Our 2026 Photo Contest was the most competitive contest we’ve had to date with over 10,500 photos. We encouraged students to share their favorite moments from this school year both in and out of the classroom, and the images were stunning. We want to thank every student who participated and shared what made 2026 memorable.
All these photos created an extremely difficult contest to judge and while each entry was impressive, our judges felt these photos stood out.
The first-place prize winner in each of the ten categories will receive a $250 Visa® gift card and a prize certificate. Honorable Mention winners in each category will also receive a prize certificate.
A committee of judges selected the winners based on the basic rules of photography, overall quality and creativity/originality. You can view the winning photos this week in our 2026 Photo Contest gallery.
The first place prize winners:
- Academics – Simon Vaang, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
- Clubs & Student Life – Chloe Hill, Del Campo High School, Fair Oaks, California
- College & University – CJ Smith, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
- Feature or Portrait – Jaxson Adams, Northwest High School, Justin, Texas
- Junior High & Middle School – Julia Robbins, Ruth Dowell Middle School, McKinney, TX
- Performing Arts – Elizabeth Elitzin, Lincoln East High School, Lincoln, Nebraska
- School Spirit – Angela Busath, Del Campo High School, Fair Oaks, California
- Sports Action – Byrce Walker, Coral Springs Charter School, Coral Springs, Florida
- Sports Reaction – Ainsley Nielson (x2), Eagle High School, Eagle, Idaho
- Yearbook Life – June Niederhauser, Eagle High School, Eagle, Idaho
The honorable mention winners:
- Francesca Lorusso, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
- Leah Crow (x2), Texas High School, Texarkana, Texas
- Angela Busath (x2), Del Campo High School, Fair Oaks, California
- Elika Gilbert, Del Campo High School, Fair Oaks, California
- Kyra Hannan, Del Campo High School, Fair Oaks, California
- Noah Gunning (x4), University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
- Megan DeWitt, Northwest High School, Justin, Texas
- Tyler Russell, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
- Aliana Sophia Acuña (x2), El Dorado High School, El Paso, Texas
- Riley Aguillard, McKinney High School, McKinney, Texas
- Lydia Klump, Georgetown High School, Georgetown, Ohio
- Lilliana Cunha, Pinkerton Academy, Derry, New Hampshire
- Chloe Roach, Willis High School, Willis, Texas
- Taylor Graham, Marcus High School, Flower Mound, Texas
- Ashtyn King, Willis High School, Willis, Texas
- Molly Scott, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
- Annabelle Davis, Texas High School, Texarkana, Texas
- Brennan Scott, Park Hill South High School, Riverside, Missouri
- CJ Smith (x2), Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
- Bennet Moger (x2), Bethel University, St. Paul, Minnesota
- Kairi Mano (x2), Rice University, Houston, Texas
- Zachary Newkirk, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
- Kaitlyn Minden, Union Adventist University, Lincoln, Nebraska
- Samuel Iturrino (x2), Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas
- Chase Samole, Gulliver Preparatory Upper School, Miami, Florida
- Gavyn Newton, Cascade High School, Everett, Washington
- Michael Castorena, Creekview High School, Carrollton, Texas
- Amity Wann, Georgetown High School, Georgetown, Texas
- Hewston Lochte, Fredericksburg High School, Fredericksburg, Texas
- Jamaiyah Ramos, Texas High School, Texarkana, Texas
- Aidan Patterson, Park Hill South High School, Riverside, Missouri
- Harshita Bhagchandani, Angeline Academy of Innovation, Land O’ Lakes, Florida
- Joshua Zelno, Western Middle School, Auburn, Michigan
- Hailey Johnson (x2), Woodland Junior High School, Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Canon Spiking, Woodland Junior High School, Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Landon Horton, Charlene McKinzey Middle School, Mansfield, Texas
- Patrick Moore (x2), McLean Middle School, Fort Worth, Texas
- Arianna Zhao, Blach Intermediate School, Los Altos, California
- Caroline Smithk, Timberview Middle School, Fort Worth, Texas
- Hallie Menard, McAnally Middle School, Aledo, Texas
- Hailey Crance, Cascade High School, Everett, Washington
- Shaye Rosen, North Broward Preparatory School, Coconut Creek, Florida
- Chase Fockler, El Capitan High School, Lakeside, California
