STATE OF THE ART

Liam Boobar (CMD, ‘29) took part in the Innovative Fusion Convention in October 2025. Liam is an assistant for Innovative Fusion with Maryann Deangelis and a member of HEAT Force & Crew, a pre-professional hip-hop dance team representing the organization HEAT Convention and Competition. As an Innovator Assistant he represents all styles of dance and travels the country.

Levi Sternshein (ACT, ‘24) booked a role in the movie “Mistletoe & Magic,” which began shooting in December 2025. Levi also shot a national El Pollo Loco commercial in the same month.

Lana Lee (IA/CW, ‘26) was selected as one of 315 students out of more than 12,000 applicants nationwide for the prestigious Bank of America Student Leaders program. This eight-week paid internship connects high school changemakers with nonprofit organizations to address community challenges and develop leadership skills. Lana was matched with Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, where she worked to combat food insecurity and advocate for equitable access to resources. As part of the program, she also attended the National Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C., where she met with civic and business leaders to discuss community impact and social responsibility, and was selected to speak at the program’s closing ceremony. Beyond this, Lana represented OCSA as the sole delegate to California Girls State, a selective leadership and civic engagement program sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary. During the weeklong simulation of state government, she was elected as a Supreme Court Justice, where she deliberated on constitutional cases and explored how law and policy intersect to shape communities.

Kensie Breen (PM, ‘30) released two original singles, "Playing for You" and "Missing the View" on all streaming platforms in November 2025. Kensie’s music is rooted in her real-life emotions, with original instrumentals that blend heartfelt lyrics with warm, melodic storytelling.

Jovie Leigh Ugerio (ACT, ‘27) starred in the short film, “The Stand,” directed by Oanh-Nhi Nguyen. Jovie also attended the world premiere of the short film at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2025. “The Stand” follows a determined immigrant girl who must work with her pesky kid brother in order for them both to survive. When her mother is forced to leave their family’s bustling food stand, the young girl must earn enough money to give their mom a rare night off to attend her choir concert.

Jamie Ma (CV, ‘29) was a winner in the 2025-2026 Southern California Philharmonic Young Artists Solo Competition in the Vocal Artiste division. The Young Artists Solo Competition continues to be a mainstay for the orchestra, attracting many talented students, ranging from 5 to 23 years of age, with the winners earning a chance to perform with the orchestra in the three spring concerts.

Jack Chen (DM, ‘28) made Team USA for the Recurve U18 Division in Archery. To make the USA Archery team, archers must compete in and perform well at a series of events, such as the USAT Series events and Olympic Trials.

Isabella Sun (ACT, ‘30) was a first-prize winner in the 2025 International Music Competition “Paris” Grand Prize Virtuoso. Isabella was selected to perform at the Studio of the Opera Bastille in Paris in December.

Gordon Rocks (ACT, ‘28) attended the California Premiere Special Screening of the feature film “Griffin in Summer" in August 2025 at Lumiere Cinema at the Music Hall in Beverly Hills alongside the other lead and supporting actors, Everett Blunck, Melanie Lynskey, Kathryn Newton, and Johanna Colón.

Farrah Li (IM, ‘30) was a finalist for the 2025 Summer Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition. Farrah had the special opportunity to perform all 14 movements of Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns with a full ensemble of other finalists. Watch Farrah’s finale performance here: https://bit.ly/4pGq2YQ

Derrick Zhang (BR, ‘29) won first place in the World Stage Tour Music Competition by The Royal Foundation of Music & Arts in April (live) and May (online). Derrick was invited to perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., alongside other winners.

Cosimo Rhoney (FTV, ‘27) released his first music video for his song, “Ascend.” Cosimo shot and edited the video himself. Watch “Ascend” here: https://bit.ly/48Ttmsd

ChloeLux Phan (ACT, ‘26) booked her first commercial voiceover project through her representation under CESD Talent Agency. The commercial will be broadcast nationwide.

Charlotte Jisoo Nam (VA, ‘28) was awarded Very High Commendation in the 2025 John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize Competition. The John Locke Institute Essay Prize Competition, one of the most prestigious international essay competitions in the world, received over 63,000 entries this year from over 190 countries. Very High Commendation is a distinction earned by 1% of the applicants.

Carson Zhou (BR, ‘31) won the J1 5 Latin Dance Championship at the Elite DanceSport event in Irvine. Elite DanceSport is one of the top competitive dance events in the United States, where dancers can showcase their highest level of performance in Latin or Standard styles.

Brianna Klein (ACT, ‘27) made the National Team for Aesthetic Group Gymnastics in her age division. The National Team in Aesthetic Group Gymnastics (AGG) selects athletes to represent the country in international competitions like the World Championships and World Cups.

Brent Cho (ACT, ‘27), Arabella Kim (BCD, ‘27), and Yesoul Kim (BCD, ‘28) founded Heartbeat of Korea in 2025, a traditional Korean performance club dedicated to teaching Korean dance and music, showcasing traditional clothing, and volunteering at events to share the beauty of Korean heritage with the community. Under the guidance of El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory Instructor Jay Wallace, Arabella, Brent, and Yesoul received a $1,500 scholarship from the Korean Education Center in Los Angeles, under the Ministry of Education of Korea, to purchase clothing, traditional Korean fans and drums, and craft materials.

