STATE OF THE ART

Tira Palmquist, Creative Writing Conservatory Instructor, had her play “The Body’s Midnight” featured in the 2025-2026 season of 100 Lives Rep in Portland and at the Boston Court Pasadena as a co-production with IAMA Theatre Company. “The Body’s Midnight” follows Anne and David as they embark on a road trip across America to see the birth of their first grandchild when their perfect plan gets derailed. Ms. Palmquist also took part in the Perlberg Festival of New Plays 2025, presented by Palm Beach Dramaworks.

The following OCSA students were honorees in the Art category for the 2026 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.

National Gold Medalists
Jiatong Li (DM, ‘29) - “The Shadow Can’t Erase By Time”

National Silver Medalists
Rosey Chen (DM, ‘28) - “At First Light”
Elodie Fu (VA, ‘28) - “Wise”
Alyssa Kim (FTV, ‘27) - “Do You See Me”
Stella Kim (IM, ‘30) - “Gravity”
Chloe Koo (VA, ‘28) - “The ShoreArc Residence”
Nathan Sung (IM, ‘29) - “Living the False Self: Narcissistic Control and Reactive Abuse in The Truman Show”
Kyle Yoon (DM, ‘28) - “CROC CUP”

The following OCSA students were honorees in the Art category for the 2026 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.

Regional Gold Key
Katelyn Chang (IM, ‘28) - “The Grill Master”
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) - “Red Memory, Open Skin”, “The Sound of One Heart”
Rosey Chen (DM, ‘28) - “Where Time Rests”, “At First Light”
Sissi Chen (VA, ‘27) - “Burned Out”
Elodie Fu (VA, ‘28) - “Reverie”, “Bioluminescence”, “Wise”, “Plastic Flora”, “Itching under my Skin”
Reyna Jeon (VA, ‘28) - “The Last Embrace”, “The Mirror Treatment”
Alyssa Kim (FTV, ‘27) - “Touchland Commercial", “Do You See Me”, “Silent Strength”
Stella Kim (IM, ‘30) - “Metamorphosis”, “Gravity”
Ziah Kim (VA, ‘27) - “Featherline”
Jiatong Li (DM, ‘29) - “The Shadow Can’t Erase By Time”
Ella Wang (VA, ‘26) - “The Real Self”, “Unboxed Memory”, “Windowsill of Memories”
Kyle Yoon (DM, ‘28) - “Pieta”

Regional Silver Key
Katelyn Chang (IM, ‘28) - “First Steps Into the Sun”
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) - “The Cycle of Endless Existence”
Rosey Chen (DM, ‘28) - “Dream of Formosa”
Nari Chin (VA, ‘27) - “Wailing Metamorphosis", “Dip of Courage”
Elodie Fu (VA, ‘28) - “Beauty In Mess”
Alyssa Kim (FTV, ‘27) - “Itamae"
Stella Kim (IM, ‘30) - “Nesting Between Flight”, “Silence”
Ziah Kim (VA, ‘27) - “Woven Reconnection”
Edda Lee (PD, ‘28) - “Bloom Stage Events”
Ariel Liang (VA, ‘27) - “Take Me Outdoors”
Ziru Niu (FTV, ‘28) - “The Way Home”
Bolai Yan (VA, ‘27) - “Self-portrait”
Emily Yoo (DM, ‘29) - “Perception”, “Phantom”

The following OCSA students were honorees in the Art category for the 2026 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.

Regional Honorable Mention
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) - “Swallowed by Silence”, “A Dance Done on Burning Kites”
Nari Chin (VA, ‘27) - “Pincer Play”
Elodie Fu (VA, ‘28) - “Heart Cocoon”, “Who Should We Trust?”, “Where All Beginnings Return”
Chloe Heller (DM, ‘27) - “Fallen Truth”
Alyssa Kim (FTV, ‘27) - “In Revolt"
Stella Kim (IM, ‘30) - “Twice a Day”, “House”
Ziah Kim (VA, ‘27) - “Obscura”, “Legacy in His Arms”, “Origin”, “Pareidolia”, “In the Stillness”
Angie Lee (BR, ‘30) - “Cat of The Night”
Ziru Niu (FTV, ‘28) - “Student Custodians”
Ella Wang (VA, ‘26) - “Time is Ticking”, “Wherever I Am”, “On the Edge of Tomorrow”, "Metamorphosis”, “Worth the Wait”’
YanJun (Ashley) Wang (VA, ‘26) - “Refractions”
Janelle Wong (VA, ‘29) - “Rebirth”

The following OCSA students were honorees in the Writing category for the 2026 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.

