Photo Caption: Steven (far right) with students who volunteered to curate SAUSD’s annual Artspiration at the Bowers Museum. 

As a first generation college graduate, Steven Ramirez wanted to inspire his students to pursue their dreams. An art teacher at Century High School, Steven advocates for his students, especially those with special needs or who face difficult circumstances. “I try my best to not only help my students but to also teach them to advocate for themselves and ask for help to address their individual issues,” he says. 

After working 15 years in the publishing field, he decided to pursue teaching and has never looked back. What he enjoys most is the creativity and interaction with his students. Participating in the annual Youth Water Poster Contest gives him a worthy project that he says adds value to his students’ experience, connecting their work with the broader community. “Sometimes students do not connect the worth of their artwork until they enter a contest,” he adds.  

His enthusiasm for the Annual Youth Water Poster Contest has paid off. For the past four years, his students have participated and have consistently placed as finalists or grand prize winners. One year, his students had a clean sweep with three of them winning!