Brendan McCanta (CV, ‘31) was awarded first place in both Classical Voice and Musical Theatre at National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) National Student Auditions in Philadelphia in June 2025. Brendan also made it to the Young American Grand Prix (YAGP) World Finals in Ballet, making the top 12. The renowned event took place in Tampa Bay, Florida, bringing together 1,900 young dancers from 46 countries.

The students listed below took part in the Ingrid Green Performing Arts’ 2025 production of “Something Rotten.”

Bella Dorman (MT, ‘27) as Beatrice
Mali Molina (MT, ‘28) as Minstrel
Ella Paulsen (IA, ‘29) - Ensemble
Sophie Paulsen (MT, ‘27) - Ensemble
Sasha Tolkachev (MT, ‘27) as Portia
Jake Villanueva (MT, ‘27) as Nigel Bottom

Avanika Prasad (IA, ‘29) performed her Bharatanatyam Arangetram (solo dance debut in south Indian classical dance) in September 2025 at Northwood High School Theatre in Irvine under the guidance of her Guru Smt. Ramya Harishankar, the artistic director of Arpana Dance Company.

Ava Villacorte (MT, ‘27) was a recipient of the Lovis Foundation Hero Award for her volunteer work in surrounding communities. The Lovis Foundation aims to bring joy to overlooked youth – especially those with disabilities – through events, awards, and supporting community programs.

Ava Gray (FTV, ‘29) sang the National Anthem during the Los Angeles Angels game against the Cincinnati Reds in August 2025. Watch the video here: https://bit.ly/4pCJxBk

Alan Kim (ACT, ‘30) was shortlisted for the John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize Competition. The John Locke Essay Prize Competition, one of the most prestigious international essay competitions in the world, received over 63,000 entries this year from over 190 countries. Being shortlisted is a distinction earned by 18% of the applicants.

Amelie Zazik (IA, ‘31) wrote and directed the short film “Christmas Presence” that premiered at WonderCon as an official selection of the Los Angeles Children's Film Festival in Anaheim. Amelie’s film was also screened in the Valkyrie Film Festival (New York) and Three Minute Film Festival (Santa Barbara). “Christmas Presence” is a horror micro-short about a little girl who learns the consequences of leaving her room too early on Christmas morning.

Logan Bailey (MT, ‘28) attended the 52nd annual Annie Awards in February 2025. His episode, “Pandy’s Bad Day” from Dreamworks Animation’s “Gabby’s Dollhouse,” was nominated for Best TV/Media - Preschool. Logan voices the character Pandy Paws in the show, which reached Season 11 in 2025.

The Orange County Register announced the semi-finalists for the 2025 Artist of the Year. The program highlighted over 900 talented students from across the county, 91 of whom were OCSA students:

SEMIFINALISTS:

Dance
Kameron Couch (CMD, ‘25)
Carissa Hsu (BCD, ‘26)
Merce Meynardie (CMD, ‘26)
Arianna Ramirez (BF, ‘26)

Film and TV
Micah Lai (FTV, ‘25)

Fine Arts
Grace Fleischmann (VA, ‘25)

Instrumental Music
Jiyu Lee (IM, ‘26)
Alyssa Snow (IM, ‘25)

Media Arts
Valerie Nguyen (VA, ‘25)

Vocal Music
Lal Besir (CV, ‘25)
Claire Harmsen (PM, ‘26)
Jaden Yoo (CV, ‘25)

The following OCSA students were honorees in the Art category for the 2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.

