Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School sophomore Ella Sofia Lemen took home the grand prize at the 2025 Prince William Water Water Art Invitational, while other high school students from Prince William County Public Schools received top honors at the event held recently at Unity Reed High School.
Students representing 10 high schools submitted 190 creative photographs, paintings, drawings, and computer graphic pieces for the event. The theme was a reflection of Prince William Water's new tagline, "Your Water. Your Environment."
Lemen earned the Joyce P. Eagles Grand Prize for her artwork, which features a young girl watering flowers and highlights the relationship between taking care of our environment and the environment taking care of us in return.
Take a virtual walk through this online Water Art Invitational 2025 winners gallery to view the artwork of the student artists.
Each winning piece of art will be framed and displayed in Prince William Water facilities and featured in a Water Art Invitational wall calendar for 2026.
Congratulations to the winners:
Joyce P. Eagles Grand Prize
- Ella Sofia Lemen, Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School
Painting & Drawing
- First Place: Molly Montgomery, Gainesville High School
- Second Place: Kara Avolio, Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School
- Third Place: Morgan Smith, Woodbridge High School
Computer Graphics
- First Place: Jazmine Scott, Unity Reed High School
- Second Place: Eden Mootooveeren, Gainesville High School
- Third Place: Jenna Heilen, Battlefield High School
Photography
- First Place: Catherine Lee Bedell, Gainesville High School
- Second Place: Arwa Zinddine, Gar-Field High School
- Third Place: Caitlin Owlett, Forest Park High School
- Keep Prince William Beautiful Award: Kathryn Quintiliano, Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School
General Manager's Awards:
- Maddie McClellan, Battlefield High School
- Rachel Elrod, Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School
- Jamie Scheufele, Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School
- Christopher Brainoo, Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School
- Rylie German, Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School
- Brooklyn Porfiris, Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School
- Damien Williams, Forest Park High School
- Sofia Lerch, Forest Park High School
- Taylor Parker, Forest Park High School
- Bibi Hajera Niazai, Freedom High School
- Laren Swonger, Gainesville High School
- Credo Awoussi, Gar-Field High School
- Samantha Halander, C.D. Hylton High School
- Cole Francis, Patriot High School
- Clara Nguyen, Unity Reed High School
- Brandon Ayala Chavarria, Woodbridge High School
Photo credit: Prince William Water