STATE OF THE ART

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.

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)

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

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).

The OCSA Science Olympiad High School Team (Division C) competed in the Southern California State competition. The team earned the following awards:

2nd Place
Codebusters: Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22), Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23), and Jeffrey Yang (CV, ’24)

5th Place
Amazing Mechatronics: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) and Isabelle Tran (VA, ‘22)
Experimental and Data Analysis: Katherine Given (ACT, ’24), Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23), and Samantha Su (VA, ‘21)
Helicopters: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) and Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23)

Jessica Sequeira (ACT, '22) booked a voiceover role for the commercial titled “Mask Up OC,” which features all 30 city mayors from Orange County.

Zach Hoffman (ACT, '22) was cast in a supporting role in an upcoming Lifetime Television movie.

Stephanie Dorian, Assistant Director of the Acting Conservatory, has been named a 2020 Woman of Distinction by Senator Tom Umberg and the 34th California Senate District. This award honors outstanding women who exemplify ethical leadership and a commitment to making a positive impact in the community.

Acting Conservatory Instructor Lyndell Higgins directed a short film called Still Untitled. The film was written by and starred her 8th grade students from last year. The short film was also selected for the Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival this year.

With her passion for arts as activism and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Nena Oshita (ACT, '22) and her fellow OCSA students and alumni created a video titled "Enough is Enough."

To view the full video, please visit https://bit.ly/3fRkU2v

Sophia Madrigal (ACT, '22) founded the Luke Madrigal Indigenous Storytelling Nonprofit in honor of her father, Luke Madrigal, who spent his life promoting works that revitalized Indigenous culture, brought youth together with adults, and involved sharing the arts together. In an article, Sophia, her sister, Isabella Madrigal (ACT, '20), and their mother, Renda, shared their journey of bringing awareness to the healing powers of traditional storytelling.

To read the article, please visit https://bit.ly/3vRBhBG

Emma Madison Lakes Kay (ACT, '23) was accepted to the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music's 2020 Summer Songwriting Intensive.

Zach Hoffman (ACT, '22) was cast in the lead role of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in an outdoor, COVID-19 friendly production of Jekyll & Hyde with Braver Players Musical Theater Foundation.

Over the summer, the following students were honored by the Orange County Register as winners and finalists for the 2020 Artist of the Year.

Computer-Assisted Visual Arts
Mira Hirabayashi (VA, '20): Computer Drawing and Painting Finalist

Dance
Lilah Dee Horton (CMD, '21): Dance Artist of the Year & Commercial Dance Finalist
Kaprice Janae Glen (CCD, '20): Concert Dance Finalist
Maya Alvarez Coyne (CMD, '21): World/Cultural Dance Finalist

Film/Animation
Maggie McKelvey (FTV, '20): Animation and Visual Effects Finalist

Theater
Christina Tinde Jesenski (ACT, '20): Theater Artist of the Year & Acting Finalist

Vocal Music
Catherine Johnston (CV, '21): Classical Voice Finalist

Isabella Madrigal (ACT, '20) received the 2020 Marion Mitchell-Wilson Heart of Inlandia Award for her outstanding literary and cultural contribution to the Inland Empire.

To read more about this award, please visit https://bit.ly/34P3Xzu

Golden Bachelder (ACT, '19) and Noah Connor (ACT, '19) produced an online film festival called Razzmatazz, featuring original sketches, short films, one-acts, music, magic, and more. With assistance from other current OCSA students and alumni, as well as Acting Conservatory instructors Bodie Newcomb and Tess Lina, Razzmatazz combined talents from New York University, UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, and OCSA.

