A Scholarship Opportunity for Aspiring High School Photographers

The Pasadena City College Foundation, in partnership with the William G. Ericson Foundation, sponsors photographic art competitions at public high schools in the Pasadena Area Community College District (PACCD) to meritorious participants. PACCD Schools included: Arcadia, Arroyo, Blair, Gabrielino, John Muir, La Cañada, Marshall Fundamental, Pasadena, Rosemead, San Marino, South Pasadena, and Temple City.

The awards are in the form of scholarships for photographic arts education. 

The 2024 Competition featured more than 31 finalists. Students won scholarships worth up to $7000.   

Read the scholarship details and FAQ's below - and contact us if you have any questions about the competition and scholarships.

What, exactly, is the William G. Ericson Photography Competition and Scholarship?

The William G. Ericson Foundation, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation was incorporated in 2017. Its purpose is to further photographic art education.  The Ericson Foundation partnered with the Pasadena City College Foundation in 2022 and created the competition and scholarship program to honor the life work of "Bill" Ericson.

William G. Ericson (August 13, 1944 - August 5, 2017) was raised in a publishing family and spent his life in the business. His true passion and profession, however, was photography. He considered himself a photographer above all else. He carried lessons from his parents about the meaning of community.

After graduating from South Pasadena High School, Ericson earned an A. A. from Pasadena City College. He graduated with a B. A. in photography from University of California, Berkley. He went on to become a professional photographer who created iconic images for the motion picture and advertising industries. With his family he owned and published the South Pasadena Review, a weekly community newspaper, and The Quarterly Magazine, an upscale lifestyle magazine in the San Gabriel Valley featuring his photographs.

The competition is open to high school students attending in the Pasadena Area Community College District.  You must be a member of the senior class to apply.

Here's how you can enter the competition and qualify for scholarship funds:

  • High School Students - speak with your counselor, photography instructor, or yearbook/newspaper advisor to get started.  The application will open on December 1st, 2024 for the 2025 Competition.
      
  • Get familiar with the competiion guidelines and categories.
  • Photo submissions may be by analog or digital camera, black and white or color, CMYK and 300 dpi.  All photos must fit within a 16 x 16 area (horizontal or vertical).
  • The student must take the photo and each student is allowed to enter only one photo in one category.  No group work allowed.  No series allowed.
  • Students must also write a 100-word maximum statement on how the scholarship funds will help to further their photography education.
  • All submitted photos become the property of the PCC foundation and the William G. Ericson Foundation. The foundations reserve the right to display the photos and publish the photos to promote and publicize the contest. 

In order to qualify you should meet the following criteria::
To enter the competition, you must be a senior student at a qualifying PACCD High School
(Participants may not be currently or previously working as a professional photographer.)

The following PACCD high schools are invited to participate:

  • Arcadia
  • Arroyo
  • Blair
  • Gabrielino
  • John Muir
  • La Canada
  • Marshall Fundamental
  • Pasadena
  • Rosemead
  • San Marino
  • South Pasadena
  • Temple City

While it certainly is advantageous to have taken photography courses before entering the contest, you do not  have taken specific photography courses.  However - you do need to be interested in studying photography at some point - that is a requirement for the scholarship.

  • The application will open on December 1st, 2024 and close on January 31st, 2025
  • Entries are viewed and scored during the week of February 3rd, 2025
  • FINALSTS will be notified the week of February 10th, 2025
  • The Awards Event will be held on Saturday, March 15th, 2025.  
 You can view the 2024 Ceremony Video HERE.  

We're glad you asked!  Here are just a few specifics:

  • High School students will submit digital files only. Analog photographs must be scanned and submitted as digital files. Finalist photos will be printed as they are submitted with no adjustments to the original file before they are printed and dry-mounted.
  • The submitted photo must be a digital file, CMYK, 300 dpi, and fit within a 16 x 16 printed area (vertical or horizontal). Submissions must meet these specific requirements to be part of the competition. NO EXCEPTIONS. Only submissions that meet these specifications will be eligible to compete.
  • Minimal manipulation of digital images to accurately render the subject is acceptable e.g.: small adjustments to brightness, color, color balance, and/or sharpness, are acceptable.
  • You can view and download the full competition guidelines HERE.
Have Questions?
Contact the Pasadena City College Foundation at x7065 or email pccfoundation@pasadena.edu.