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October 27, 2025
UISD Announces Winners of Anti-Vaping Poster Contest!
UISD's Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselors (LCDCs) and the UISD Police Department hosted the district's 3rd Annual Anti-Vaping Poster Contest. Trophies were awarded to the students placing 1st through 6th. UISD congratulated all the participants for their creative and thoughtful submissions! Community volunteer judges selected the top six winners.
1st - Israel Garcia - Killam Elementary
2nd - Isabella Lucia Farinas de Armas - Malakoff Elementary
3rd - Liam Cortez - Trautmann Elementary
4th - Emma Segovia - Trautmann Elementary
5th - Makayla Ramirez - Centeno Elementary
6th - Noah Sifuentes - Ruiz Elementary
The district's Director for Guidance and Counseling Melissa Ramirez says the event is a key preventative measure for 5th grade students from across all UISD elementary campuses.
"What we are trying to do is provide that intervention and that prevention with our students starting at the elementary level for vaping," said Ramirez. "We want them to know the dangers of vaping, and we want them to stay away from that.
"We want to start them young in elementary," she continues. "That way, when they go into middle school, with the peer pressures, they know the dangers and the effects of vaping."
Hector M. Gutierrez is one of five UISD Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselors. He says the team does a lot of outreach to the schools to get everyone involved.
"So we go out to the schools and talk to our counselors at the elementaries and encourage them to have the students participate, and each school submits three posters," said Gutierrez.
"It’s really important for us to try to get them motivated. We teach it as a healthy lifestyle choice, and it's a little bit easier for them to buy into the idea."
The judging took place recently at the UISD Student Activity Center or SAC. Approximately 100 participants received a medal for their individual entries.
"It's a great program," states Ramirez. "They work on these posters at home as well. Their siblings see them working on them, and the parents get involved. It's a ripple effect, and usually the entire family gets involved working on the anti-vaping posters."
1st - Israel Garcia - Killam Elementary
2nd - Isabella Lucia Farinas de Armas - Malakoff Elementary
3rd - Liam Cortez - Trautmann Elementary
4th - Emma Segovia - Trautmann Elementary
5th - Makayla Ramirez - Centeno Elementary
6th - Noah Sifuentes - Ruiz Elementary