Regional Honorable Mention
Samantha Bailey (VA, ‘26) - “Little Girl Keepsakes”
Jack Chen (DM, ‘28) - “From shattered porcelain, we rise, for in our breaking, we find our strength” and “SURVIVAL POD”
Yuer Chen (VA, ‘28) - “Bubble Buddies”
Nuri Chin (DM, ‘25) - “Memories of Sailing With My Sister”
Christian Cho (VA, ‘26) - “Battle Against Time”, “Falling Under Pressure”, and “Silent Struggle”
Isabella Cho (ACT, ‘27) - “Entangled by a net”, “Waters of Sorrow”, and “Whispers of Waste: Urban Echoes"
Jennifer Choi (VA, ‘26) - “Carrying Tomorrow”
Annie Cui (DM, ‘26) - “Into the Blue”
Anvi Dayal (FTV, ‘26) - “It’s Alive! PSA”
Elodie Fu (VA, ‘28) - “Golden” and “Swinging into Stillness”
Eloise Fu (VA, ‘28) - “Culture Echos”
Bella Hwang (CV, ‘27) - “Lipstick on a Pig”
Claire Jung (DM, ‘28) - “Under the Canopy”
Elizabeth Kim (CAH, ‘28) - “Left” and “The Orange Gaze”
Mooyong Kim (DM, ‘27) - “Broken Life”
Shine Kim (FTV, ‘27) - “Even At the Peak, There is Only More Sky” and “The Memories We Left Behind”
Akari Kobayashi (DM, ‘28) - “Within the space of solitude”
Chloe Koo (VA, ‘28) - “Diverging Paths” and “growing reflections”
Ava Kwon (PD, ‘29) - “Sushi”
Erin Lee (VA, ‘27) - “Angelic Fear”
Haewon Lee (VA, ‘25) - “Breaking My Generational Confinement”
Harah Lee (VA, ‘26) - “Paint the Town Blue”
Jessica Lin (VA, ‘26) - “Jackson Hansanuwat”
Jason Liu (VA, ‘28) - “Roots Within”
Jewel Min (DM, ‘28) - “Bride of Goryeo”
Ava Park (VA, ‘25) - “A Fish Shop”, “Plastic to Plush, “Portfolio 2”, “Quiet Routine”, and “Tangled Aspirations”
Irene Son (VA, ‘25) - “Elemental Flow”
YanJun Wang (VA, ‘26) - “The Quiet Light”
Emily Wen (VA, ‘26) - “Ocean of Thoughts” and “Rosy Reverie”
Julianne Wu (DM, ‘27) - “The Gender Complex”
Keyun Xiao (VA, ‘25) - “Inertia”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26) - “Connected Solitude”, “Driver’s Plea: Save Our Seas”, “Dreams Resting On My Hand”, “The Burden of War on Innocence”, and “Woven Threads of Emotion”
Sol Yoon (VA, ‘27) - “Sinking in”
Shujia Zhang (VA, ‘27) - “Breaking Through”
Xinmeng Zhang (PD) - “Connect to the solar system”
Teresa Zhu (CV, ‘29) - “Resilience Through Ruin”

The following OCSA students were honorees in the Art category for the 2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.

Regional Silver Key
Isabella Cho (ACT, ‘27) - “Hawk Wanders Across Scorched Sea”
Jennifer Choi (VA, ‘26) - “Blossoms of War”, “Flicker of Hope”, and “No More”
Aileen Chun (VA, ‘26) - “Life’s A Mess” and “Vietnam’s Flowers”
Anvi Dayal (FTV, ‘26) - “Berry Good Documentary”
Elodie Fu (VA, ‘28) - “Glimmer Before the Spotlight”
Yuanhang Gao (PD, ‘29) - “Dinner”
Michael Ge (VA, ‘27) - “Echoes of Humanity”
Isabella Glauch-Lozano (FTV, ‘28) - “The Audition”
Chloe Heller (DM, ‘27) - “Look Up” & “Turtle Beach”
Elizabeth Kim (CAH, ‘28) - “Breaking Solitude” and “The Nature of Relationships”
Riyeon Kim (DM, ‘28) - “I & Me”
Ziah Kim (VA, ‘27) - “Bound” & “Foundations”
Edda Lee (PD, ‘28) - “Melting Lives”
Oasis Lin (VA, ‘28) - “Herald of the Skies”
Jesper Seet (FTV, ‘26) - “Sunrise on the Colorado River”
Ashley Shin (VA, ‘25) - “Metamorphosis”
Irene Son (VA, ‘25) - “Blue & Orange” and “Transforming Grief”
Angie Wang (DM, ‘25) - “Letter” and “Through the Eyes of Youth”
Ella Wang (VA, ‘26) - “Shrinking Youth”
Emily Wen (VA, ‘26) - “I’m Flying!”
Bolai Yan (VA, ‘27) - “My Spring”
Evelyn Yang (VA, ‘28) - “Delusions”
Jisu Yang (VA, ‘28) - “Darkness of Santa Fe Springs” and “Future Textures”
Mia Yang (VA, ‘28) - “In Their Eyes”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26) - “Eternal Flame of Hope” and “Orchestrating Joy: The Bubble Maestro of Portugal”
Lauren Young (VA, ‘26) - “80,000 Hours”
Shujia Zhang (VA, ‘27) - “Through the Glass”

The following OCSA students were honorees in the Art category for the 2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.

National Silver Medalist
Chloe Koo (VA, ‘28) - “Love Through Storm”

Regional Gold Key
Sailee Charlu (CW, ‘27) - “Trapped by a Vision”
Heamin Choi (VA, ‘29) - “Our Future”
Jennifer Choi (VA, ‘26) - “The Woman behind the Veil”
Eloise Fu (VA, ‘29) - “Reflection”
Chloe Heller (DM, ‘27) - “Sky”
Chaeyeon Kim (VA, ‘27) - “I-Land”
Eliana Kim (VA, ‘28) - “Ain’t It Easy”
Elizabeth Kim (CAH, ‘28) - “The Sunset”
Ziah Kim (VA, ‘27) - “Beyond the Ordinary”
Hannah Koo (DM, ‘26) - “Behind the Screen”
Phoenix Li (VA, ‘28) - “Chrono”
Jessica Lin (VA, ‘26) - “Beetles” and “Flies”
Ava Park (VA, ‘25) - “Family Ties” and Surface Tension”
Annie Peng (DM, ‘27) - “Dissociation”
Yuzuki Quoit-Minematsu (VA, ‘29) - “2018 summer in Japan with my grandma”
Ashley Shin (VA, ‘25) - “Beauty in the Ordinary”
Irene Son (VA, ‘25) - “Mother’s Protect” and “Youth”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26) - “Mystic Rain”
Sol Yoon (VA, ‘27) - “Drowning in reflections”
Lauren Young (VA, ‘26) - “Invisible Circus” and “The Memories That Make Us”

The following OCSA students were honorees in the Writing category for the 2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.

