PWQA OFFERS ANNUAL Scholarship FOR PWQA MEMBERS
The 2026 PWQA Scholarship is open to individuals who are either employees of a Member Company in good standing or family members of a Member Company’s employee (spouse, child, grandchild). The 2026 Scholarship award of $5,000 is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Member Companies: SoCal Saltworks LLC, Pentair, Quality Water of Aptos, SoCal Water Solutions LLC and Water Techniques.
Application for the 2026 PWQA Scholarship is now open. The deadline for submission is May 29, 2026. To apply, please download the Scholarship Application Form below. Fill out and return it (via email or regular mail) with all supporting materials to our office no later than May 29, 2026. Please direct all questions to our office at (626) 283-4464 or info@pwqa.org
APPLICATION FOR 2026 IS NOW CLOSED.
Past scholarship winners are listed below.
2025 scholarship winners
2025 scholarship winners
“PWQA Member Company Scholarship”
REAGAN FENTER
“Major of Study Related to Potable Water Quality Scholarship”
TINA KALHORIZADEH
Reagan Fenter is the recipient of the PWQA Member Related Scholarship for 2025. She is the daughter of Jessie Fenter, an employee of Hall’s Culligan Water of San Diego. Reagan completed high school in the Spring of 2025 at Poway High School and will be attending Cal Poly San Louis Obispo in the Fall, studying Journalism.
Reagan stood out among the applicants not for merely her solid GPA of 3.72, she completed and excelled in Advanced Placement courses, while also being active as a student athlete in lacrosse, and playing a leadership role in her school’s internal television news journalism program. Reagan also worked in the fast food business part time before competing high school to raise funds for her future college education.
Photo (L-R): Hall’s Culligan Water employee Jessie Fenter, Reagan Fenter (receiving the scholarship check from PWQA), PWQA Board Member Irma Bishop of Hall’s Culligan Water, and Bill Riggs of Hall’s Culligan Water.
Tina Kalhorizadeh is the recipient of the 2025 PWQA Major of Study Related to Potable Water Quality Scholarship. She is currently a PhD student in the Water Resources Program at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Tina’s academic and professional goal is to contribute to the development of sustainable, science-based solutions for emerging water quality challenges. One of the most pressing threats to public health today is contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic compounds widely used in industrial processes and consumer products. These chemicals are notoriously resistant to degradation and have been detected in drinking water supplies worldwide. Tina’s research is dedicated to mitigating the threat through both health risk assessment and the development of an advanced adsorbent composite for PFAS removal.
Her research is structured in two phases. First, she conducts a comprehensive health risk assessment of PFAS in drinking water using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s risk assessment model. This involves quantifying both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks associated with chronic PFAS exposure across vulnerable populations. By understanding the extent and implications of exposure, she aims to generate data that can inform regulatory decisions and public health interventions. The second phase involves the design and evaluation of a novel composite material composed of fluorapatite and biochar. This composite is engineered to enhance PFAS adsorption by combining the strong Ca²⁺-PFAS affinity of fluorapatite with the high surface area and hydrophobic nature of biochar. Laboratory experiments, including batch and column studies, are used to test the efficiency of this material in removing PFAS from water. Its performance is compared with that of each component individually to demonstrate its synergistic potential. A follow-up health risk assessment evaluates the reduction in human health risk post-treatment, emphasizing the composite’s practical relevance.
Beyond the academic realm, Tina’s long-term vision is to collaborate with environmental agencies, water utilities, and nonprofit organizations to translate this research into scalable, cost-effective treatment technologies for communities affected by PFAS contamination—particularly those with limited resources. She is also committed to mentoring future environmental engineers and promoting public awareness of water quality issues.
Tina was also awarded the Water Doctoral Fellowship, a competitive fellowship supporting students conducting research in water resources or water quality.
2024 scholarship winners
2024 scholarship winners
The 2024 Major of Study Related to Potable Water Quality Scholarship is awarded to Madison R. Sass. Madison completed her high school years at Oceana High School in Pacifica, CA, graduating with a 3.8 GPA. She was accepted to UC Davis, where she will begin in the Fall 2024 quarter with plans to concentrate in the field of Hydrology. Madison is an exceptional student whose intellectual curiosity, resilience, and dedication consistently set her apart. Through rigorous Advanced Placement courses—U.S. History and English Literature—she distinguished herself with her determination, leadership, and collaborative spirit. Despite facing repeated disruptions to her education due to physical disabilities, she maintained an unwavering focus on both academic and personal growth, all while volunteering and excelling in extracurriculars such as figure skating and hockey refereeing.
With an exceptional work ethic, unwavering passion, and proven academic excellence, Madison is sure to excel in her college years and beyond.
The 2024 PWQA Member Company Scholarship recipient is Hannah Campanile, daughter of Ben Campanile, an employee at Jerry & Don’s Yager Pump & Well in Sonoma County, CA.
Hannah is a second-year student at the Santa Rosa Junior College majoring in welding and fabrication. In January, Hannah will be transferring to Universal Technical Institute for their nine month welding program. After completing this program Hannah hopes to come back to Sonoma County and start a career.
Photo: Hannah with Dad, Ben Campanile.
2023 scholarship winners
2023 scholarship winners
The PWQA Member Related Scholarship category in 2023 recipient is Alyssa Bishop. Alyssa, a Child Psychology undergraduate at Cal State Fullerton, is daughter of Irma Bishop who is currently the Area Manager at Hall’s Culligan Water in Ontario, CA.
