Tierra del Sol Fifth Grader Kenya Lopez Ramirez Honored at AZ-529

Kenya Guadalupe Lopez Ramirez, a fifth grader at Tierra del Sol Elementary in Yuma County, stood at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix as one of 19 Arizona students honored in AZ529’s Future Career Art Contest and received a certificate and a giant $529 check to seed her AZ529 education savings account. Kenya says she wants to be a scientist when she grows up, and KYMA reported the award gives her “a good start” toward that goal.

Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee and AZ529, Arizona’s Education Savings Plan, presented the awards at a ceremony in Phoenix; Eacourier noted the ceremony was held Thursday, Feb. 26. KYMA and Eacourier said the 19 winners were selected from more than 900 entries statewide; KVOA put that total at 906 entries. Winners were photographed with Treasurer Yee and given checks intended for their AZ529 accounts.

Treasurer Yee framed the contests as part of a statewide push to pair early career thinking with college savings. “Our statewide contests for students continue to help inspire children about their future careers and guide them towards a savings plan for higher education. We have reached every corner of Arizona to send this important message about educational opportunities for all. An AZ529 Education Savings Plan gives them that pathway,” Yee said. The PrescottTimes reported the treasurer added, “Each of the student winners received $529 towards an AZ529 Education Savings Plan account to help advance their future dreams. These savings provide endless opportunities, including college, vocational school, workforce development, apprenticeship programs and more.”

The group of winners illustrated a wide range of aspirations and school types. Eacourier highlighted Thatcher Elementary third-grader Sofia Araya-Medrano, Bonita Elementary fifth-grader Amiana Baltierrez, and Fairbanks Middle School’s Jennifer Ceballos among the 19 selected; Amiana depicted a future as a fashion designer and Jennifer imagined a career as a professional special effects artist. KVOA named Southern Arizona winners including Tomi Marcus, a fifth grader at Legacy Traditional Academy-NW Tucson in Pima County who said she wants to be a doctor or a movie producer, and Sagan Printz, a second grader at Dove Mountain CSTEM who wants to be a chemical engineer.

Local impact in Yuma County is immediate: the $529 award placed into Kenya’s AZ529 account is an early investment toward science education and reduces the initial cost barrier families face when planning for postsecondary training. KYMA noted the contest drew entries representing every county in Arizona, underscoring AZ529’s stated goal of statewide reach and equity in encouraging K-6 students to imagine future careers.

Reporting across outlets shows different AZ529 contests and editions with varying totals; PrescottTimes’ 2025 fourth-annual art contest listed 15 winners from 457 entries, while Gila Herald described a separate sixth-annual AZ529 Essay Writing Contest that honored 20 fifth- and sixth-grade students. For the ceremony in Phoenix that honored Kenya and the 19 winners, however, organizers presented certificates and $529 awards aimed at helping young students across Arizona begin saving for their education and careers.