The following current students and alumni were involved with the festival:

Nick Charles Currie (ACT, '19)
Chris Drake (ACT, '19)
Elliott Dynes (FTV, '19)
Reese Gonzalez (ACT, '18)
Julia Jachetta (ACT, '22)
Ryan Jachetta (FTV, '19)
Logan Langevin (ACT, '23)
Alexandra Levine (ACT, '19)
Krish Marwah (ACT, '23)
Jack Robertson (ACT, '21)
Noah Strattan (ACT, '20)
James Slaybaugh (ACT, '21)

The following students were awarded overall superior ratings in the 2021 State and International Thespian Festivals.

International Competition:
Acting Monologue
Jacki Vellandi (ACT, ‘22)

Playwriting
Bridget Phillips (MT, ‘22)

Solo Musical
Mia Geise (MT, ‘24)

State Competition:
Acting Duet
Hope Lee (ACT, ‘26) and Alexandra Sprague (ACT, ‘26)

Group Musical
Ana Sofia Gomez Garza (MT, ‘25)
Shayla Knihtila (ACT, ‘26)
Lana Lee (IA, ‘26)
Hope Lee (ACT, ‘26)
Hailey Perng (ACT, ‘26)
Alexandra Sprague (ACT, ‘26)
Erin Tardibuono (MT, ‘25)

Monologue
Bridget Phillips (MT, ‘22)
Erin Tardibuono (MT, ‘25)
Jacki Vellandi (ACT, ‘22)

Musical Solo
Meghan Barton (MT, ‘23)
Mia Geise (MT, ‘24)
Shayla Knihtila (ACT, ‘26)
Jacki Vellandi (ACT, ‘22)

Jacki Vellandi (ACT, ‘22) was awarded first place in the Playwriting category at the International Thespian Excellence Awards for her play "Reverie" and received the Grace Kelly Scholarship.

West Mulholland (ACT, ‘23) was cast in the role of Axel on season five of "Animal Kingdom" on TNT.

Ariyah Brown (ACT, ‘21) received second place in the inaugural OC Youth Poet Laureate competition. The OC Poet Laureate program celebrates and honors local poets who exhibit a commitment to not just artistic excellence, but also to civic engagement, youth leadership, and social justice.

Aryan Simhadri (ACT, ‘24) booked the role of Walter in the new Broadway musical Trevor, scheduled to premiere on Stage 42 this fall.

The following students performed in a Braver Players Musical Theater Foundation production of "Spring Awakening."

Sadie Braverman (ACT, ‘23)
Mya Gonzales (ACT, ‘23)
Collin Heinrich (ACT, ‘23)
Zach Hoffman (ACT, ‘22)
Lauren Williams (ACT, ‘22)

The following students participated in the short film “Musical Theater Camp 3” produced by Braver Players Musical Theater Foundation.


Sadie Braverman (ACT, ‘23)
Colin Daniels (ACT, ‘22)
Mya Gonzales (ACT, ‘23)
Zach Hoffman (ACT, ‘22)
Jack Ireland (ACT, ‘25)
Chase Johnson (ACT, ‘26)
Caleb Malis (IA, ‘23)
Madeline Rosenberg (ACT, ‘26)
Leilani Steiner (ACT, ‘25)

Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) has been ranked by Niche as the #1 Best Charter High School in California for the third year in a row, as well as the #6 Best Charter High School in America for 2022! We would like to express our gratitude to all the students, teachers, and staff who continue to make OCSA an exceptional institution. To view all rankings for OCSA, please visit: https://bit.ly/3D8R02u

Reese Gonzales (ACT, ‘19) was cast as Dante Quintana in the film adaptation of "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe." To read more about the film, please visit: https://bit.ly/3mlcrYH

John Walcutt, Director of The El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory, recently performed his one-man show, "The Mythology of Me," at the Margaret A. Webb Theatre.

Maya Bleszinski (MT, ‘23) music directed and Kyle Stafford (ACT, ‘23) staged and directed Act One Project’s production of "Ghost Quartet." Act One Project is a student-run theatre company founded by Kyle.

Logan Langevin (ACT, ‘23) was cast in Nickelodeon’s hit sitcom "Side Hustle."

