Story by Gavin Bartolome
Staff Writer
Photo by Contributor
Scholarship awards for the third annual William G. Ericson Photography Competition were handed out to finalists on Saturday, March 15. The event is a partnership between the William G. Ericson Foundation and Pasadena City College (PCC), aiming to reward qualifying participants chosen by judges to benefit their college education. Over 100 guests flowed into the South Pasadena Public Library, where over $40,000 worth of scholarships were announced.
Applications for photos first opened on December 2, 2024, to all graduating high school senior students in the Pasadena City College District Area (PACCD), including San Marino and La Cañada, and closed on January 31, 2025. Students were required to submit one digital photo under one of six categories: People, Places, Things, Abstracts, Commercial, or Photography. Once requirements for submission were met, applicants wrote 100 words maximum on how the scholarship funds would help their photographic career, along with an optional extra 100 words on the photo’s inspiration or background.
SPHS seniors Taidi Yue, Dashiell Buettner Heller, and Saidbh Byrne took first, second, and third place respectively out of the competition’s 44 finalists. Yue won a $10,000 scholarship for a photo under the Places category, Heller won $7,000 under the Commercial category, and Byrne won $5,000 under the People category.
First, second, and third place winners were hand-picked by competition judges Cyndi Bemel, Andrew Bernstein, and Robert Mora once submissions closed. In addition, the Ericson Foundation board members gave out several smaller scholarships. Category winners each received $2,000, including SPHS seniors Kai Gallo for Abstracts and Christine Xu for Things. Four students also each won $1,000 for the Director’s Award.
The winners’ photos will be displayed in a public exhibition at the South Pasadena Arts Council (SPARC) Gallery at the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce from April 5 through May 31. The opening reception is on April 5 at 3 p.m.