By Caroline Moreno
Division of Public Affairs
Each year, Caltrans holds its annual Highway Safety poster contest. The contest is open to children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews of Caltrans employees, and it gives the children an opportunity to express their messages about the importance of driving safely in or near highway work zones.
The contest also allows them to be part of Caltrans’ educational outreach and life-saving message.
The contest was open to children 17 years old or younger, and judges selected posters based on creativity, how well the poster conveyed the highway safety theme, and the use of color.
Although the posters differ greatly in appearance, they all convey one of these important messages, "Be Work Zone Alert" or "Move Over."
The winners for the age categories are:
Ages 6 and under
Sofia Vazquez is an energetic 5-year-old kindergarten student at the Canyon View Elementary School. Sofia usually has a pen and paper close at hand because she loves crafts and drawing, especially making cards to keep in touch with out-of-state friends and relatives. Sofia’s favorite things include family, friends, and “all things Disney.”
Sofia – who calls Rogelio Sanchez-Rangel, an associate planner in District 11, “Uncle Roger” – looks forward to eventually being able to join her friends as a safety patrol officer or crossing guard because she wants to be able, “to help all the kids in her school stay safe and learn about road safety.”
Ages 7 to 10
Catalina Beck is a busy 9-year-old fourth-grade student at St. Apollinaris School whose father, Michael Beck, is a District 4 bridge maintenance supervisor. Catalina speaks Spanish fluently, likes to run, dance, sing, and draw, and counts unicorns among her very favorite things.
Her interest in art, and her father’s profession, inspired Catalina to enter the Caltrans Safety Poster contest because she wants, “to help keep my Papa safe at work.”
Ages 11 to 13
When Raya Tabassum Saptorshi isn’t playing piano or writing sci-fi stories, she often can be found drawing, sketching, or making fabric paintings, artistic skills that came in handy when she created a winning submission for the Caltrans Safety Poster contest. Raya is an enthusiastic 12-year-old seventh-grade student who particularly enjoys studying math, anime, and music at Granite Ridge Intermediate School.
The daughter of Mohammad Rana, a transportation engineer tech in District 6, Raya says the contest’s theme is important because, “It’s important to keep our Caltrans families, and those who drive, safe,” and adds hopefully, “A little awareness makes a big difference.”
Ages 14 to 17
Shoshoni Guinn is a talented 16-year-old 10th-grade student at Yreka High School. She likes to explore, hike and swim, and is very interested in motorcycles and sports cars. Art and drawing are also important to Shoshoni, so she was excited when her father Kenneth Guinn, who is a District 2 equipment operator II, told her about the Caltrans Safety Poster contest.
Her winning entry features several classic Caltrans safety campaign slogans and even includes Caltrans’ new safety cone mascot, “Safety Sam.” “I love my Dad and want him to come home every night,” Shoshoni says, and emphasizes, “I want everyone’s loved ones to make it home safely.”
For more information about the contest, including the list of honorable mentions, visit this webpage.