Aryan Simhadri (ACT, ‘24) received a Young Artist Award for Best Teen Actor in a Streaming Film for his role in "The Main Event."

The following students were recognized as 2022 YoungArts Winners by the National YoungArts Foundation for their artistic achievements. All YoungArts award winners at all levels receive cash prizes between $100 and $10,000. All YoungArts Finalists were also invited to participate in National YoungArts Week+, which features virtual classes and performances, workshops, mentorship opportunities, and an exhibition for the public.

Finalists:
Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22) – Dance (Modern/Contemporary)
Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) – Film
Youning Jiang (FTV, ‘22) – Film
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23) – Design Arts
Lauren Mei (ACT, ‘23) – Theater
Kailyn Yi (CMD, ‘22) – Dance (Modern/Contemporary)

Honorable Mentions:
Andy Choi (CW, ‘22) – Writing (Play or Script)
Johann Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21) – Film
Amy Jong (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Violoncello)
Wyatt Layton (CW, ‘23) – Writing (Creative Nonfiction)

Merit:
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Flute)
Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21) – Voice (Classical)
Mia Lopez (BF, ‘23) – Dance (World Dance Forms: Mexican Folkloric)
London San Luis (DM, ‘23) – Visual Arts
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23) – Writing (Creative Nonfiction)
Aidan Meixner (MT, ‘22) – Voice (Singer-Songwriter)
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Voice (Popular: Pop)
Jocelyn Wang (PM, ‘23) – Voice (Singer-Songwriter)
Sein Yun (IM, ‘22) – Classical Music (Violin)
Helaine Zhao (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Piano)

In addition, Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22) and Youning Jiang (FTV, ‘22) attended National YoungArts Week+ as 2022 YoungArts Winners and were nominated to be named 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts in Dance (Modern/Contemporary) and Film respectively. 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.

Sophia Madrigal (ACT, ‘22) was honored with an inaugural Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) Gold Award Scholarship. Sophia was selected for demonstrating extraordinary leadership while driving lasting change in her community and beyond through her nonprofit organization, Luke Madrigal Indigenous Storytelling, which focuses on the healing art of Indigenous storytelling. Through her project, Sophia led workshops and also wrote, directed, and performed in the play "Wildflower: Indigenous Spirit." To read more about Sophia’s project, please visit: https://bit.ly/3IA2Aqk

Lana Sawalha, an OCSA history teacher, was offered the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Fellowship in Scott, KS. The fellowship is awarded annually to educators who have distinguished themselves in teaching understanding and respect through project-based learning.

Orange County School of the Arts was featured in an article by KTLA about our recent Niche ranking as the #1 Best Charter High School in California for the third year in a row, as well as the #6 Best Charter High School in America for 2022. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3Iy3N1k

Mya Gonzales (ACT, ‘23) was cast alongside award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix in the film "C’mon, C’mon" from A24.

Jacki Vellandi (ACT, ‘22) co-produced and released ten of her original songs, which feature piano, guitar, and ukulele, under the name JackiLove.

Elective and Conservatory Instructor Cameron Shim received his Level 1 Teaching Certification for Aerial Silks from Aerial Physique.

The OCSA Science Olympiad High School Team (Division C) competed in the BirdSO Mini Science Olympiad competition and placed 8th out of 160 teams. They also competed in the National Invitational Science Olympiad Satellite competition where they placed 21st out of 236 teams. The students received the following awards:


BirdSO Mini Science Olympiad Competition:

5th place:
Codebusters: Grant Conroy (CV, ‘25), Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22), and Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)

8th place:
Write it CAD it: Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24) and Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22)
Fermi Questions: Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) and Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)

9th place:
Detector Building: Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

