STATE OF THE ART

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)

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.

Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22) - Dance
Catherine Johnston (CV, ‘21) - Classical Voice
Kangsan Kim (CV, ‘22) - Classical Voice
Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21) - Classical Voice
David Lee (IM, ‘21) - Jazz Instrumental
Mallory McKenna (CMD, ‘23) - Dance
Gianna Pedregon (IM, ‘21) - Jazz Instrumental
Bridget Phillips (MT, ‘22) - Acting
Sydney Thomas (CMD, ‘22) - Dance
Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23) - Dance
Kailyn Yi (CMD, ‘22) - Dance

The following students from OCSA's Junior Statesmen of America (JSA) chapter ran a successful debate event, which featured guest speaker former California Congressman Harley Rouda. More than 50 students from JSA chapters across Southern California attended and participated. Jennifer Woo (IA, '21) was also voted "Best Speaker'' for her debate.

Maya Coyne (CMD, ‘21)
Tane Kim (IM, ‘24)
Sophia Kimmel (CV, ‘22)
Max Mikkelsen (IA, ‘22)
Aashna Rana (CV, ‘23)
Rajsi Rana (CW, ‘22)
London San Luis (DM, ‘23)
Isabella Szabo (CV, ‘21)
Jennifer Woo (IA, ‘21)

The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Award. This program highlights talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts. 750 students representing 78 Orange County high schools were nominated, and 50 of them are from OCSA! Each of these students have proven their abilities in their areas of expertise. Here are the nominations for Dance:

Commercial Dance:
Danielle Silver (CMD, ‘22)
Dawson Charles Walker (CMD, ‘21)

Concert Dance:
Corah Abbott (CCD, ‘21)
Ian Francisco Roman (CCD, ‘22)

World/Cultural Dance:
Maya Elizabeth Alvarez-Coyne (CMD, ‘21)
Rodrigo Blanco (BF, ‘21)
Lucas McCollum-VanHoosear (BR, ‘22)
Rodrigo Francisco Rea (BF, ‘21)

Lilah D. Horton (CMD, ‘21) was selected as last year's Dance Artist of the Year by the Orange County Register as part of a competition that included 100 nominated dance artists from all over Orange County’s public, private, and charter high school community. She was the first-ever Artist of the Year from OCSA's Commercial Dance Conservatory in the 30-year tenure of former Director Jim Kolb.

The OCSA Science Olympiad High School Team (Division C) competed in the Orange County Regional competition and placed in 14 of the 29 events. The team earned 6th place out of almost 40 schools and will advance to the Southern California State Science Olympiad competition. Team member Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) placed in all of his events.

1st Place
Codebusters: Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22), Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23), and Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)

2nd Place
Digital Structures: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) and Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22)
Amazing Mechatronics: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) and Isabelle Tran (VA, ‘22)

3rd Place
Chiropterology: Kacy Chung (VA, ‘23) and Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23)
Circuit Lab: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) and Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)
Experimental and Data Analysis: Katherine Given (ACT ‘24), Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23), and Samantha Su (VA, ‘21),
Fermi Questions: Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) and Haley Shimabukuro (IM, ‘24)
Helicopters: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) and Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23)
Game On: Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24) and Em Wei-Ten (PM, ‘23)
Geologic Mapping: Aleks Cornforth (CMD, ‘21) and Erica Yang (IA, ‘21)

4th Place
Algorithms and Heuristics: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) and Em Wei-Ten (PM, ‘23)
Dynamic Planet: Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24) and Jiin Yun (IM, ‘24)
Gravity Vehicle: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) and Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)
Ornithology: Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23) and Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23)

Other Competitors
Amy Lee (IM, ‘23), Grant Li (CW, ‘23), Sara Shimabukuro (IM, ‘21), and Allison Wong (CW, ‘23)

Lauren Lim Jackson (CMD, ‘03), Interim Director of the Musical Theatre Conservatory, was featured in an article by Orange Coast Magazine that highlights her wellness classes at the Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