Alyssa currently maintains an overall GPA of 4.1 and has earned many accolades in athletics. Alyssa has volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club, as well as a referee and coach at Forza1 Volleyball Club. She has also been a member of the Volleyball Team and Track & Field Team.
Alyssa’s future goals include earning her undergraduate degree in Psychology, to ultimately become a Child Psychologist.
Pictured is Alyssa Bishop (3rd from L) with her family.
The 2023 PWQA Major of Study Related to Potable Water Quality Scholarship category recipient is Tyler Kleinsasser, a Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Engineering Management graduate student at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.
With a perfect 4.0 GPA, Tyler has demonstrated academic excellence and a strong commitment to his field. He has also passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam and has been inducted into the Order of the Engineer. He has also gained much experience from his positions that include Civil Engineering Trainee at the U.S. Department of the Navy, PSNS, Project Management Intern at Hensel Phelps Construction Company, and Engineering Services Intern at BNSF Railway.
In high school, Tyler held prominent leadership roles, including President of the National Honor Society and Vice President of the Student Council. He continues to demonstrate his leadership in college as President of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and President Pro Tempore of the Student Association Senate, among other positions. Tyler is actively involved in numerous organizations such as Chi Epsilon (Civil Engineering Honor Society), the American Society of Civil Engineers, and Tau Beta Pi (Engineering Honor Society). He also participates in various volunteer efforts, including highway cleanups, Central Food Bank, Feeding America, and mission-based construction projects with Mission Experience and Tarpuy Sonqo, both in the U.S. and abroad. His academic and extracurricular pursuits consistently reflect his commitment to leadership, service, and the advancement of his knowledge.
Looking ahead, Tyler envisions pursuing a PhD to further explore environmental restoration and sustainable water management. His long-term ambition is to emerge as a leader in the field, driving change and fostering sustainable practices while educating future generations on the importance of environmental responsibility.
2022 scholarship winners
The PWQA Member Related Scholarship category was full of excellent candidates in 2022, but Derek Pagsanhan rose to the top and is this year’s recipient of the scholarship. Derek’s father, Eric Pagsanhan is an employee of Hall’s Culligan Water in Santa Ana, California.
Derek just graduated from Santa Rosa Academy in Menifee, California posting a high GPA and a long track record of volunteer work in his community. He selected Vanguard University in Orange County as his top choice to attend in the Fall of 2022 and has been accepted. He intends to study psychology as an undergraduate with a vision to pursue a medical degree with specialty in psychiatry.
Derek earned the top rank among the applicants through the combination of a track record established in his high school academic career of high grades, a strong essay, high praise in letters of recommendation and his history of community work. PWQA can be proud to be investing in the future of Derek and we wish him success as he embarks on this first step in the Fall.
Meena Ejjada is one of many outstanding candidates that applied for the PWQA Major Related Study in 2022 and we are proud to award her this scholarship. She is a graduate student working to complete her PhD at University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Environmental Engineering after already having completed a Master’s degree at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. The focus of her research at UNLV has been investigating disinfection byproducts (DBP’s) in water.
Her most recent project is funded by the National Science Foundation with a focus on the adverse impacts of the unsheltered homeless population and wastewater treatment plants (WWTP’s) on Lake Mead’s water quality, which stores water used by populations in Nevada, Arizona, California and Mexico. Understanding how organic matter in the waste streams of both the untreated waste (homeless populations lacking sanitary facilities) and treated waste (WWTP’s) contribute organic matter, which is the precursor to DBP formation, is critical throughout the world.
The NSF project inspired her to study the uptake of DBPs in crops irrigated with water containing DBPs, particularly crops that are water intensive. The focus of this new project is 1) to establish DBP formation potential from different water sources, 2) understand the uptake of DBPs by plants grown using reclaimed water and 3) establish technical operating procedures for the technologies used to detect DBPs in both plants and water.
Meena’s work is cutting edge and will have long-term ramifications on our understanding of water reuse as a consequence of disinfection byproducts. In addition to her studies, Meena’s resume and letter of recommendation highlight her mentoring, teaching and leading other students. Her essay outlines many collaborations with other researchers to expand the scope and implications of her research projects.
The goal of any scholarship is to invest in the future of deserving individuals, and through Meena Ejjada’s work, we see that PWQA is making an excellent investment with its scholarship.
2021 scholarship winners
The PWQA Member Company Scholarship is awarded to Charles Arnold this year. Charles is studying Physics at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and is starting his third year this fall. Before attending RIT, he completed high school at Hillcrest High School in the City of Riverside where he achieved a GPA of 4.38. Charles has continued to excel in his course work at RIT.
The Major of Study Related to Potable Water Quality Scholarship is awarded to an individual who is pursuing a major that supports potable water quality.
This year’s recipient of this scholarship is George William Kajjumba, who is beginning his fourth year of graduate studies in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) this fall. He is on track to receive his PhD by the spring of 2022, with his research focus on lanthonides in wastewater, how best to remove them to safe levels for recycled drinking water and whether they can be recycled from the wastewater through coagulation processes along with other solid waste as biosolids for agriculture use. George Kajjumba came to UNLV from the University of Istanbul, Turkey and is originally from Uganda. As a graduate teaching adviser, he has mentored other students from around the globe on many subjects, including how to manage arsenic, chromium and TCE contaminants.
PWQA is very happy to contribute to George’s ability to achieve his educational goals as he prepares to take his skills back out into the world of water. We wish him the best and will be interested in following his promising career.