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

  • Taidi Yue
    South Pasadena High School
    Untitled, Category: Places, 1st place, $10,000

    Dashiell Buettner Heller
    South Pasadena High School
    AKEOME! - Happy New Year’s, Category: Commercial, 2nd place, $7,000

    Saidbh Byrne
    South Pasadena High School
    Tired Eyes, Category: People, 3rd place, $5,000

  • Kai Gallo
    South Pasadena High School
    Steep, Category: Abstracts, $2,000

    Elliott Lee
    La Cañada/Flintridge High School
    Going Rogue, Category: Commercial, $2,000

    Esme Huidor
    Pasadena High School
    Untitled, Category: People, $2,000

    Yingyue Wu
    Temple City High School
    Gold Dust, Category: Places, $2,000

    Christine 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, $1000

    Supriya Thapa
    Arcadia High School
    Fading Reflections, Category: People, $1000

    Zander Magrum
    Blair High School
    The Big Jump, Category: People, $1000

    Ivan 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