National Gold Medalists
Rhea Sreedhar (FTV, ‘28) - “Henna Hands” - BEST IN GRADE WRITING
YuQiao Shao (CW, ‘29) - “Feed me to the Fire”
Ashley Sunwoo (CW, ‘29) - “The Tongue Across The Sea”

National Silver Medalists
Katelyn Chang (IM, ‘28) - “‘Good Grief’?”
Jenna Hong (CW, ‘28) - “double roadkill”
Chloe Je (CW, ‘28) - “Pill Bug Generations Report”

Gold American Voices Nominee
Katelyn Chang (IM, ‘28) - “‘Good Grief’?”

The following OCSA students were honorees in the Writing category for the 2026 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.

Regional Gold Key
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) - “Ode to my deviated nasal septa, a Champu Kavya for my Mother”
Jenna Hong (CW, ‘28) - “double roadkill”
Chloe Je (CW, ‘28) - “Pill Bug Generations Report”, “Criticism to Her Gossip”
Matthew Nguyen (CW, ‘27) - “SYSTEMS OF CHANGE”
YuQiao Shao (CW, ‘29) - “The City of Hearts”, “Feed me to the Fire”, “Runaway”
Audrey Shih (CW, ‘27) - “to break this mentality of a dying dove”, “the loving act of forgetting”, “art is revolution in our veins”
Ashley Sunwoo (CW, ‘29) - “The Tongue Across The Sea”
Rebecca Yang (CW, ‘27) - “Rebirth”, “3-Part Analysis on the Writing Process”, “how to make oolong tea”, “In war, no one is human”, “Google Search: How to Resurrect a Culture?”, “10 Things About My Culture”, “& Asphalt”, “Journey Towards You”

Regional Silver Key
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) - “Shifting Perspectives on Confederate Statues: The Need for More Representative Monuments”
Kate Ha (CW, ‘28) - “Moments Stolen”
Jaden Hong (CW, ‘29) - “The Miracle Tree”
Jenna Hong (CW, ‘28) - “riverbend”, “on self destructing”
Chloe Je (CW, ‘28) - “Garden View”
Doyeon Kim (DM, ‘28) - “The Detrimental Reality of Luxury Perfume Advertising”
Matthew Nguyen (CW, ‘27) - “Spin Doctors and Sorcerors”
Jamie Noh (AE, ‘30) - “One of These Days”
YuQiao Shao (CW, ‘29) - “The House, Abandoned”, “strawberries”, “A Dissection on Sirens by Marilyn Chan, sponsored by the Aquarium of the Bay”
Chloe Yang (CW, ‘27) - “breasts & eggs”
Rebecca Yang (CW, ‘27) -”Chinese Ethnic Enclaves: First Generation Immigrants' Employment Assimilation”, “Slam of Man”, “parting thoughts”, “ordering at a restaurant”, “2nd grader discovers popularity”, “as the days shorten”, “Ordinary”, “relearning”
You (Eddy) You (ACT, ‘29) - “The Wanderer”

The following OCSA students were honorees in the Writing category for the 2026 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.

Regional Honorable Mention
Kexin Cai (IM, ‘28) - “On the Topic of Foxes and Fire”, “I Love You, I Hate You”
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) - “Reshaping Space Agreements for Mars Exploration: Political and Legal Necessities”, “Upon Waiting For My Mother to Put on Her Bathing Suit”, “Becoming Unsung”, “the legend of Tahlequah”, “I am the reincarnation of my brother”, “The Golden City, after Sarah Kay”
Kate Ha (CW, ‘28) - “The Color Pink”
Jaden Hong (CW, ‘29) - “A Bittersweet Laugh: Schadenfreude in an Age that Consumes Others Misfortune”, “Director's Proposal”, “Of Two Worlds”
Jenna Hong (CW, ‘28) - “mother's love / thermosphere”
Doyeon Kim (DM, ‘28) - “Stillness before Renewal”
Matthew Nguyen (CW, ‘27) - “are you a REAL american?”
YuQiao Shao (CW, ‘29) - “The Teenage Smartphone Addiction”, “Me and the Piano”
Aryan Sharma (CW, ‘27) - “Dropped Heirlooms”
Audrey Shih (CW, ‘27) - “Songs of the Puyuma Women”, “What They Don't Tell You About Taking the SAT”
Vera So (VA, ‘30) - “Night at the Fair”
Rebecca Yang (CW, ‘27) - “Bursting the Bubble”, “How Poetry Heals”, “Quiet Defiance”, “girlhood”, “Cocooned”, “a love letter to my mom”, “Home is a skin, draped”