Other Competitors:
Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24), Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, ‘22), Kacy Chung (VA, ‘23), Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23), Shayna Kaplan (IM, ‘23), Grant Li (CW, ‘23), Amy Lee (IM, ‘23), Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23), Kei Shimabukuro (IM, ‘24), Em Wei-Ten (PM, ‘23), Jiin Yun (IM, ‘24), and Audrey Zhang (IM,‘24)

National Invitational Science Olympiad Satellite Competition:

3rd place:
Write it CAD It: Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24) and Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22)

4th place:
Cybersecurity: Grant Li (CW, ‘23) and Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23)

6th place:
Botany: Shayna Kaplan (IM, ‘23) and Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)

8th place:
It’s About Time: Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

11th place:
Ornithology: Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, ‘22) and Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23)

12th place:
Bioinformatics: Em Wei-Ten (PM, ‘23) and Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)

13th place:
Digital Structures: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) and Kei Shimabukuro (IM, ‘24)
Codebusters: Grant Conroy (CV, ‘25), Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22), and Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)

18th place:
Anatomy and Physiology: Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23) and Audrey Zhang (IM, ‘24)
Astronomy: Grant Conroy (CV, ‘25) and Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24)
Disease Detectives: Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) and Jiin Yun (IM, ‘24)

21st place:
Green Generation: Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, ‘22) and Jiin Yun (IM, ‘24)

Other Competitors:
Kacy Chung (VA, ‘23), Caleb Empig (IMP, ‘23), and Amy Lee (IM, ‘23)

The following students were recognized as semifinalists in The Music Center’s 33rd Annual Spotlight Program. Spotlight is a nationally acclaimed arts training and scholarship program for teens that awards more than $100,000 in cash scholarships annually. Semifinalists have the opportunity to attend a special master class in their discipline with highly regarded artists who share their expertise on performance technique, training, and professional life. Each semifinalist will virtually audition once more, and the top two finalist performers in each category will be selected for a total of 14 Grand Prize Finalists.

Classical Semifinalists:
Leo Sui (IM, ‘23)

Jazz Semifinalists:
Max Gilbert (IM, ‘22)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

Acting Semifinalists:
Grace Wilcox (ACT, ‘22)
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, '25)
Landon Wouters (MT, ‘22)
Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25)

Congratulations to the following students for their success in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These students received Honorable Mention Regional-at-Large awards.

Anika Biswas (CW, ‘23) Short Story, "Einkornicales: Lost Letters"
Kaitlyn Byer (CW, ‘25): Poetry, "The Crow's Lover"
Jaeung Cha (VA, ‘25): Fashion, “Design by Quinn”, “Dual Identity”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Critical Essay, “The Ethical Dilemma of True Crime as Entertainment”; Drawing & Illustration, "Hope"; Flash Fiction, "Murder"; Poetry, "Wide World"; Short Story, "Lost and Gone"
Ryan Choi (ACT, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Toyna Character Concept Design”; Sculpture, “Mythical Creature Game Pieces for Creativity Board Game”
David Du (FTV, ‘24): Film & Animation, "Incent City"
Isabella Ho (CW, ‘22): Flash Fiction, "Little Lanterns"; Humor, "A Pretzel Hazard"
Faith Hochgesang (IA, ‘23): Flash Fiction, "Cries of the Maasai"; Poetry, "Rapture"
Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, "Pots Burn, Seams Burst"
Lyn Huang (CW, ‘24): Novel Writing, "Someday In A Room With A Seaside View"
Sally Jang (CW, ‘23): Dramatic Script, "Dear Lauren"
Ryan Jeong (P&D, ‘23): Journalism, "Scholastic Competition: Conservatives vs. Media: A Thinning Ice"
Antara Kalle (CW, ‘23): Poetry, "Balcony Boats"
Griffin Kelleher (CW, ‘23): Science Fiction & Fantasy, "The Auxer"
Amber Khauv (CW, ‘24): Science Fiction & Fantasy, "Don't Lie to Me"
Annabelle Kim (CW, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, "Familiarity in the Unknown, Is it truly fortunate?"; Poetry, "Words passed from her to me"
Emily Kim (CW, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, "A Daily Reminder"
Seo Yun Kang (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Part of Me”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Drawing & Illustration, “You’re getting old”
Kate Kim (CW, ‘25): Poetry, "A Plate of Gochu"

Sarah Anderson (MT, ‘22), Zach Hoffman (ACT, ‘22), and Lauren Williams (ACT, ‘22) were cast and performed in "Les Miserables" with Braver Players Musical Theater Foundation as Cosette, Jean Valjean, and Fantine respectively.