- Nathan Carolino (x2), Spanish Springs High School, Sparks, Nevada
- Zoey Richardson, Texas High School, Texarkana, Texas
- Gweneth Marrone, Shawnee Missino East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
- Keegan McLendon, Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, West Palm Beach, Florida
- Alexander Jauregui (x3), Montwood High School, El Paso, Texas
- Anastasia Flower, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
- Annie Smith, Texas High School, Texarkana, Texas
- Devin Shea, Selah High School, Selah, Washington
- Jaxson Adams, Northwest High School, Justin, Texas
- Finley Feagans, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
- Chloe Wolbert, Lincoln East High School, Lincoln, Nebraska
- Dorly Salas Banuelos, Northwest High School, Justin, Texas
- Mya Spadacenta, North Haven High School, North Haven, Connecticut
- Adam Tawfig, Lincoln High School, Lincoln, Nebraska
- Parker Tchekmeian, Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park, Florida
- Kai Sales, Jesuit High School, Portland, Oregon
- Logan Day, Jasper High School, Jasper, Indiana
- Daniel Flores, Bellaire High School, Bellaire, Texas
- Andrew Meloy, Warrensburg High School, Warrensburg, Missouri
- Eden Forsythe, Bozeman High School, Bozeman, Montana
- Charlie Fillpot, Westlake High School, Austin, Texas
- Madilyn Benson (x2), Madison High School, Rexburg, Idaho
- Bethany Newsome, Westwood Baptist Academy, Columbia, Missouri
- Garrett Peard, Rocklin High School, Rocklin, California
- Kaylee Bodge, Basic Academy of International Studies, Henderson, Nevada
- Cody Arenholz (x2), Olathe South High School, Olathe, Kansas
- TJ Nolan, West Milford Township High School, West Milford, New Jersey
- Zephyr Mowinkel, Milford High School, Milford, Nebraska
- Trevor Prentice, D.C. Everest High School, Weston, Wisconsin
- Jackson Sanchez, Round Rock High School, Round Rock, Texas
- Sophie Hartley, Blue Valley Northwest High School, Overland Park, Kansas
- Elizabeth Elitzin, Lincoln East High School, Lincoln, Nebraska
- Noemy Melchor, Orange Glen High School, Escondido, California
- Ryan Marsee, Washtenaw International High School, Ypsilanti, Michigan
- Valeria Serrat, Eastwood High School, El Paso, Texas
- Lauren Yonke, Blue Valley Northwest High School, Overland Park, Kansas
- Simon Vaang (x2), University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
- Diego Fernandez Torres, Trinity High School, Trinity, North Carolina
We want to congratulate these students on their outstanding photos. To see each photo, be sure to check out our 2026 Photo Contest Gallery.
Meet your 2026 Photo Contest judges!
Kathy Beers is a recently retired adviser of a national award-winning yearbook and is now an Adobe and creative specialist for Walsworth.
Before joining Walsworth 14 years ago, Jill Chittum was the yearbook adviser and journalism teacher at Blue Valley HS in Overland Park, Kansas. Jill joined yearbook staff in middle school, and made that her life’s work: newspaper and yearbook in college, then working as a photojournalist for 5 years before becoming a teacher. Jill works with schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Carlos Giron has a college minor in photography and has been professionally photographing people and food for over 10 years.
Before becoming a yearbook rep in 2015, Alyssa Moses worked as a professional sports photographer in St. Louis, Missouri, working with professional teams such as the Rams, Blues and Cardinal Nation. She continues to shoot sports photography with her yearbook staffs today.
With 20 years of yearbook experience as a Walsworth sales representative, Cheryl Franzmann works with schools in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area to improve their storytelling through photography.
As a former college yearbook editor and now a yearbook rep, Jenny Whightsil has the eye for photography in her 14 years as part of the Walsworth family.
Jim Jordan is a Special Consultant for Walsworth Yearbooks and was the 1996 JEA Yearbook Adviser of the Year. Jim shares his expertise with students and advisers at workshops and conventions across the country.
In addition, Walsworth’s team selected their most experienced photographers with backgrounds ranging from professional photographers to award-winning former yearbook advisers and editors.
Thank you to everyone who entered and shared the moments that told the story of your school year.