National Silver Medalists
Chloesse Chang (CW, ‘28) - “Types of People in a Robotics Team”
Samantha Wu (CW, ‘27) - “At Dave’s Door”

Regional Gold Key
Elise Choi (CW, ‘27) - “the ingredients of juice”
Yuna Chun (IM, ‘25) - “The Cost of Multitasking for Students”
Yeeun Chung (CW, ‘25) - “Thanksgiving”
Zara Daneva (CW, ‘26) - “Solutions to the Fermi Paradox”
Ryan Jung (CW, ‘26) - “A Lesson in Alchemy”
Hillary Kim (CW, ‘28) - “The Great Battle (Or Some other Epic Name)”
Sarina Marzbani (CW, ‘27) - “Mourning View”
Adyson Ngo (CW, ‘27) - “Ode to Bees”
Rena Oh (CW, ‘28) - “Russian Dolls”
Chloe Woo (IM, ‘27) - “Scent of Home”
Samantha Wu (CW, ‘27) - “Ocean’s Regifted”

Regional Silver Key
Irene Cho (MT, ‘29) - “Loss”
Zara Daneva (CW, ‘26) - “Yes, No, Maybe So”
Diego Gonzales (CW, ‘27) - “storm. No. 663”
Kang Han (AE, ‘26) - “The Art of Falling”
Jenna Hong (CW, ‘28) - “Please Stand”
Ryan Jung (CW, ‘26) - “A Manifesto Against the Changing Collective”
Danwoo Kwak (MT, ‘26) - “Nightmare on Finals Week”
Ellie Park (IA, ‘29) - “Current Currents”
Sophie Sukendro (IM, ‘26) - “Bosnia And Herzegovina: The Necessity of Reform to Mitigate the Aftermath of Ethnic Cleansing”
Yimeng Wang (CW, ‘25) - “Mother, Please Hold Me”
Chloe Woo (IM, ‘27) - “Impact of Parenting Styles and Home Environment in moderating the effect of Violence Exposure on Antisocial Behavior in Adolescents”
Samantha Wu (CW, ‘27) - “A Lotus Blooms”, “Between Her Lips”, and “God is Dead”
Kyle Yoon (DM, ‘28) - “A Bad Day”

The following OCSA students were honorees in the Writing category for the 2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.

Regional Honorable Mention
Asmi Aggarwal (CV, ‘27) - “Alien”
Sailee Charlu (CW, ‘27) - “Everything Comes Back Around: The Case of Logan Gold” and “When Stars Start to Cry”
Ethan Choi (CW, ‘28) - “Pearl Harbor Letter”
Jennifer Choi (VA, ‘26) - “The Neighbor, Mrs. Johnson”
Zara Daneva (CW, ‘26) - “Music of the Spheres”
Diego Gonzales (CW, ‘27) - “bombshell. No. 664”
Hanna Heger (CW, ‘26) - “Drowning”
Grant Herman (ACT, ‘27) - “A Person Who Bakes”
Henry Hong (CW, ‘27) - “Ice That Shouldn't Be Broken”
Jenna Hong (CW, ‘28) - “yesterday, it rained”
Ryan Jung (CW, ‘26) - “21st century poet,”
Olivia Kang (IM, ‘30) - “Nature and Me”
Ashley Kim (CW, ‘28) - “Life of an Asian American”
Catherine Kim (CW, ‘28) - “Old Man’s Advice”
Gigi Kim (VA, ‘25) - “Lucky Nangang”
Hillary Kim (CW, ‘28) - “What I Told My Wife When Our Car Suddenly Disappeared”
Jua Kim (CW, ‘27) - “Your Next Romance Trope”
Calene Lee (CW, ‘25) - “food for thought”, “She Was Just A Girl”, and “sincerity”
Eunhyeok Lee (IM, ‘27) - “Arrows of Love” and “Tasting the Difference: Zeffirelli vs. Luhrmann’s Taste”
Juhan Lee (IM, ‘30) - “Would You Have Done It Differently”
Lana Lee (IA, ‘26) - “Bracelets”
Shinbi Lee (CW, ‘28) - “When Virtual Becomes Reality”
Adyson Ngo (CW, ‘27) - “Where are You From?”
Matthew Nguyen (CW, ‘27) - “All That Glitters Is Not Gold”
Ellie Park (IA, ‘29) - “When They Stopped Looking”
Esther Park (MT, ‘28)- “The Hum in the Kitchen”
Aryan Sharma (CW, ‘27) - “Shoelaced”
Audrey Shih (CW, ‘27) - “Memoir of a Lost Swan Princess”
Rhea Sreedhar (FTV, ‘28) - “Cowlick”
David Wong (CW, ‘26) - “Layered Imperfect Moments” and “Lesson in Words”
Chloe Woo (IM, ‘27) - “Butterfly Letters”
Samantha Wu (CW, ‘27) - “A Portrait of You”, “Dear Spring, Consume Me”, “Doubt of Sanctification”, “Himself”, “Key Lime Pie”, “Love, it is the stars”, “Salvation”, and “Waiting”
Rebecca Yang (CW, ‘27) - “sincerely, your lampshade”