Congratulations to OCSA’s Mock Trial Team, faculty advisor Whitney Coates, and volunteer coaches Justice Halim Dhanidina, Melissa Brandman, J.D, and Ethan Feng, J.D. for advancing to the Orange County finals for the first time and receiving second place after competing against rigorous competition. OCSA’s Gold team advanced to the top eight for only the second time in the program’s history. The following students competed as members of the team.

Sophia Abiera (ACT, ‘24)
Sruthi Alle (CV, ‘22)
Zabethah Bagnol (PD, ‘24)
Charlotte Brandman (MT, ‘23)
Sarah Demeter (CW, ‘25)
Sammy Dorfman (IA, ‘24)
V Garcia (ACT, ‘25)
Mona George (CV, ‘25)
Ethan Gray (ACT, ‘22)
Kennedy Harrison (PD, ‘25)
Sasha Herthel (ACT, ‘23)
Joshua Hizon (MT, ‘23)
Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘23)
Toby Izenberg (CW, ‘23)
Milo Karnes (IA, ‘24)
Claire Karr (VA, ‘23)
Emma Kay (ACT, ‘23)
Annabelle Kim (CW, ‘23)
Ariana Kim (IM, ‘25)
Caitlin Kim (ACT, ‘25)
Emily Kim (CW, ‘24)
Fanny Kim (IA, ‘24)
Isabella Kim (ACT, ‘25)
Haley Kleinman (IA, ‘24)
Elaine Lim (FTV, ‘25)
Diego Linn (BR, ‘25)
Samantha Liu (IM, ‘23)
Regan Mading (IA, ‘23)
Katia Miyamoto (CW, ‘24)
Lucy Moriyama (ACT, ‘23)
Daisy Noh (IA, ‘22)
Kendall Phanco (VA, ‘23)
Colin Root (ACT, ‘22)
Ashima Sharma (CW, ‘25)
Cat Silva-Oliveira (IA, ‘24)
Ciara Tadeo (IA, ‘25)
Josie Wang (PM, ‘23)
Sophia Wilhelm (VA, ‘23)
Lacole Yang (CW, ‘24)

Clara Choi (CMD, ‘25) and Sophia Madrigal (ACT, ‘22) were featured in the “Bravo!” section of the "Orange County Register," which celebrates the achievements of Orange County locals. Clara won second place in the Broadcom MASTERS awards for her project, “EEG Study of Virtual Learning Demonstrates Worsened Learning Outcomes and Higher Mirror Neuron Activation,” and Sophia earned a national Gold Award Scholarship from the Girl Scouts of the United States of America.

The OCSA Robotics Team qualified for the 2022 Southern California VRC High School State Championship held at Damien High School, where they will compete for a chance to go to the 2022 VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas.

The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 9th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. This program highlights talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts. Each of these students has proven their abilities in their areas of expertise.

