle School, in second place. Sixth-grader Genevieve Cobley, of St. Mary’s of Carmel School in Dunmore (Lackawanna County), finished third.

In western Pennsylvania, the first-place winner is Annelise Mayer, a sixth-grade student from Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Pittsburgh (Allegheny County), with second place going to sixth-grader Layden Painter from Butler Catholic School (Butler County), and fifth-grader Faith Simon from Ave Maria School in Jefferson Hills (Allegheny County) earning third place.

In addition to having their artwork featured in the 2023 wall calendar, winners will receive bookstore gift cards.

Six runners-up have also been selected, and their artwork will be featured in the calendar and highlighted on the company’s social media channels. They are: Michelle An Dao and Pranaya Ponduri, both sixth-graders at Eagle View Middle School; Elizabeth Rich, a sixth-grader at Holy Rosary Elementary School in St. Duryea (Luzerne County); Madalyn Krill, a fifth-grader at Butler Catholic School; Harper Davies, a sixth-grader at Thomas Jefferson Middle School; and Maddie Fellin, a sixth-grader at Ave Maria Academy.

Pennsylvania American Water’s contest requires that the students accompany their artwork with a short description of how watershed protection affects them personally.

Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 2.4 million people. For more information, visit www.pennsylvaniaamwater.com and follow Pennsylvania American Water on Twitter and Facebook.

About American Water

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water (NYSE:AWK) is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people in 24 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and diversityataw.com.Follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.