PGHS senior Zion Cho achieved national recognition this year, winning the photography category of the prestigious YoungArts competition for 2025.
What is YoungArts?
For over four decades, the YoungArts national competition has honored exceptional high school artists. The competition was established in 1981 and was intended to honor twenty students who demonstrated excellence in the visual, creative, and performing arts. Since then, the competition has grown and produced numerous notable alumni, including Timothée Chalamet, Andrew Rannells, and Viola Davis.
Each year, thousands of artists ages 15-18 apply to YoungArts. In the past five years alone, the competition has awarded over $1 million in grants and funding to the winners across ten categories. Winners are selected through a highly competitive application process which is reviewed by panels of esteemed artists and judges. This year, Zion Cho is among 800 winners selected from a pool of nearly 11,000 applicants.
An Impactful Portfolio
Encouraged by his photography teacher, Zion decided to submit his portfolio to the competition. “I wanted to challenge myself to see how far my portfolio could go,” he shared. His submission—a ten-photograph portfolio—centers on themes of loss, resilience, and the enduring presence of loved ones. Zion’s work was deeply influenced by the passing of his mother, an event he describes as propelling him into “an emotional journey of self-discovery” that ultimately shaped the portfolio.
The portfolio stands to represent the complex emotion of grief while reflecting on the lingering presence of lost loved ones in our hearts and memories. Each photograph embodies the feelings of suffocation, directionlessness, and longing, as well as the heart required to continue living. Many of the photographs include elements and manifestations of life such as sand, dirt, flowers, and water. These deeply personal themes and visuals resonated with the judges, earning Zion a top spot in the competition.
Beyond Competition
When Zion heard the news of his accomplishment, he shared his excitement, and was glad that his work had struck an emotional chord with the judges. At this stage, Zion is confident that his photography journey is far from over. “Photography remains not just a hobby of mine, but a lifelong passion and pursuit.”
With his dedication and talent, Zion’s journey in the arts is only beginning, and The NewsBreaker eagerly awaits his next big story.