Film and Animation:

Animation and Visual Effects
Romeo Martin (DM, ‘22)

Cinematography
Justin Shin (FTV, ‘22)

Directing and Editing
Maggie Ding (FTV, ‘22)
Youning Jiang (FTV, ‘22)
Anirudh Vadhri Kota (FTV, ‘22)
Alexis Ai Macdonald (FTV, ‘22)
Nona Nishigawara (FTV, ‘22)
Michael McDonald (IA, ‘22)

Handcrafted Visual Arts:

Hand Drawing and Painting
Grace Jo (VA, ‘22)
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23)
London San Luis (DM, ‘23)
Xiaowei (Sophia) Wang (VA, ‘22)

Mixed Media
Joyce Yuruo Hong (VA, ‘22)
Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22)

Instrumental Music:

Piano and Strings
Xingyao Li (IM, ‘22)
Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23)
Sein Yun (IM, ‘22)
Hannah Zhao (IM, ‘22)

The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 9th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. This program highlights talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts. Each of these students has proven their abilities in their areas of expertise.

Theater:

Acting
Scott Becker (ACT, ‘22)
Carlos Jimenez (ACT, ‘22)
Sophia Madrigal (ACT, ‘22)
Lauren Mei (ACT, ‘23)

Musical Theater Performance
Kenneth Takeshita (MT, ‘22)
Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘22)

Vocal Music:

Classical Voice
Mia Paris Baron (CV, ‘23)
Alexander Jeon (CV, ‘23)
Evan Richards (CV, ‘22)

Commercial Voice
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22)

The following faculty members received 2022 Artist Teacher Fellowship Award grants in the amount of $2,500 each. These individuals were selected based on the strength and potential of their proposals, their commitment to achieving their artistic and scholastic endeavors, as well as their passion for bringing new ideas, practices, energy, and creativity into their classrooms. To read more about each project, please visit: https://conta.cc/3HHnKlb

Mike Bradecich, Creative Writing & Integrated Arts Conservatory Instructor
Stephanie Dorian, El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory Assistant Director
Ryan Reithmeier, D.M.A., Classical Voice Conservatory Director
Dawn Nguyen Spranger, Creative Writing & Integrated Arts Conservatory Instructor

The OCSA High School Science Olympiad Team competed in the BirdSO Invitational competition against 236 teams across the nation.

The team earned the following awards:
Fourth Place
Gravity Vehicle: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) and Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)

Sixth Place
Detector Building: Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)
Eighth Place
Machine Learning: Grant Li (CW, ‘23) and Em Wei-Ten (PM, ‘23)
Ninth Place
Ornithology: Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, ‘22) and Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23)

Alyssa Kardos (ACT, ‘17) has continued her work in Phnom Penh, Cambodia as an English Teaching Assistant through the U.S. Department of State's prestigious Fulbright Scholarship Program. She is using acting exercises at her public school to support English learning and engage in cultural exchange. Alyssa also started a community project titled "Re-Made in Cambodia" which promotes the work of young Cambodian fashion designers, musicians, dancers, and poets.

A photo of Hannah Franklin (ACT, ‘19) was selected to be displayed in the lobby of the Ahmanson Theater at The Music Center in Los Angeles. The photo is from Hannah’s winning performance in the 2018 National August Wilson Monologue Competition.

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, and semifinalists for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Awards, and OCSA had five winners out of seven arts categories this year! The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Artist of the Year Winners:
Joyce Yuruo Hong (VA, ‘22) - Handcrafted Visual Arts
Youning Jiang (FTV, ‘22) - Film and Animation
Lauren Mei (ACT, ‘23) - Acting
Danielle Silver (CMD, ‘22) - Dance
Landon Wouters (MT, ‘22) - Vocal Music

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, and semifinalists for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Awards, and OCSA had five winners out of seven arts categories this year! The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Finalists:
Computer-Assisted Visual Arts:
Computer Drawing and Painting
Juliana Jarvis (DM, ‘22)

Handcrafted Visual Arts:
Hand Drawing and Painting
Grace Jo (VA, ‘22)

Mixed Media
Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22)

Dance:
World/Cultural Dance
Mia Amaris Lopez (BF, ‘23)

Theater:
Acting
Sophia Madrigal (ACT, ‘22)

Musical Theater Performance
Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘22)

Vocal Music:
Classical Voice
Evan Richards (CV, ‘22)

