Maddie Mendoza is the first Gerber Baby of Filipino descent (Photo courtesy of Jun and Crystal Mendoza).

Madison Reese “Maddie” Mendoza is turning one year old this September. She already has an accomplished resume for a little girl who doesn’t talk in full sentences yet. Born in Colorado to Filipino American parents, she has traveled to many destinations including New York City, appearing on the TODAY Show. She has also drawn news coverage. The reason? Maddie is this year’s winner of the Gerber Baby Photo Search. 

When we think of Gerber, we think of baby food, specifically purees in little glass jars. The Gerber line has since expanded to include formula, snacks, even childrenswear and life insurance, because Gerber was founded on giving babies the best start in life.

The iconic logo in all the Gerber packaging is a sketch of a baby by artist Dorothy Hope Smith. Through the years, parents have shared photos of their children who resemble this original Gerber baby, prompting the brand to conduct the annual Gerber Baby Photo Search. Since 2011, the photo contest has celebrated babies from different backgrounds.

According to Tarun Malkani, president and CEO of Gerber, “Our panel of judges reviewed tens of thousands of submissions this year! Maddie is the first baby of Filipino descent to win Gerber Photo Search. Maddie was chosen for her joyful spirit and captivating expression. Maddie and her parents' story, filled with love, resilience, and adventure, embodies the spirit of generations of Gerber Babies. The throwback submission of Maddie and her mom brought a smile to the judges’ faces and perfectly captured the spirit of this year’s program. We’re excited to partner with Maddie and her family throughout the next year to highlight the full-circle journey from baby to parent.”

Maddie’s parents, Jun and Crystal Mendoza, from first-generation immigrant families from the Philippines, are pursuing service-oriented careers. “We both come from families where education and hard work are valued. We both also have many passions, but ultimately helping others is what drives us. Crystal did a medical mission that influenced her to be a dentist. She loved how you can directly help people improve their smiles and help get them out of pain,” Jun says.

Maddie with her parents, Jun and Crystal Mendoza (Photo courtesy of the Mendoza Family)

“Jun’s mother is a nurse, and his father was in the Navy, so he was inspired to pursue a career in military medicine,” Crystal adds. Jun graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and has been a Lieutenant Colonel physician for 16 years.

In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Crystal’s parents, Henry and Gloria Aspiras, and Jun’s parents, Elias and Lilia Mendoza, moved to the U.S. from the Philippines in search of a better life. Jun’s father and Crystal’s father are both U.S. Navy veterans, each with 20 years of service. “They wanted to serve in the U.S. Navy so they could become U.S. citizens and serve this country because they viewed it as the greatest country with close ties to the Philippines. The United States was full of opportunities for the families and legacies they wanted to build. The U.S. Navy also provided the stability that they needed since they were moving here with barely anything,” Jun says. Both sets of parents are based in San Diego, California where they continue to work.

Maddie comes from a family of service members. Both of her grandfathers served in the U.S. Navy and her dad is a Lieutenant Colonel physician (Photo courtesy of Jun and Crystal Mendoza).

While Maddie is still learning how to say “Lolo” (grandfather) and “Lola” (grandmother), her grandparents are beaming with pride that their apo (grandchild) is this year’s Gerber Baby. “They are beyond thrilled. They were so happy, proud and surprised when the news made it all the way to the Philippines on national TV. I think they were more excited than us,” Crystal admits.

Jun and Crystal look forward to teaching Maddie the same Filipino values they were raised on. “We want to make sure that Maddie is family-oriented, religious, humble, grateful, has a strong work ethic, and is hospitable,” Jun declares. “As for introducing her to Filipino culture, we want to teach her how to cook Filipino food and to visit the Philippines several times to learn all about her heritage.”

Being a military family comes with joys and challenges. Jun says, “We are proud to be a Filipino American family serving our nation. Being a military family has brought us a network of other military families that share our same love for our communities, as well as exposure to other cultures when living overseas. Some challenges have been being away from our extended family, having to move every two to three years and having to reestablish ourselves at each base.” Thankfully, they have a strong support system to help raise Maddie.

“There have been so many people that have helped us. When Maddie was born, the Labor and Delivery staff at Evans Army Community Hospital took special care of her, especially when she had trouble breathing during her first few days. Both sets of grandparents were able to fly out to Colorado during the first couple months to help cook, clean, and take care of Maddie,” says Crystal.

“Crystal’s lifelong best friend and Maddie’s ninang (godmother), Jessica, moved to Colorado and has helped us a lot. Her other godparents, Jason, Christine, Reinier, and Ronald, have also showered Maddie with love from afar and continually pray for her. We also moved into the best cul-de-sac with the kindest neighbors who have helped us to have date nights and home-cooked meals when we needed it the most,” adds Jun.

These characteristics are very much Filipino and in line with Gerber’s mission, “Anything for Baby.” As the Gerber Spokesbaby, she receives a generous prize package and, “Maddie will be featured on Gerber’s social media channels and marketing campaigns throughout the year. She will also serve as the official Chief Taste Tester to provide feedback on new baby food products. As Chief Growing Officer, she will provide the Gerber executive team ‘advice’ about what the next generation of babies need to grow and thrive,” says Gerber’s Tarun Malkani.

Twinning in red. Maddie and her mom’s throwback baby photo won the hearts of the judges (Photo courtesy of Jun and Crystal Mendoza).

According to Crystal, “We chose the name Madison for our daughter because it means “gift from God.” She was a gift that we prayed hard for.”

To honor this precious gift, Jun says, “We will be celebrating Maddie’s first birthday milestone by heading out to Kauai with family and taking our first professional family photos all together. We plan on doing a cake smash for her on the beach, taking her on some hikes, and just allowing her to soak in all of the new experiences. We are also celebrating our first year as parents! It means a lot for us to have Maddie, who is healthy and happy, in our lives. One of the best things we have learned as new parents is every stage is both challenging and exciting. We love seeing the world through her adventures. It’s so rewarding. We can't believe how fast a year has gone by!”

“We want Maddie to be a compassionate, humble, and independent individual. We want her to have the confidence to pursue any goal she sets upon, the grit to overcome challenges, the resilience to bounce back from any failure, and the heart to give back to others and be a light in this world,” Crystal concludes.