Wellington C. Mepham High School alumna Kimberly Nadler, Class of 2025, has been named a finalist in the Smithsonian’s prestigious 2025 Teen Portrait Competition, earning national recognition for her photographic work.
Nadler, 18, a Bellmore resident and freshman at Hofstra University studying exercise physiology, was selected from more than 1,100 submissions nationwide for her photograph, “Alone in the Underbrush.” The piece features fellow Mepham alumnus Spencer Carter, Class of 2025, and explores the connection between nature and teenage mental health.
The competition, hosted by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, invited teens to submit photographic portraits through an anonymous open call. Entries were reviewed by the Teen Museum Council — a group of high school students from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia — which narrowed the field to 40 semifinalists. A final jury selected the exhibiting artists and prize winners.
Nadler said she learned she had advanced to the final round while on campus at Hofstra after finishing a final exam.
“I opened the website and saw my photo as the banner,” she said. “I gasped out loud. I immediately texted my parents, my grandparents and my photography teacher from Mepham. It was surreal.”
According to Nadler, she is the only finalist from New York this year.
“Alone in the Underbrush” was created during Nadler’s senior year as part of her AP Studio Art portfolio. Using a double-exposure technique, the photograph combines a dark nature scene taken at the Bronx Zoo with a portrait of an expressionless teenager, symbolizing depression and loneliness.
“I wanted to explore how nature and mental health can be connected,” Nadler said. “Teenagers don’t always talk about what they’re going through, but a lot of them are dealing with heavy emotions.”
Nadler developed her interest in photography while attending Mepham, where she completed photography, college photography, digital art and AP Studio Art courses. She also took a summer photography course at Five Towns College between her freshman and sophomore years of high school.
While studying science in college, Nadler continues to pursue photography as a student photographer at Hofstra, covering athletics and campus events for the school newspaper.
She credited Mepham teachers for helping her refine her technical skills, particularly during the editing process for her finalist piece.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the opportunities and support I had there,” she said.
Nadler said the national recognition has reinforced her belief in perseverance as an artist.
“You’re not going to be great when you start,” she said. “But if you keep trying and keep creating, you’ll get better.”
Nadler’s work will be featured in a video presentation at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., from Jan. 24 through Aug. 30.