Semifinalists:
Computer-Assisted Visual Arts:

Computer Drawing and Painting
Elise Maniquis-Dormitorio (DM, ‘22)
Hannah Miller (DM, ‘22)

Graphic Design and Digital Illustration
Josh Nguyen (FTV, ‘22)

Photography (Film and Digital)
Soren Almeida (FTV, ‘22)

Lauren Mei (ACT, ‘23) was named a Grand Prize Finalist in The Music Center’s 34th Annual Spotlight Program out of more than 1,500 applicants. Spotlight is a nationally acclaimed arts training and scholarship program for teens that awards more than $100,000 in cash scholarships annually. She was selected among only 14 Grand Prize Finalists who will perform in a virtual grand finale event and receive a $5,000 scholarship.

Jacqueline Vellandi (ACT, ‘22) won the California Young Playwrights contest for her play “Reverie,” which was selected to be featured in the Young Writers Festival in May. To read more about her work, please visit: https://bit.ly/3OXUHPu

The following students participated in the Pacific Symphony’s 2022 Opera Focus High School Vocal Competition and received the following awards:

First place: Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Second place: Lauren Kimball (VA, ‘24) and Estella Sky Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Third place: Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)
Special Merit: Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24)
Honorable Mention: Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25), Mona George (CV, ‘25), and Aashna Rana (CV, ‘23)

The following students participated in the California State Thespian Festival and received the following awards:

Gai Jones Senior Honor Thespian Scholarship:
Ethan Gray (ACT, ‘22)

Thespy Award Winners:

Solo Musical
First place: Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘22)

Duet Musical
First place: Meghan Barton (MT, ‘23) and Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)

Solo Monologue
Second place: Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25)

Top Scoring (Thespy Superior):

Solo Musical
Meghan Barton (MT, ‘23)
Samantha Divis (MT, ‘25)
Mia Geise (MT, ‘24)
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)
Daniel Grossgold (IA, ‘24)
Chloe Ness (MT, ‘24)
Erin Tardibuono (MT, ‘25)
Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘24)
Landon Wouters (MT, ‘22)

Duet Musical
Meghan Barton (MT, ‘23)
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)
Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘24)
Landon Wouters (MT, ‘22)

Solo Monologue
Isabella Lloyd (IA, ‘25)
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25)

Director of The El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory John Walcutt and Visual Arts Instructor Kathleen Fochtman-Gambs were nominated for the Orange County Music and Arts Administrators (OCMAA) Awards in recognition of their dedication to quality, equity, and access to arts programs for all students.

Aryan Simhadri (ACT) was cast in the lead role of Grover in “Percy Jackson & the Olympians,” coming soon to Disney+.

Alyssa Abiera (ACT, ‘26) was cast in the television series “Roar,” now available on Apple TV.

Zach Hoffman (ACT, ‘22) and Sadie Braverman (ACT, ‘23) performed as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett respectively in Braver Players Theater Company’s production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

The following OCSA students, as a part of Empowering Arts (eA), a nonprofit founded by Hannah Cho (IM ‘25), were awarded the President's Volunteer Service Gold Award. The students were recognized for their musical concerts at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and the Blind Children’s Learning Center.

Dylan Chia (IM, ‘26)
Brent Cho (ACT, ‘27)
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25)
Isabella Cho (ACT, ‘27)
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25)
Emma Chuang (VA, ‘25)
Mia Geise (MT, ‘24)
Andrew Fung (IM, ‘24)
Arim (Ariana) Kim (IM, ‘25)
Jennifer Kim (VA, ‘25)
Calene Lee (CW, ‘25)
Sunny Lee (IM, ‘24)
Danny O'Grady (IM, ‘24)
Jae Eun (April) Park (IM, ‘25)
Emy Pardo (MT, ‘24)
Lucy Woo (IM, ‘25)
River Zylstra (ACT, ‘27)