The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 2025 Artist of the Year. The program highlighted over 900 talented students from across the county, 91 of whom were OCSA students. Below are the nominees in the Media Arts, Theater, and Vocal Music categories:

NOMINEES:

Media Arts
Aileen Chun (VA, ‘26)
Ava Forghani (DM, ‘26)
Gwyn Hatch (DM, ‘26)
Jonathan Leanos-Villanueva (VA, ‘25)
Kelsey Tsai (VA, ‘25)

Theater
Enzo Consani (ACT, ‘25)
Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25)
Mary Hong (PD, ‘26)
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25)
Ciara Tadeo (IA, ‘25)
Erin Tardibuono (MT, ‘25)

Vocal Music
Amber Bach (CV, ‘26)
Summer Brennan (PM, ‘25)
Celine Curtis (CV, ‘26)
Zane Herrmann (PM, ‘25)
Estella Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Iris Le (PM, ‘26)
Joules Recana (PM, ‘25)
Eliza Tait (CV, ‘25)
William Yu (CV, ‘26)

The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 2025 Artist of the Year. The program highlighted over 900 talented students from across the county, 91 of whom were OCSA students. Below are the nominees in the Dance, and Film and Television categories:

NOMINEES:

Dance
Jimena Alcocer (BF, ‘26)
Jesus Alvarez (BF, ‘26)
Katie Couch (CMD, ‘25)
Shelby Guetzkow (BCD, ‘26)
Isabella Guzmán (BF, ‘25)
Isabella Harrington (BCD, ‘25)
Presley Herthel (BR, ‘26)
Charlotte Huang (BCD, ‘26)
Carlos Lozano (BF, ‘25)
Andrea Martinez (BF, ‘25)
Bruno Mckenzie (IA, ‘25)
Isaac Nuñez (BF, ‘25)
Samantha Okada-Lam (BR, ‘26)
Brad Olivarez (BF, ‘25)
Piper Rovsek (CMD, ‘25)
Brody Silva (BR, ‘25)
Landyn Slominski (BF, ‘26)
Ariel Tello (CMD, ‘26)
Sophia Williams (CMD, ‘25)

Film and TV
Ella Jerrier (FTV, ‘25)
Timothy Okajima (FTV, ‘25)
David Pineda (FTV, ‘25)
Jonah Ranz (FTV, ‘25)
John Rosenberg (FTV, ‘25)

The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 2025 Artist of the Year. The program highlighted over 900 talented students from across the county, 91 of whom were OCSA students. Below are the nominees in the Fine Arts and Instrumental Music categories:

NOMINEES:

Fine Arts
Isabella Chiodo (VA, ‘25)
Ashley Choi (VA, ‘25)
Millie Hamel (VA, ‘25)
Dana Kim (VA, ‘25)
Sophia Kim (IA, ‘25)
Akira Kircher (VA, ‘26)
Haeny Lee (VA, ‘25)
Nini Liu (VA, ‘25)
Valerie Nguyen (VA, ‘25)
Vivi Perez (VA, ‘26)
Ava Schmitt (VA, ‘25)
Faith Suh (VA, ‘25)
Angelina Wang (DM, ‘25)
Ella Wang (VA, ‘26)
Jenny Wang (VA, ‘25)
Emily Wen (VA, ‘26)
Coco Xiao (VA, ‘25)
Charlotte Yoh (VA, ‘26)

Instrumental Music
Hank Braverman (PM, ‘26)
Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25)
HP Emerich (PM, ‘26)
Ariana Kim (IM, ‘25)
Emmi Nicolov (PM, ‘26)
Keilah Park (IM, ‘25)

The Orange County Register announced the finalists and semi-finalists for the 2025 Artist of the Year. The program highlighted over 900 talented students from across the county, 91 of whom were OCSA students:

FINALISTS:

Dance
Alyssa Park (CMD, ‘26)
Bella Silva (IA, ‘26)

Film and TV
Nelan Castillo (FTV, ‘25)
Kyle Kim (FTV, ‘25)

Media Arts
Ash Chiou (DM, ‘25)
Jasmine Diep (DM, ‘25)

The OCSA ProStart Management Team of Camila Acevedo (CAH, ‘27), Kayleen Chae (CAH, ‘27), and Allison Kim (CAH, ‘27), coached by Culinary Arts & Hospitality Instructor Paola Costa, earned First Place at the California ProStart Cup and went on to place Third nationally at the 2025 National ProStart Invitational (NPSI), a premier competition for high school students in restaurant management and culinary arts. The team competed against 48 state champions and impressed industry judges with their original restaurant concept, BondFire – a quick-casual eatery inspired by camping and the great outdoors. They showcased skills in menu design, recipe costing, marketing, and real-time problem solving. Additionally, the following teams and solo competitors took part in the California ProStart Cup in Los Angeles in February 2025, prior to the National Invitational.