Ka-on Kim (CV, ‘31) performed as Ham in the LA Opera production of “Noye’s Fludde” (“Noah’s Flood") based on medieval mystery plays. This was a LA Opera Community Theatre collaboration that brings together professionals and amateurs, including children’s choirs and orchestras.

OCSA Dreamscape Yearbook earned the coveted Pacemaker Award for the 2025 yearbook “Restyle.” It was announced at the National High School Journalism Convention that OCSA’s Dreamscape yearbook was one of 19 yearbooks nationally, and one of only two in California, to win this prestigious award. The following students and faculty were a part of the award-winning Dreamscape team:

Editorial Board
Logistics Editor: Sophia Chau (CW, ‘25)
Communications & High School Coverage Editor: Elaine Lim (FTV, ‘25)
Middle School Coverage Editor: Hailey Cho (BCD, ‘25)
Projects, Social Media & Communications Editor: Hailey Perng (FTV, ‘26)
Dreamscape Jr. Editor: Serafina Truong (CAH, ‘28)
Copy Editor: Sophie Liu (CAH, ‘25)
Visual Editor-in-Chief: Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25)
Co-Design Editors: Ashley Shin (VA, ‘25), Emily Wen (VA, ‘26)
Co-Photography Editors: Jesper Seet (FTV, ‘26), Emily Wen (VA, ‘26)

OCSA Dreamscape Yearbook earned the coveted Pacemaker Award for the 2025 yearbook “Restyle.” It was announced at the National High School Journalism Convention that OCSA’s Dreamscape yearbook was one of 19 yearbooks nationally, and one of only two in California, to win this prestigious award. The following students and faculty were a part of the award-winning Dreamscape team:

Team Leads
Alyssa Abiera (ACT, ‘26)
Ashlyn Chung (BCD, ‘27)
Liora Dubery (ACT, ‘25)
Iris Wang (CW, ‘25)
Rachel Won (IM, ‘26)
Charlotte Yoh (VA, ‘26)

Designers
Pebbles Chun (DM, ‘26)
Haylin Kim (VA, ‘26)
Mary Hong (PD, ‘26)
Peyton Park (CAH, ‘27)
Bebel Thanaritiroj (BCD, ‘27)
Ella Wang (VA, ‘26)

Abril Rodriguez Diaz (CW, '22) started a nonprofit organization, titled 4 the Border, that packages nutritious food for the homeless along the United States-Mexico border. Over Thanksgiving Break, the organization reached and fed more than 400 people.

To read more about 4 the Border, please visit http://bit.ly/3s9sGZ0

Adrienne Dunworth (IA, '22), Lauren Kimball (VA, '24), Adela Mellon (CV, '24), and Luke Witting (IA, ‘23), as members of the Color of Sound band, performed a three-hour pop and rock setlist outdoors for the public to support and promote small businesses in Southern Orange County during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To learn more about Color of Sound, please visit http://bit.ly/3k2gOVQ

Cassandra Hsiao (CW, '17) premiered her new play, titled Schrodinger High, and a live Zoom talkback with cast and crew. The play is a unique cross-college and cross-country theatrical collaboration made possible by the Yale Dramat BIPOC Theatermakers grant and presented in partnership with the Claremont Colleges Green Room.

Nicole Berger, Director of the Commercial Dance Conservatory, choreographed for NBC’s Rutherford Falls starring Ed Helms.

The following students were recognized as 2021 YoungArts Winners by the National YoungArts Foundation for their artistic achievements. YoungArts award winners at all levels receive cash prizes between $100 and $10,000, and winners at the Finalist level are invited to participate in National YoungArts Week + in January, which features virtual classes, workshops, mentorship opportunities from leading artists in their fields, virtual performances, and an exhibition for the public.

