High School Senior Essay Scholarship Contest

  1. 2025
  2. Previous Years

High school seniors who live in Bastrop or Lee County are invited to submit an original essay on water issues that shape our communities.


Submission deadline: November 21, 2025

Winners announced: December 10, 2025

Recognition: At the LPGCD Public Board Meeting on December 17, 2025

Awards

  • First Place: $500 scholarship

  • Second Place: $300 scholarship

  • Third Place: $200 scholarship

2025 Essay Prompts

  1. Your Water Story: Share what water means to you personally. This could be a memory, tradition, or experience that shaped how you view water in your daily life and in your community.
  2. Imagining the Future: Write a creative short story that shows why conserving water today is essential for the generations of tomorrow. You can set it in the near future, far future, or even create a fictional world where water plays a central role. Imagine the consequences if we don’t conserve our water, or the possibilities if we do.
  3. Water and Community Resilience:  Explore how your community depends on water and how it can adapt to challenges like population growth, climate change, or drought. What role can young people play in building a water-smart future?

How to Submit

  1. Choose one prompt
  2. Write your essay following the guidelines below
  3. Email PDF to cmarks@lostpineswater.org

Guidelines

Length: 500–1,000 words
Format:

  • Typed, double-spaced

  • Times New Roman, 12-point font

  • 1-inch margins on all sides

Cover page must include:

  • Essay title

  • Student’s name

  • School and grade

  • Contact email

  • Contact phone number

File type and submission:

  • Submit as a PDF

  • Email to cmarks@lostpineswater.org by November 21, 2025

  • Subject line: Essay Contest – [Your Last Name], [School]

Original work only:

  • Essays must be student-authored original work.

  • Plagiarism or AI authorship will result in disqualification. You may use ChatGPT or other AI only for brainstorming. Do not use AI to write or rewrite your essay. Submissions will be checked for AI use.

References:

  • Cite sources in MLA or APA format.

  • The reference page does not count toward the word total.