Culinary Team - Second Place (out of 35 teams)
Mia Horiguchi (CAH, ‘26)
Julian Leonardo Jeciel (CAH, ‘27)
Ayn Liu (CAH, ‘26)
Stella Mulholland (CAH, ‘26)
Cynthia Zhou (CAH, ‘26)

Solo Competitors
Elizabeth Kim (CAH, ‘28) - Tenth Place (out of 24)
Angela Luo (CAH, ‘28) - Third Place (out of 24)
Serafina Truong (CAH, ‘28) - Tenth Place (out of 20)
Kingston Wei (CAH, ‘28) - Seventh Place (out of 20)

OCSA’s ProStart competitors were also featured in an article found here: https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/story/2025-02-26/o-c-high-school-culinary-students-heat-up-the-competition-at-prostart-cup-2025

The Orange County Register announced the winners for the 2025 Artist of the Year. The program highlighted over 900 talented students from across the county, 91 of whom were OCSA students:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR WINNERS:

Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) - Vocal Music
Isabella Kim (ACT, ‘25) - Theatre
Jennifer Kim (VA, ‘25) - Media Arts
Allie Molin (IM, ‘25) - Instrumental Music
Piper Rovsek (CMD, ‘25) - Dance

YoungArts Award Winners receive a monetary award of $250, and Winners with Distinction are invited to participate in National YoungArts Week and have their work further evaluated for cash awards of up to $10,000. Attendees of National YoungArts Week who meet the eligibility requirements are also considered for nomination to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

Classical
Ariana Kim (IM, ‘26) - Bassoon (Winner with Distinction)
Jaden Kim (IM, ‘25) - Violin
Jiyu Lee (IM, ‘26) - Violin

Dance
Carissa Hsu (BCD, ‘26) - Modern/Contemporary (Winner with Distinction)
Jasmine Lee (CMD, ‘26) - Hip-Hop (Winner with Distinction)
Arianna Ramirez (BF, ‘26) - World Dance: Mexican Folkloric
Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25) - Hip-Hop
Preston Walker (BCD) - Ballet

Design
Chaeyeon Kim (VA, ‘27)
Jennifer Kim (VA, ‘25) - Winner with Distinction

Film
Victoria Pham (DM, ‘25) - Winner with Distinction
Alisha Zhao (DM, ‘25)

Jazz
Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25) - Saxophone/Tenor
Nicholas Doan (IM, ‘24) - Double Bass
Allie Molin (IM, ‘25) - Trumpet

Voice
Isabella Both (MT, ‘25) - Popular
Summer Brennan (PM, ‘25) - Popular (Winner with Distinction)
Isabella Le (PM, ‘26) - Singer-Songwriter
Joules Recana (PM, ‘25) - Popular
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24) - Classical

Writing
Olivia Le (CW, ‘25) - Spoken Word (Winner with Distinction)
Lana Lee (IA, ‘26) - Spoken Word
Chloe Woo (IM, ‘27) - Nonfiction
Chloe Yang (CW, ‘27) - Nonfiction (Winner with Distinction)

Alex Hwang (IM, ‘27), Audrey Lee (IM), and Sterling Tran (IM, ‘27) won First Place at the prestigious Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) VOCE Ensemble competition as The Junior Chamber Music Honors Piano Trio and were invited to perform at the MTAC Convention in summer 2025. In March, they also won first place in another Junior Chamber Music competition at USC.

OCSA National History Day (NHD) members attended the NHD Orange County Competition in March 2025. A total of 31 OCSA students attended, with 21 total project entries. Eighteen of the projects received recognition. The OCSA NHD team snagged 18 finalist ribbons and a Judges’ Choice Award. This also resulted in 15 OCSA NHD projects advancing to the California State Competition in May. Below are the results of OCSA NHD’s State accomplishments:

Headed to Nationals
Both students will join Team California and represent OCSA at the NHD National competition in College Park, Maryland, in June
Samantha Bailey (VA, ‘26) – Senior Individual Exhibit (State Champion)
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26) – Senior Individual Exhibit (State Champion)

Podcast State Champions (CA-Exclusive Category)
Asmi Aggarwal (CV, ‘27) – Senior Individual Podcast
Sailee Charlu (CW, ‘27) and Julianne Wu (DM, ‘27) – Senior Group Podcast