Finalists:
Courtney Chiu (CCD, '23) – Dance (Modern/Contemporary)
Michele Lu (PM, '21) – Voice (Popular Voice)
Gianna Pedregon (IM, '21) – Jazz (Violin)

Honorable Mentions:
Maya Alvarez-Coyne (CMD, '21) – Dance (World Dance/Irish Step)
Laura Anne Chen (CW, '21) – Writing (Novel)
Michele Lu (PM, '21) – Voice (Singer-Songwriter)

Merit:
Laura Anne Chen (CW, '21) – Classical Music (Piano)
Wyatt Layton (CW, '23) – Writing (Spoken Word)
Brian Lin (IM, '21) – Classical Music (Saxophone)
Lauren Mei (ACT, '23) – Theater
Charlee Rubino (MT, '21) – Theater
Jonathan Truong (CW, '21) – Writing (Short Story)

Estella Sky Keyoung (IA, '25) received first place in the Youth Musical Theatre category in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Student Evaluation Program and Competition. She participated through the Los Angeles chapter, which received a record number of 247 submissions, and was selected to participate in a virtual recital.

Wilson Mizell (MT, '22) won the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post-Level Voices of Democracy Speech Contest. He advanced to the district level, where he will compete for advancement to the state and national levels.

Amandine Kataoka (PM, '23) was one of only 50 high school students across the country to attend a three-day session with the Anti-Defamation League through their first Edward Brodsky Student Fellowship. Amandine participated in the summit on anti-Semitism and hate.

Shirley Napoleone's (CW, '19) short film was selected for Cornish College of the Arts Film Department's Fall 2020 Showcase.

Pedro Pascal (MT, '93) was featured in a Los Angeles Times article about the top Latino media moments of 2020 and what to expect in 2021.

To read the full article, please visit http://lat.ms/2ZwiXj1

OCSA academic teachers Stacie Cruz and Terri Secrist were selected to represent OCSA in this year’s Charter School Teacher of the Year Program, in which one charter school nominee will be selected to advance to the Orange County Teachers of the Year Program for consideration as a county finalist.

Orange County School of the Arts was featured in an article by BroadwayWorld for its many successful virtual productions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To read the full article, please visit http://bit.ly/2NmSqCj

Michele Lu (PM, '21) was nominated by the YoungArts Foundation to become a 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, honoring artistic and academic excellence. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars will ultimately choose 20 of the 60 nominees to be recognized for their academic and artistic accomplishments, leadership, community outreach, and overall creativity.

Nazaneen Colton (ACT, '23) and Isaac Sohn (IM, '25) both competed in the Music Teachers' Association of California (MTAC) Branch Theme Festival. Nazaneen received the gold medal in piano and Isaac earned first place in Division 7B and progressed to the Winners' Competition.

Isaac also competed in the Great Composers Competition and received first prize in Age Group III of the Best Beethoven Performance category.

Gavin Lacanlale (IM, '23) performed in a music video for the virtual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture in celebration of Filipino American History Month. Gavin played guitar, as well as the indigenous gongs of the southern Philippines, with the Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble.
To see a recording of the festival, including the performance, please visit https://bit.ly/38QRGNx

Landon Wouters (MT, '22) was recognized as a finalist in the Los Angeles Regional Center Theatre Group's August Wilson Monologue Competition.

The OCSA Science Olympiad Division C (High School) Team competed against 70 teams from across the nation at both the Aggie Invitational, where they earned first place overall, and at the Yosemite Invitational, where they earned 10th place overall. The team also participated in the Miraloma Invitational. The students received the following awards:

Aggie Invitational:

1st Place
Circuit Lab: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24) and Joshua Qin (BR, '23)
Codebusters: Anjal Jain (CV, '22), Joshua Qin (BR, '23), and Jeffrey Yang (CV, '24)
Solar Power: Hannah Kang (VA, '22) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24)

3rd Place
Sounds of Music: Vivian Chen (IM, '23) and Erica Yang (IA, '21)
Forensics: Anjal Jain (CV, '22) and Samantha Su (VA, '21)

4th Place
Dynamic Planet: Jeffrey Yang (CV, '24) and Jiin Yun (IM, '24)
Machines: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24) and Joshua Qin (BR, '23)

5th Place
Designer Genes: Grant Li (CW, '23) and Sara Shimabukuro (IM, '21)

Other competitors included Sameer Bajaj (ACT, '24), Kacy Chung (VA, '23), Katherine Given (ACT, '24), Tane Kim (IM, '24), Amy Lee (IM, '23), and Allison Wong (CW, '23).

