SAN ANTONIO – Out of more than 200 submitted entries across the state, a North East Independent School District middle schooler has won first place in a recent video contest.
Sofia Ramirez, a sixth-grader who attends STEM Academy at Nimitz Middle School, won the ‘Take Care of Texas’ video contest sponsored by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
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“It was pretty surreal,” Ramirez said, upon learning of the win. “I wasn’t even expecting to win, but I did!”
Each year, students throughout the state grab their video cameras and head outside to compete in the annual contest. The goal is to produce the most entertaining and compelling content that demonstrates how to keep Texas’ air and water clean, reduce waste, and conserve water and energy, TCEQ’s press release said.
NEISD said Ramirez, who enjoys performing, music, and science, researched and wrote the script for her video and her father helped with some of the filming and editing. The video is about the importance of taking care of our water supply.
“One of the most shocking things is the scientists have found weedkiller in drinking water,” Ramirez said. “That’s pretty bad. I don’t want to drink that. I assume no one else did either. So, I thought maybe I could get it out there.”
TCEQ said team members chose 12 finalists from more than 200 entries and then members of the public voted on a winner along with the TCEQ commissioners, executive staff, and representatives from the contest sponsor, Waste Management of Texas, Inc.
Jacobo Arango, an 11th-grade student at Cypress Woods High School in Cypress, took first place in the high school category.
“This is one of the most fun days of the year, said Charles Rivette, Senior Market Area Planner at Waste Management, Inc. “We’re proud and happy to be a part of this student video contest.”
The Take Care of Texas statewide campaign provides helpful information on Texas’ successes in environmental protection and encourages all Texans to help keep our air and water clean, conserve water and energy, and reduce waste, TCEQ said.