From reluctant student to water literacy advocate, 2025 Young Water Professional of the Year Jessica Bohorquez has built her career on curiosity – and a deep desire to help others understand the value of water.
Recognised for her leadership in water literacy and communication, Jessica is part of a growing movement of water professionals reshaping how the sector connects with communities and the next generation.
Named the 2025 Young Water Professional of the Year at the Australian Water Awards, Jessica was celebrated for her dedication to collaboration, education and innovation, and for inspiring others to see water through a new lens.
“I was completely surprised. The other finalists were incredible,” she said. “I arrived at the dinner thinking, I’m not going to get it and that’s okay. When my name was called, I couldn’t believe it.”
Thinking back on her first step into the water community, Jessica realised her passion for water following a class at university that she didn’t particularly enjoy.
“I didn’t like the course. I didn’t like the lecturer. I just wanted to get through it. But I ended up doing well at the end of that course, and the lecturer reached out to ask if I wanted to help with some research over the summer,” she said.
"The work I was exposed to wasn't just about equations and physics, suddenly it was about the real-world impact of water infrastructure and how essential it is."
Ironically, that same lecturer went on to become one of the most influential mentors in her career: “A few years later, he became a massive mentor, almost like an academic father figure. You never know where things will take you,” she said.
From that point, Jessica didn’t look back. Each project deepened her understanding of how water underpins communities, and how small changes in systems thinking can have huge positive impact downstream.
Now working in infrastructure project development at Aurecon, Jessica said her role gives her the space to think creatively and strategically, not just about how to solve technical problems, but about which problems are worth solving in the first place.
“It’s at a high enough level that I can think up crazy ideas to solve particular issues, even justify why a project is needed in the first place,” she said.
This kind of thinking, she adds, is becoming more essential as the sector faces increasingly complex challenges.
“In infrastructure projects, you’re asked to come up with solutions to many different challenges. That’s what I love, bringing new ideas into the space and finding ways to make them work,” she said.
Beyond her engineering work, Jessica is a passionate advocate for water literacy, helping bridge the gap between the sector and the public. As host of her own podcast – Our Water Connection – supported by her Chris Davis AM Fellowship in 2025, she uses storytelling to make complex water topics accessible and engaging. She is now preparing for season three (2026) and looking for new partners to make it a reality.
“People take water for granted,” she said. “They don’t see the incredible industry that works behind the scenes. My motivation is to help others understand the value of it all,” she said.
Jessica’s podcast explores themes from water scarcity to innovation and collaboration, but its core purpose was always clear communication.
“My background as a lecturer and researcher helped. My job back then was to make the equations make sense and that skill stayed with me,” she said. “Even though I’m no longer in a classroom, that same principle of using clear, simple language still drives everything I do.”
For Jessica, improving water literacy isn’t just about information, it’s about connection.
“We’re talking about something that affects everyone’s daily life. Keeping it simple doesn’t mean dumbing it down, it means respecting your audience enough to meet them where they are,” she said.
As the 2025 Young Water Professional (YWP) of the Year, Jessica sees her YWP peers as a generation ready to embrace complexity and to redefine leadership in the process.
“Learning more about the industry as a whole gives YWPs a broader playground to explore and influence. We’re already touching on different types of problems early in our careers, which helps us figure out what we enjoy most and where we can make the biggest impact,” she said.
“We often talk about YWPs as our future leaders. But we are here and we should be able to influence that future now. We need to be confident in ourselves and not afraid to speak up.”
Jessica believes the diversity of experiences and perspectives among YWPs is one of the sector’s greatest strengths. Collaboration and adaptability, she says, will define the next era of water management.
“It’s not about having one linear career path anymore. It’s about bringing people together from different disciplines and backgrounds to find shared solutions. That’s how we’ll keep building a sustainable water future,” she said.
Winning the Young Water Professional of the Year Award was more than just a professional highlight for Jessica, it was validation for years of curiosity, hard work and passion.
“It was incredibly rewarding. I don’t think anyone gets into this sector without being passionate about it. That’s why the recognition meant so much,” she said.
“There’s only one official winner, but I felt honoured just to be among such incredible people. Everyone in that group is doing amazing things and that’s what we need. Incredible people doing incredible work.”
That spirit of humility and collaboration seems fitting for someone whose career has been shaped by community and curiosity. For Jessica, every project, every podcast episode, and every classroom lecture comes back to the same core purpose: helping people see the value of water, and the people behind it.
“We have this extraordinary privilege of working with something that connects everyone,” she said. “When people understand that, they care more. And when they care, they act. That’s where change begins.”
Learn more about the Australian Water Awards here.