Yosemite Invitational:

2nd Place
Helicopters: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, '24) and Vivian Chen (IM, '23)

3rd Place
Codebusters: Kacy Chung (VA, '23), Anjal Jain (CV, '22), and Em Wei-Ten (PM, '23)

4th Place
Circuit Lab: Joshua Qin (BR, '23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24)
Digital Structures: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, '24) and Anjal Jain (CV, '22)
Disease Detectives: Samantha Su (VA, '21) and Allison Wong (CW, '23)
Gravity Vehicle Design: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, '24) and Joshua Qin (BR, '23)

5th Place
Sounds of Music: Vivian Chen (IM, '23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24)

6th Place
Experimental and Data Analysis: Samantha Su (VA, '21), Joshua Qin (BR, '23), and Kacy Chung (VA, '23)
Designer Genes: Caleb Empig (IM, '23) and Kacy Chung (VA, '23)

Other competitors included Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, '22), Lauren Chudner (VA, '23), Katherine Given (ACT, '24), Antara Kalle (CW, '23), Hannah Kang (VA, '22), Tane Kim (IM, '24), Amy Lee (IM, '23), Grant Li (CW, '23), Hyunjin Park (VA, '23), Haley Shimabukuro (IM, '24), Sara Shimabukuro (IM, '21), Isabelle Tran (VA, '22), Rachel Vu (IM, '24), Erica Yang (IA, '21), Jeffrey Yang (CV, '24), and Jiin Yun (IM, '24).

Miraloma Invitational:

1st Place
Environmental Chemistry: Kacy Chung (VA, '23) and Amy Lee (IM, '23)

4th Place
Detector Building: Vivian Chen (IM, '23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24)

Alexis Song (CV, '21), Max Song (CV, '23), Henry Chung (CV, '26), and James Yi (CW, '24), as a part of the California Children's Choir (CCC), made YouTube videos to share with Sunrise Senior Center and other virtual audiences. They created and virtually performed a song titled "Why We Sing."
To see the full performance, please visit https://bit.ly/3rGOL12

Claire Karr (VA, '23) was selected to attend the National Student Leadership Conference on Psychology & Neuroscience at American University this summer.

Jared Weissberg (IM, '22) won first place at the Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition and was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall.

Hannah Cho (IM, '25) won first place in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Junior Performance competition at both the California state level and Southwest division level. She was selected to advance to the MTNA National competition as a representative of the Southwest division. She also won first place in the American Protégé International Woodwinds and Brass Competition and is scheduled to perform at the winner's solo recital at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

Tawnie “Kiyoné'' Shorter (MT, '21) was selected to be the singing voice of “Sarah” in the newly released video game Nightbird Society, by Epizodic Entertainment, which is about unsung heroes overcoming their fears and bringing magic back into the world through music. Tawnie wrote and recorded all of her character's featured songs.

Maggie Ding’s (FTV, '22) short film, titled Left Behind, won first place in the documentary category at the Josiah Media Festival and the International KidsNFilm Festival. The film also received the award for Best Youth Movie at the SoCal Film Awards and was a finalist in the International Teen Short Film Festival.

Monica Magana (VA, '11) served as a senior designer on the Netflix series Go, Dog. Go!
To view the trailer, please visit https://bit.ly/3qDdLF3

Oliver Price (IM, '16) released a music video for his song, titled “This Way.”
To view the video, please visit https://bit.ly/3eyVRRu

OCSA academic teacher Stacie Cruz was selected by the Orange County Department of Education to advance as the charter school nominee in the 2022 Orange County Teachers of the Year program, which provides recognition for outstanding teachers in Orange County.

Congratulations to the members of OCSA’s Mock Trial Team, who competed this year against more than 35 teams from across Orange County, advancing to the semifinals. The primary competition team was victorious against JSerra, Brea Olinda, Foothill, Santa Ana, Beckman, and Yorba Linda, while the secondary competition team defeated Portola and Mater Dei.

