2025 Barbara Benson Memorial Art Scholarships Winners
TUSTIN AREA COUNCIL FOR THE FINE ARTS
2025 Barbara Benson Memorial Scholarship
Student Biographies
Yu-Ru (Mia) Chen
Beckman High School
Mia is a graphic artist and will attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, majoring in Industrial Technology and Packaging.
She says her mentor, teacher Gigi Manning “always trusts my creative vision and is one of the biggest supporters of my work”.
Mia sees herself developing more efficient and sustainable packaging solutions that appeal to consumers through clever and innovative designs.
Trevor Josten
Beckman High School
Trevor is a graphic artist and will enroll at the Savannah College of Art and Design, majoring in Branding & Advertising with a minor in Graphic Design.
Trevor says his mentor, teacher Gigi Manning, “has helped me grow tremendously as an artist, but also as a person. She’s introduced me to so much music, art, and culture, which has allowed me to truly develop an artistic viewpoint of the world”.
Trevor hopes to one day run his own marketing and branding agency.
Chaeyul (Lucy) Kim
Beckman High School
Lucy is a visual artist and will attend Rhode Island School of Design to major in painting. In the future she will earn an MFA and work as a fine artist.
Of her work she says, “I want my art to foster understanding, evoke empathy, and inspire action. By challenging assumptions and offering new ways of seeing the world, I hope to spark conversations that might not otherwise take place”.
Kirsten Kim
Beckman High School
Kirsten is a graphic artist who will study graphic design at Cal State Long Beach and work towards becoming a UI/UX Designer.
Kirsten says, “The arts are unique because they are a wordless form of communication that can still deliver a poignant message. This makes art a message that can be understood by anybody, anywhere. To me, this is the real charm of art”.
Leah Lenhardt
Tustin High School
Leah is a visual artist who will attend the University of Southern California in Advertising and Public Relations, with a minor in Cinematic Arts.
Leah captures stories that feel both deeply personal and widely resonant. Her mentor, teacher Darin Nakakihara, inspired her with his resilience and passion for storytelling, always reminding students to “go find some joy.”
In the future, Leah hopes to own an advertising agency to support small businesses and redefine conventional beauty standards.
Sofia Shrader
Foothill High School
Sofia is a vocal artist who will attend Concordia University Irvine this fall to major in Music Education, focusing on the elementary level.
She credits her mom and her choir teacher, Chelsea Dehn, as her mentors, always encouraging her to work hard and do her best.
In the future, Sofia sees herself as a wife, mom, and elementary school music teacher, sharing her love of music and helping kids learn to do their best in all they do.