Special Award
Helen Lu (BCD, ‘30) – Junior Division; Elizabeth Avery Waring Award for Social Justice

Honorable Mention
Jennifer Choi (VA, ‘26) – Senior Individual Website (Runner-Up for Nationals)

QUALIFIED AS STATE FINALISTS:

Junior (Middle School) Division
Olivia Park (IM, ‘29) – Jr Individual Exhibit

Senior (High School) Division
Isabella Abiera (ACT, ‘28) – Sr Individual Documentary
Rachel Choi (CW, ‘28) – Sr Individual Podcast
Harah Lee (VA, ‘26) and Sophia Okerlund (ACT, ‘26) – Sr Group Documentary
Aarav Putrevu (CAH, ‘26) – Sr Individual Website
Audrey Shih (CW, ‘27) – Sr Historical Paper

The OCSA Robotics Team competed against 75 other teams from across the United States at the SCORE Showdown at Auburn University. After 150 matches, the OCSA Robotics Team was ranked number one and became the first seed in the playoffs, where they were undefeated. This earned them the SCORE Showdown Championship, which also awards them a spot at the VEX Robotics World Championship in May 2025 for the first time in the club’s history. The OCSA Robotics Team had 10 qualifying matches at the World Championship and were selected for the 7th seeded alliance, making it to the round of 16. The members of the team, 11211X Xelsius, are listed below:

Shining Chen (CW, ‘26)
Yaphet Chen (ACT, ‘28)
Taven Rong (IM, ‘28)
Paul Seo (DM, ‘26)
Anthony Tatsuta (FTV, ‘27)

The following El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory students received awards in their respective competitions/categories at the 51st Annual John A. Lesser Invitational High School Shakespeare Festival at Cal Poly Pomona.

First Place in Group Scene Competition; “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Enzo Consani (ACT, ‘25)
Harlo Cozzins (ACT, ‘25)
Brylee Hsu (ACT, ‘28)
ChloeLux Phan (ACT, ‘26)

Second Place in Group Scene Competition; “Othello”
Adriana Aguilar (ACT, ‘26)
Aniya Wilkins (ACT, ‘26)

First Place in Dramatic Monologue; “Macbeth”
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25)

Second Place in Dramatic Monologue; “Hamlet”
Caitlin Kim (ACT, ‘25)

First Place in Comedy Monologue; “The Tempest”
Ethan Trinh (ACT, ‘26)

Third Place in Comedy Monologue; “As You Like It”
Devyn Berrey (ACT, ‘28)

Instructor in the Instrumental Music Conservatory – Strings & Orchestra Program Cristian Fatu was featured in an interview with Shoutout SoCal Magazine, speaking about his path as a violinist, what drives him forward, and much more. Read the article on Mr. Fatu here: https://shoutoutsocal.com/meet-cristian-fatu-violinist/

Jennifer Choi (VA, ‘26) won First Place in the 2025 Congressional Art Competition. She was honored by Congresswoman Young Kim, who represents California’s 40th District, at a winner's reception held at the Moulton Museum. Her winning artwork, “Blossoms of War,” will be on display in the U.S. Capitol for a year, and the Congressional Institute has invited her to Washington, D.C. in June 2025 for the celebration.

Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24) and Selina You (BR, ‘27) placed in the top three at the 2025 US National Amateur Dancesport Championships in the American Smooth Dance Category. The competition was hosted in Provo, Utah in March 2025.

Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) Yearbook was placed in the top 1% of Varsity Yearbooks’ Portfolio series, which finds the “best of the best” yearbooks nationwide out of the over 7,000 schools represented by Varsity. The ranking is determined based on all aspects of design, theme development, and copywriting – specifically the Anthology section.

See the feature here: https://bit.ly/45crvi6

Adrian Declan (FTV, ‘18) visited campus to show FTV seniors his first feature film, “Old Man,” that he produced, wrote, and directed. The movie is about a character named Lewis Segovia, a naive young director, who abandons his film mid-production in search of “meaning.” As pressure from his crew mounts, the line between fiction and reality blurs, forcing him to confront his broken past to complete the project. “Old Man” was made with many FTV and other OCSA alumni and was picked up for distribution by Gravitas Pictures in 2024. See below for a list of the OCSA alumni contributors.