Primary Team:
Sophia Abiera (ACT, ‘24)
Sruthi Alle (CV, ‘21)
Catherine Boland (IA, ‘24)
Charlotte Brandman (MT, ‘23)
Riley Bryant (FTV, ‘21)
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)
Gabriel Chen (PM, ‘22)
Ethan Gray (ACT, ‘22)
Sasha Herthel (ACT, ‘23)
Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘23)
Melanie Huq (CW, ‘21)
Toby Izenberg (CW, ‘23)
Milo Karnes (IA, ‘24)
Emma Kay (ACT, ‘23)
Regan Mading (IA, ‘23)
Mehra Marzbani (ACT, ‘23)
Morgan Milam (IM, ‘24)
Gaby Mikhail (CW, ‘21)
Daisy Noh (IA, ‘22)
Jess Perez (ACT, ‘21)
Paris Lases-Perez (ACT, ‘21)
Colin Root (ACT, ‘22)
Jocelyn Wang (PM, ‘23)

Secondary Team:
Ally Artavia-High (CW, ‘24)
Zabby Bagnol (PD, ‘24)
Daniel Grossgold (IA, ‘24)
McKenna Guldner (IA, ‘24)
Courtney Hines (CW, ‘24)
Darian Hojreh (CAH, ‘22)
Claire Karr (VA, ‘23)
Annabelle Kim (CW, ‘23)
Emily Kim (CW, ‘24)
Nathaniel Kim (DM, ‘22)
Sky Lu (IA, ‘23)
Kendall Phanco (VA, ‘23)
Mia Rinaldi (PM, ‘23)
Aryan Simhadri (ACT, ‘24)
Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23)
Luke Stark (IA, ‘24)

The following students advanced as finalists in receiving prestigious 2021 Dragon Kim Fellowships from the Dragon Kim Foundation. If selected for the fellowship, teams will be awarded up to $5,000 to implement a community service project as a part of a seven-month, hands-on leadership training and mentorship program. OCSA’s finalists are listed below by team.

Art Unlimited: Abril Rodriguez Diaz (CW, ‘22)
Eye Matter: Cece Fanelli (PD, ‘22) and Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22)
Intertwined: Adin Choun (IM, ‘22) and Katelyn Jo (IM, ‘22)
Let’s Learn about Public Health!: Melody Chang (IM, ‘22)
Pacific Bridge: Iris Wang (IM, ‘22) and Eric Zhu (FTV, ‘22)
Sembrando Dahlias: Bianca Lozano (BF, ‘21) and Samantha Perez (BF, ‘21)
Time Travel With Music: Leo Sui (IM, ‘23)
Uncovering Strengths: Saira Arora (IM, ‘22) and Emma McCanne (IM, ‘22)
We are Dancing Women: Grace Kim (BR, ‘22) and Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23)

Kyle Rumble (CV, ‘22) performed a brief recital, composed of arias, songs, and a selection from South Pacific, for the Philharmonic Society Committee.

Katherine Wong (IM, ‘21) was selected as a regional finalist in the Coca-Cola Scholars Program in recognition of her leadership, service, and academics, as well as her efforts to positively affect others in her community. From the 251 regional finalists across the country, 150 winners will be selected to receive a $20,000 college scholarship and to join a network of more than 6,000 Coca-Cola Scholar alumni that encourage, challenge, and support each other in their common goal of making the world a better place.

Emma Ward (IM, ‘22) was named 1st Place Alternate in the Senior Division of the Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) San Diego Branch VOCE Competition, playing the Liebermann Concerto for Piccolo.

Adam Suh (CV, ‘24) created YouTube videos to share with Sunrise Senior Center and other virtual audiences as a part of the California Children's Choir (CCC). The choir wrote and virtually performed a song titled "Why We Sing." To see the full performance, please visit https://bit.ly/3rGOL12

Caitlin Cheung (ACT, ‘21) was featured in a Dhar Mann Studios video, titled “Girl Hates Her Asian Culture,” about identity and being proud of your culture.
To view the full video, please visit https://bit.ly/2OZ6MsR

Jonathan Truong (CW, ‘21) was named a runner-up in the fiction category in the annual Claudia Ann Seaman Awards for Young Writers, sponsored by Polyphony Lit, for his piece titled Newspaper Planes.