To view the article, please visit https://bit.ly/3nXsnzn

The Orange County Register announced the semifinalists for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Computer-Assisted Visual Arts:
Computer Drawing and Painting
Eden Haymond (DM, ‘21)
Ashley Yang (VA, ‘22)

Dance:
Commercial Dance
Danielle Silver (CMD, ‘22)
Dawson Charles Walker (CMD, ‘21)
Concert Dance
Corah Abbott (CCD, ‘21)
World and Cultural Dance
Maya Elizabeth Alvarez-Coyne (CMD, ‘21)
Rodrigo Blanco (BF, ‘21)
Lucas McCollum-VanHoosear (BR, ‘22)

Film and Animation:
Directing and Editing
Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21)
Johann Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21)
Nolan Frech (FTV, ‘21)

Handcrafted Visual Arts:
Hand Drawing and Painting
Joyce Lee (VA, ‘21)
Mixed Media
Junzhu Zhang (VA, ‘21)
Sculpting and Metalwork
Juhyun Park (VA, ‘21)

Instrumental Music:
Jazz
Gianna Pedregon (IM, ‘21) - Violin
Piano and Strings
Hannah Noh (IM, ‘21) - Piano

Theater:
Acting
Mia Kaplan (MT, ‘21)
Musical Theater Performance
Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21)
Madison E. Osment (MT, ‘21)
Charlee Rubino (MT, ‘21)

Vocal Music:
Classical Voice
Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21)
Commercial Voice
Michele Lu (PM, ‘21)

The Orange County Register announced the finalists for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Vocal Music - Commercial Voice
Ye Ji Kim (PM ‘21)

Vocal Music - Classical Voice
Catherine Johnston (CV ‘21)

Dance - Concert Dance
Corah Abbott (CCD, ‘21)

Dance - World/Cultural Dance
Maya Elizabeth Alvarez-Coyne (CMD, ‘21)

Handcrafted Visual Arts - Mixed Media
Junzhu Zhang (VA, ‘21)

Handcrafted Visual Arts - Sculpting and metalwork
Juhyun Park (VA, ‘21)

Film and Animation - Directing and Editing
Noah Frech (FTV, ‘21)

Instrumental Music - Winds and Percussion
Brian Lin (alto sax) (IM, ‘21)

Theatre - Acting
Ariyah Brown (ACT, ‘22)

The following students were recognized as Grand Prize Finalists in The Music Center’s 33rd 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. The students were selected among only 14 Grand Prize Finalists who will perform in a virtual grand finale event and receive a $5,000 scholarship.

Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22) - Dance
Catherine Johnston (CV, ‘21) - Classical Voice
Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21) - Classical Voice

Maya Alvarez-Coyne (CMD, '21) received the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Jim Kolb, who retired last year after serving as OCSA’s Commercial Dance Director for more than 30 years, received the 2020 Teacher of the Year Award from the Arts Schools Network. As director, Mr. Kolb reshaped the Commercial Dance Conservatory to include a well-rounded curriculum with instruction in all aspects of the industry, including tap, lyrical, hip hop, musical theatre, and other styles.

Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22), Catherine Johnston (CV, ‘21), and Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21) performed in The Music Center’s 33rd Annual Spotlight Grand Finale, a virtual presentation featuring the 14 Spotlight Finalists and hosted by Josh Groban. Out of a pool of more than 1,500 applicants, Emmy advanced to become the Grand Prize Finalist in the Dance category, while Catherine and Ava advanced to become Grand Prize Finalists in the Classical Voice category.

To view the virtual performance, please visit https://bit.ly/3uFnRHM

Brielle Lieberman (CMD, ‘26) and Brooklyn Lieberman (CMD, ‘26) participated in the Moderna trial for the COVID-19 vaccine and were featured in an article from Healthline.

