Living With Fire High School Art Contest

The University of Nevada Reno Extension’s Living With Fire program is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Living With Wildfire High School Art Contest, a creative challenge that engaged high school students across Nevada in exploring the connections between art, science, and the human experience of living in fire-prone environments.

Ninety-seven students participated in the contest from four high schools—Carson City High School, Battle Mountain High School, Spring Creek High School, and West Wendover High School. The contest encouraged students to reflect on both the science of wildfire and their personal experiences, and to express those insights through original visual artwork.

Through generous support from the NV Energy Foundation top artists at each school earned monetary prizes for their outstanding work: $200 for first place, $150 for second, $100 for third, and five honorable mentions of $50 each. Each participating school hosted its own internal competition, supported by dedicated art teachers who inspired students and guided them through the creative process.

Participating teachers include Patricia Ababio (Carson City High School), Aspen Bentley (Battle Mountain High School), Brook Lowe (Spring Creek High School), and Catherine Paje (West Wendover High School).

2025 Contest Winners

Battle Mountain High School

First Place: Jade Scherer
Second Place: Allyssa Ueland
Third Place: Giselle Beltran
Honorable Mentions: Dawson Baker, Keona Colver, Sadie Mudd, Lucia Milan, Rami McGrath

Drawing of a landscape with the shape of a dog in the middle

Drawing of a young woman being surrounded by arms reaching toward her

Two photos of the front and back of a burned postcard

Drawing of a shoe squashing a cigarette in a forest

Drawing of a forest with fire buring on the forest floor

Drawing of a forest fire with a flower growing from it

Two drawings on top of each other, one of a green forest and one with the forest on fire

1st Place - Jude Scherer

2nd Place - Alyssa Ueland

3rd Place - Giselle Beltarn

Honorable Mention - Dawson Baker

Honorable Mention - Keona Colver

Honorable Mention - Lucia Milan

Honorable Mention - Rumi McGrath

Honorable Mention - Sadie Mudd

Carson City High School

First Place: Esmeralda Munoz
Second Place: Jennifer Mora-Rodriguez
Third Place: Karla Brena Gutierrez
Honorable Mentions: Xander Lathrop, Augi Campbell, Erick Pedraza Lopez, Hannah Sandoval, Alayna Limon Gonzalez

Mixed media artowrk of a painting of an eye with burned edges and the iris reflecting a fire

drawing of a home and family being enveloped lovingly by flames

Drawing of the inside of a house with flames visible outside the window

Drawing of a house on a hill with fire surrounding it and a protective barrier around the home

Drawing of a home in a valley being threatened by fire

Drawing of hands holding a plant with fire in the background

Drawing of flames with background of both burned and unburned landscape with text that says, "wildfire."

1st Place - Esmeralda Munoz

2nd Place - Jennifer Mora Rodriguez

3rd Place - Karla Brena Gutierrez

Honorable Mention - Alayna Limon Gonzalez

Honorable Mention - Augi Campbell

Honorable Mention - Erick Pedraza Lopez

Honorable Mention - Hannah Sandoval

Honorable Mention - Zander Lanthrop

Spring Creek High School

First Place: Lena Petry
Second Place: Kenleigh Carsrud
Third Place: Kimberly Dalton
Honorable Mentions: Kailey True, Terri Kole, Tyler Beer, Ava Gerber, Mitchell Smith

Drawing of a young woman in a field smelling a flower made of flames

Painting of a firefighter standing on the edge of a forest fire

Aerial drawing of a forest with a sekeleton on the forest ground

Painting of a deer in a forest with fire coming from it's antlers

Painting of a blue bird flying above a forest on fire

Drawing of a bobcat stalking near a burning wildfire

Drawing of an eye with fire reflected in the iris and tears falling

1st Place - Lena Petry

2nd Place - Kenleigh Carsrud

3rd Place - Kimberly Dalton

Honorable Mention - Ava Gerber

Honorable Mention - Kailey True

Honorable Mention - Mitchell Smith

Honorable Mention - Terri Kole

Honorable Mention - Tyler Beer

West Wendover High School

First Place: Alondra Lopez
Second Place: Yareli Benavides Sanchez
Third Place: Eliana Correa Giles
Honorable Mentions: Brooklyn Griffin, Jennifer Hernandez, Alexis Miramontes, Zaylie Salas, Zylii Marquez