Summer Zamiska (ACT, ‘21) founded A Case For Kids, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in honor of her grandmother who passed away from Alzheimer's disease. Summer and her OCSA team make and donate handmade pillowcases locally and globally for foster children and orphans to keep with them as they move from home to home. Her team works with Olive Crest Foster Care, Covenant House Homeless Shelter, Laura’s House Domestic Violence Center, OC 4 Kids Social Services Agency, The Rose Again Foundation Foster Agency, and Evolution Haiti. For more information, check out the website here http://bit.ly/2Q213Db

Gaby Mikhail (CW, ‘21), Christina Miles (CW, ‘21), Alena Nguyen (CW, ‘21), and Kaitlyn Vu (CW, ‘21) launched the Teen Writing Masterclass with the Huntington Beach Library. This site for teens provides a variety of resources, including tutorials with topics such as "The Fundamentals of Storytelling," writing prompts, and a submission opportunity to receive feedback and be considered for publication. To view the full site, please visit http://bit.ly/3bQzS6S

Aaron Wimbley (CV, ‘23) was nominated and accepted into the SoCal Youth Neuroscience Association (SCYNA) through the UC Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. SCYNA allows students to connect with experts in the field through events, competitions, and discussions.

The following students were accepted into the California Band Directors Association (CBDA) All-State Band for 2021:

Marie Bocanegra (IM, ‘25) - Trombone
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) - Oboe
James Dechary (IM, ‘24) - Trombone
Auvin Hajian (IM, ‘22) - Trombone
Kylie Heidal (IM, ‘23) - Brass Trombone
Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26) - Trumpet
Ryan Klotz (IM, ‘22) - Tuba
Allison Molin (IM, ‘25) - Trumpet
Annabelle Park (IM, ‘22) - Oboe
Keilah Park (IM, ‘25) - Horn
Katie Shinogi (IM, ‘25) - Clarinet
Elliot Shiwota (IM, ‘22) - Percussion
Leo Sui (IM, ‘23) - Trombone

Mackenzie Wrape (MT, ‘22) was accepted to the MPulse Musical Theatre Workshop at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance for summer 2021.

The OCSA Science Olympiad Division C (High School) Team competed in the Golden Gate Invitational. Out of 151 teams from across the nation, Kacy Chung (VA, ‘23), Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22), and Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23) earned a 10th place medal in Codebusters.

Other competitors included Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24), Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23), Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23), Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24), Grant Li (CW, ‘23), Sara Shimabukuro (IM, ‘21), Samantha Su (VA, ‘21), Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24), Allison Wong (CW, ‘23), Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24), and Erica Yang (IA, ‘21).

Juliet Garbacz (MT, ‘25) received a scholarship to train at The School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet, in their five-week summer intensive.

Cooper Johnson (IM, ‘15) played French horn for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and in the Air Force Bands of Central California, Texas, Virginia, and South Illinois.

Grant White (FTV, ‘07) recently directed, filmed, and edited a short documentary on homelessness in Long Beach, titled I Am Somebody. The film amplifies the voices of Anaheim Street’s most vulnerable, those who take shelter under freeway overpasses and concrete buildings. To read more about the documentary, please visit http://bit.ly/3vrDvIi

Sydney Dardis (CV, ‘17) was awarded the Encouragement Award in the 2021 San Diego District of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions program. Sydney competed among 20 other singers aged 20-29 and was the youngest singer to be awarded this prize.

Jack Finlay (IM, ‘19) became a published music arranger and contributor at Veritas Musica Publishing. His French horn choir arrangements of pieces by Mahler and Berlioz will be available for purchase online in the near future.

Rachel Kramer, Director of the Popular Music Conservatory, was nominated for the Arts School Network (ASN) Dr. Denise Davis-Cotton Emerging Leader Award. This recognition is designed to acknowledge excellence and achievement among rising arts school administrators and to highlight the innovative educational practices or programs of those leaders.

Patrick Williams, Director of the Digital Media Conservatory, forged a partnership with HyperX to support and encourage the growth of the Esports program at OCSA. HyperX donated gaming peripherals like keyboards, mice, mousepads, and headsets. OCSA students will now have access to cutting-edge technology to aid them as they compete against other schools. To read the official press release, please visit http://bwnews.pr/3vvpHg2

Corah Abbott (CCD, '21), Analiese Bancroft (CCD, '21), and Rachel Ta (CCD, '21) were featured in a Blue Door Magazine photo that creatively brought dance and architecture together. To read the full article, please visit https://bit.ly/3bXqQoA

Landyn Slominski (BF, '26) competed in the Latin Mirage Ultimate Soloist Competition and placed second for her choreography from the state of Hidalgo in the Folklórico Dance category.

Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) won 3rd place in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) National performance competition, after previously winning at the State and Southwest division levels. She will be receiving a $300 award from the MTNA Foundation fund.