2025 Youth Excellence in Arts (YEA!) Awards &
Don Lewis “Say YES to Music” Grants
Established in 1997, the Youth Excellence in Arts (YEA!) recognizes and honors the artistic achievements of high school students in Pleasanton. The program highlights the importance of the arts as a vital form of human expression and encourages young artists to pursue their creative passions.
The Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council (PCAC) proudly hosted the 28th Annual Youth Excellence in Arts (YEA!) Awards Ceremony on Sunday, March 23, 2025, at the Valley Community Church in Pleasanton. This event honored the artistic achievements of Pleasanton high school students, recognizing excellence in Music, Literary Arts, and Visual Arts. Awards and grants from $100 to $500 were awarded to selected aspiring musicians. The Award Ceremony included inspiring musical performances and showcased exceptional work in multiple artistic disciplines.
MUSIC – RENE AND GORDON SMITH AWARDS
(Special thanks to our 2025 Music judges – Mark Aubel and Markus Pawlik!)
1st Place: Claire Lee, flute – Widor Suite Movement 1
2nd Place: Minna Fu, piano – Prokofiev Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83, III. Precipitato
3rd Place: Yujin Shin, violin – Wieniawski Polonaise Brillante in A Major
LITERARY ARTS – DR MAX BIGGS AWARDS
(Special thanks to our 2025 Literary Arts judges – Jim Ott and Noel Fagerhaugh!)
1st Place: Akanksha Kaku – Pick the Petals of a Lily
2nd Place: Katherine Yoo – The Dragon
3rd Place: Diya Verma – The Doll of the Backrooms
Honorable Mention: Nidhi Kota – Reminiscing
Honorable Mention: Jessica Jiang – A Television Show
Honorable Mention: Eunoo (Ellie) Cho – Fight Club
Honorable Mention: Seojun Hyun – Number 13
VISUAL ARTS – PHYLLIS AND WILLIAM WENTWORTH AWARDS
(Special thanks to our 2025 Visual Arts judges – Sydney Tang and Joan Tenbrink!)
1st Place: Eleanor Chen – Colors of Freedom (Colored Pencil)
2nd Place: Jeffrey Liu – Street Corner (Watercolor)
3rd Place: Nirnaya Botlagunta – Dominion (Acrylic)
Honorable Mention: Mihika Deshmukh – Rootbound (Acrylic)
Honorable Mention: Saivi Nandamuri – Burdened by Thoughts (Charcoal)
Don Lewis “Say YES to Music!” Grants
The ceremony also included the presentation of the Don Lewis “Say Yes to Music!” Grants, which were established by the Rotary Club of Pleasanton in memory of the renowned musician Don Lewis. The 2025 grants support young musicians in furthering their education, purchasing instruments, and advancing their musical aspirations. Julie Lewis presented the grants with a compelling narrative about each student.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2025 GRANT RECIPIENTS!
Marielle Bernard – PUSD Mariachi Band ($500)
Harry Jo – Alto sax, violin, piano ($500)
Warren Lam – Guitar ($200)
Yufei Shen – Viola ($300)
Eileen Zhang – Cello ($500)
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to the Grant Committee members: Mark Aubel, Larry Batiste, Julie Lewis, and MaryAnn Zahorsky.
PCAC extends its deepest appreciation to the esteemed judges who evaluated this year’s YEA! submissions:
Music: Mark Aubel, Markus Pawlik
Literary Arts: Jim Ott, Noel Fagerhaugh
Visual Arts: Sydney Tang, Joan Tenbrink