Maddie Abiera (MT, ‘20) - Set Lighting Technician, Rahul Alexander (FTV, ‘18) - Producer, Antone Axten (MT/FTV) - Set Lighting Technician, Brody Bogert (FTV, ‘18) - Key Grip, Avery Cather (FTV, ‘22) - Script Supervisor, Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) - First Assistant Camera Day Player, Aaron Chung (IM, ‘18) - Composer, Gavin Conlon (FTV, ‘18) - Co-Writer, Adrian Declan (FTV, ‘18) - Producer, Writer, and Director, Elliot Dynes (FTV, ‘19) - Grip, Ava Gaskins (FTV, ‘22) - Grip, Ethan Hammock (FTV, ‘18) - Second Assistant Camera Day Player, Howard Hardaway (IM, ‘18) - Bass Clarinet, Kendall Huff (FTV, ‘18) - Producer, Michael Isacs (IM) - Guitar, Kay Karafotis (FTV, ‘19) - Grip and Electric Swing, Hannah Kim (FTV, ‘20) - Camera Operator, Soorim Lee (FTV, ‘17) - Script Supervisor, Cooper Lichacz (FTV, ‘18) - Director of Photography, Kat Long (MT, ‘18) - Grip, Evie Masters (FTV, ‘19) - Second Assistant Director, Silvia Miranda (FTV, ‘20) - Camera Operator
Christine Mouton (FTV, ‘19) - Director of Photography, Nona Nishigawara (FTV, ‘22) - Second Assistant Camera, Spencer Riley (FTV, ‘18) - Assistant Production Sound, Luke Rodriguez (FTV, ‘19) - Assistant Chief Lighting Technician, Rachel Simurda (FTV, ‘18) - Art Director, Lauren Stiles (FTV, ‘22) - Second Assistant Camera, Jack Stolrow (FTV, ‘18) - Chief Lighting Technician, Megan Sun (FTV, 20) - Second Assistant Camera, Braden Swope (FTV, ‘18) - Producer and Editor, Ellie Weber (FTV, ‘21) - Production Sound

Jaelyn Rivera (ACT, ‘30) and Nanihi Rivera (PD, ‘28) sang on American Idol as part of an All Polynesian Kid’s Choir, where they met Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and other celebrities.

Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25), Calene Lee (CW, ‘26), Lana Lee (IA/CW, ‘26), and Grace Pomerleau (CW, ‘25) were honored at the Girl Scouts of Orange County's Green and Gold Celebration. Grace, Caroline, and Calene were recognized as graduating seniors with over 10 years of Girl Scout experience, while Caroline, Calene, and Lana received the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award. Fewer than 6% of eligible Girl Scouts achieve this award, making it a significant milestone that highlights their dedication, perseverance, and commitment to making a lasting impact. Lana's Gold Award project was selected to be featured in the 2025 Orange County Business Journal's Giving Day campaign.

Ryder Flowers (IA, ‘25) walked in the Woodbury University student designer fashion show runway benefit in May 2025.

Brandon Pham (PM, ‘28) was awarded the Rock Workshop full scholarship to attend the Aspire: Summer Music Intensive at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

The students listed below competed in the 2025 VEX Robotics Championship event in May 2025. Together, as Team Charles, 2292X, they qualified as Tournament Champions by receiving the Excellence Award in earlier tournaments during the season.

Team Charles, 2292X
Matthew Bay (PD, ‘25)
Evan Cho (VA, ‘25)
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25)
Micah Lai (FTV, ‘25)
Matthew Martono (IM, ‘25)

Cassady Lorentzen (PM, ‘29) competed at the Midwinters Opti Regatta (Spring Team Qualifier) in November 2024 and finished in the top 25% earning her a spot on the Opti Orange Regatta in Valencia, Spain. Cassady represented the USA in the international competition in February 2025. She was also in a commercial that aired during Super Bowl LIX.

Elise Chen (IM, ‘26) was named a 2025 Ben Carson Scholar and awarded a $1,000 scholarship for outstanding academic achievements, strong character, and commitment to serving the community.

Brent Cho (ACT, ‘27), Grant Herman (ACT, ‘27), and Ellie Yoshino (BCD, ‘27) collaborated to publish a book showcasing Ellie’s collection of works by Judith Leiber, the renowned fashion handbag designer. The book explores Leiber’s artistic contributions and historical influence within the arts community, offering an in-depth analysis of her impact.

Brent Cho (ACT, ‘27), Arabella Kim (BCD, ‘27), and Yesoul Kim (BCD, ‘28) participated in statewide and international cultural events and fashion shows to promote Hanbok, the traditional Korean attire, designed by renowned Hanbok designer, Kim Ji-won. In recognition of their dedication and contributions, they received several prestigious honors, including the Korean National Assembly Award and the California State Senate Recognition Award.

Sophie Sukendro (IM, ‘26) fundraised over 25 million rupiah to supply rain boots and raincoats to every student and teacher at a remote school in Papua Indonesia, with many receiving their first shoes ever. Sophie completed this project through her Shoe It Forward campaign.

Vianne Betts (ACT, ‘29) completed Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC) Piano Level 6 with Honors. She also placed Second in the MTAC Contemporary Music Festival.

Rachel Ham (CW, ‘28) was invited to recite a poem at the OCArts4All 3D Student Art Reception, presented by the Orange County Department of Education and Imagination Celebration, at Irvine Valley College. Rachel was given this honor based on her previous experience with Poetry Out Loud.

Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26) won a Downbeat Student Music Award for Best Jazz Vocalist in the Performing Arts High School Category. Established in 1976, the DownBeat Student Music Awards are considered the most prestigious awards in jazz education. Hundreds of musicians, music educators, and music industry professionals received their first international recognition as DownBeat Student Music Award winners.