To view the article, please visit https://bit.ly/3pae1fG

Maya Alvarez-Coyne (CMD, '21) received the Young Artists Scholarship from the Laguna Dance Festival. She was also selected to tour with Irish-American dancer, choreographer, and musician Michael Flatley on his upcoming Lord of the Dance tour in Taiwan.

Maya Alvarez-Coyne (CMD, '21) performed with Riverdance as a featured guest for the Marie Keating Foundation’s televised Concert4Cancer event. In this virtual performance showcasing dancers from around the world, Maya represented both California and the United States.

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

Natasha Mynhier (CMD, '11) released a film titled "In A Beat." The film features the underrepresented lens of a Black autistic boy on his first night home alone.

To watch the trailer, please visit https://bit.ly/3wV4YSA

Maya Alvarez-Coyne (CMD, ‘21) was crowned Miss California’s Outstanding Teen and received first place in both talent and interview categories.

Clara Choi (CMD, ‘25) was recognized as one of the top 30 finalists selected to compete in the Broadcom MASTERS competition. Broadcom MASTERS, the nation's premier STEM competition, seeks to inspire the young scientists, engineers, and innovators who will solve the complex challenges of the future. Clara will compete for over $100,000 in experiential awards and prizes.

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

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.

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

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

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.

Computer-Assisted Visual Arts:

Computer Drawing and Painting
Sofia De Luna (DM, ‘22)
Juliana Jarvis (DM, ‘22)
Elise Maniquis-Dormitorio (DM, ‘22)
Hannah Miller (DM, ‘22)
Megan Mo (DM, ‘22)

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

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

Dance:

Commercial Dance
Danielle Silver (CMD, ‘22)
Reagan Vallejo (IA, ‘22)

Concert Dance
Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22)
Nicole Frias Lugo (BCD, ‘22)
Alisa Nguyen (BCD, ‘23)
Amelie Jolie Vidrio (BCD, ‘22)

World/Cultural Dance
Hannah Ayala (BR, ‘23)
Mia Amaris Lopez (BF, ‘23)
Joshua Qin (BD, ‘23)
Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23)

Vanessa Prado (CMD, ‘06) was featured on Kimpton La Peer Hotel’s Instagram account for International Women’s Day, highlighting her work as Director of Sales & Marketing for the company. To view the post, please visit: https://bit.ly/3DpY1NT

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.

Semifinalists:
Dance:

Commercial Dance
Reagan Vallejo (IA, ‘22)

Concert Dance
Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22)
Alisa Nguyen (BCD, ‘23)

World/Cultural Dance
Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)
Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23)

Film and Animation:

Cinematography
Justin Shin (FTV, ‘22)

Directing and Editing
Maggie Ding (FTV, ‘22)
Alexis Ai Macdonald (FTV, ‘22)
Nona Nishigawara (FTV, ‘22)

Raven Alanes (CMD, ‘23) worked on the Symphonies for Schools: Music & Deafness program for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The following students were involved in the creation of an original film, titled "Pho," which was shown at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in France.

Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) – Writer/Director/Editor
Aaron Orullian, Director of Film & Television – Executive Producer
Antone Axten (MT) – Cinematographer/Colorist
Darren Camaya (FTV, ‘21) – Production Assistant
Ella Beatriz Catacutan (CMD, ‘21) – Extras
Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21) – Gaffer/Sound Mixer
David Du (FTV, ‘21) – Production Assistant
Ava Encinas (FTV, ‘21) – Producer
Noah Frech (FTV, ‘21) – Still Photographer
Cooper Hardwick (FTV, ‘21) – Still Photographer
Lilah Horton (CMD, ‘21) – Extras
Paris Phillips (FTV, ‘21) – Makeup Artist

Edward Chen (IA, ‘24), Jasmine Lee (CMD, ‘26), Zoe Sharek (IA, ‘22), Devin Vo (IA, ‘26), and Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25), as members of the hip-hop competition team Gravy Babies, won first place in the junior division of the 2022 Show Out Dance Competition in El Cajon, CA and received the highest scores among all competing teams in both adult and junior divisions.