2025 COMPETITION & SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
The William G. Ericson Foundation, in partnership with the Pasadena City College Foundation, sponsored the competition on March 15, 2025, with public high schools in the Pasadena Area Community College District (PACCD) to provide scholarship awards to the winners.
The eligible PACCD high schools are Arcadia High School, Arroyo High School, Blair High School, Gabrielino High School, John Muir High School, La Cañada/Flintridge High School, Marshall Fundamental High School, Pasadena High School, Rosemead High School, San Marino High School, South Pasadena High School, and Temple City High School.
All competition judging is performed blindly. The Finalists and Category winners were chosen by the Ericson Foundation Board members. The First, Second and Third place “Best in Show” winners were chosen by the competition judges: Cyndi Bemel, Andrew Bernstein and Robert Mora.
Cyndi Bemel is an award-winning photographer that has exhibited in galleries, magazines and newspapers in numerous cities in the United States, France and Japan. Photography is her spiritual medicine, her way of engaging with the world and finding meaning in even the smallest moments. Cyndi blends her still photography, writing and audio into powerful storytelling that has been featured on international radio and television stations.
Andrew D. Bernstein is a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame photographer, Director of Photography for AEG and owner of Andrew D. Bernstein Associates Photography, Inc based in South Pasadena. He is a longtime board member of SPARC and adjunct instructor at his alma mater of Art Center College of Design, as well as Mount St. Mary's University. A much sought after public speaker, Andrew and the late Kobe Bryant were co-authors of the worldwide best selling book, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play. "I am so happy to have the opportunity to be part of the growth of the craft of photography for the next generation,” Bernstein said. “Photography was a wonderful medium for me to express myself when I was in high school and led to a long career doing what I love. Keep shooting and making amazing images!"
Robert Mora is in his 19th season as the Chief Photographer for the reigning MLS Champion LA Galaxy. He is also currently in his 15th year as the Official Photographer for the Honda Center in Anaheim. As an educator, Robert is a faculty member at Art Center College of Design and the Lead Educator for the LA Galaxy Photos Associate Creative Professional workshop program.
SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
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Taidi Yue
South Pasadena High School
Untitled, Category: Places, 1st place, $10,000Dashiell Buettner Heller
South Pasadena High School
AKEOME! - Happy New Year’s, Category: Commercial, 2nd place, $7,000Saidbh Byrne
South Pasadena High School
Tired Eyes, Category: People, 3rd place, $5,000 -
Kai Gallo
South Pasadena High School
Steep, Category: Abstracts, $2,000Elliott Lee
La Cañada/Flintridge High School
Going Rogue, Category: Commercial, $2,000Esme Huidor
Pasadena High School
Untitled, Category: People, $2,000Yingyue Wu
Temple City High School
Gold Dust, Category: Places, $2,000Christine Xu
South Pasadena High School
A Petal Stronger Than Branches, Category: Things, $2,000 -
Madeleine Tang
San Marino High School
Can’t Catch Me, Category: People, $1000Supriya Thapa
Arcadia High School
Fading Reflections, Category: People, $1000Zander Magrum
Blair High School
The Big Jump, Category: People, $1000Ivan Honorato
Marshall Fundamental High School
Daisy, Category: Things, $1000
FINALISTS
KAI GALLO • STEEP • ABSTRACTS • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
CHUNLIAN LI • BELIEVE • ABSTRACTS • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
ELLIOTT LEE • GOING ROGUE • COMMERCIAL • LA CAÑADA/FLINTRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
DASHIELL BUETTNER HELLER • AKEOME! - HAPPY NEW YEAR’S • COMMERCIAL • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
ALEXANDRA LEACH • MOMENT 4 LIFE • PEOPLE • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
ANGELA CHIN • LEFT BEHIND • PEOPLE • TEMPLE CITY HIGH SCHOOL
DANIEL BALLADARES • FATHERHOOD • PEOPLE • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
AVERY KISHIMOTO • HUMAN NATURE • PEOPLE • MARSHALL FUNDAMENTAL HIGH SCHOOL
DIEGO GURFEIN • THE MASTER PIECE • PEOPLE • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
EMETT MENDEL • STRANDED IN THE SAND • PEOPLE • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
ESME HUIDOR • UNTITLED • PEOPLE • PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
ETHAN TING WAI WONG • REFLECTION • PEOPLE • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
GABRIEL VOGEL • A PEEK INTO THE PAST • PEOPLE • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
JACOB SANCHEZ • COUNTRY PARTY PHOTOS • PEOPLE • TEMPLE CITY HIGH SCHOOL
JOLENE WU • SHOOT • PEOPLE • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
LEILANY GARCIA • IGNORANCE • PEOPLE • TEMPLE CITY HIGH SCHOOL
KAITLYN LEE • LEAP INTO LIGHT • PEOPLE • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
MADELEINE TANG • CAN’T CATCH ME • PEOPLE • SAN MARINO HIGH SCHOOL
MADELINE MADRIGAL • AUTHENTICITY HIDES IN THE SHADOWS • PEOPLE • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
MAXWELL KIM • BONGNAB • PEOPLE • ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL
MIN SEON • TORTILLAS AND BUBBLES • PEOPLE • PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
MARLON THOMAS CAMARDA • THE PRICE OF OBSESSION • PEOPLE • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
REYMOND GALLEGO • BETWEEN THE LINE • PEOPLE • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
SHUYAN ZHOU • M&R • PEOPLE • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
SAIDBH BYRNE • TIRED EYES • PEOPLE • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
SUPRIYA THAPA • FADING REFLECTIONS • PEOPLE • ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL
ZANDER MAGRUM • THE BIG JUMP • PEOPLE • BLAIR HIGH SCHOOL
CAITLYN CHAU • CAN WE ADD A SMIDGE OF GREEN? • PLACES • ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL
CHLOE TONG • AT THE END OF A JOURNEY • PLACES • TEMPLE CITY HIGH SCHOOL
CARTER MULLEN-CAREY • COOPER CANYON FROM CLOUDBURST SUMMIT • PLACES • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
MADISON MINAH KIM • FADE INTO SPRING • PLACES • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
JEWEL WANG • TRACES OF TIME • PLACES • ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL
ROBERT ROSENBERG • TAOS PUEBLO • PLACES • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
ROBERT JAEGER • THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT • PLACES • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
TAIDI YUE • UNTITLED • PLACES • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
ALLISON LU • PERCH • THINGS • TEMPLE CITY HIGH SCHOOL
YINGYUE WU • GOLD DUST • PLACES • TEMPLE CITY HIGH SCHOOL
CHARLIE VOGEL • ROOTS • THINGS • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
CHRISTINE XU• A PETAL STRONGER THAN BRANCHES • THINGS • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
DYLAN HUANG • SOLITARY SAIL • THINGS • TEMPLE CITY HIGH SCHOOL
IVAN HONORATO • DAISY • THINGS • MARSHALL FUNDAMENTAL HIGH SCHOOL
JAMES SHOPBELL • PUSHING FORWARD • THINGS • MARSHALL FUNDAMENTAL HIGH SCHOOL
MONA DILLARD • ENTANGLED SILENCE • THINGS • LA CAÑADA/FLINTRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
NAIYA KIM • LOOKING GLASS • THINGS • SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
AWARD CEREMONY HIGHLIGHTS







PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAFAEL NAJARIAN