STATE OF THE ART

OCSA’s Model United Nations Club attended the Trabuco Hills High School Model United Nations Conference, where delegates representing different countries participated in rigorous debate, practiced public speaking and communication skills, and wrote detailed resolution papers addressing important international topics, such as Digital Infrastructure in South East Asia and Ending Terrorist Recruitment. Students received the following awards.

Sophie Kim (ACT, ‘26): Commendation Award, Third Place, and Research Award
Kaiden Orozco (AE, ‘26): Best Delegate Award and First Place
Grace Shin (VA, ‘24): Outstanding Delegate Award and Second Place
Sophie Sukendro (IM, ‘26): Research Award
Kaylie Viloria (PD, ‘25): Best Delegate Award, First Place, and Research Award
Lavinia Watkins (CV, ‘26): Commendation Award and Third Place

The following OCSA Honors Chemistry students competed in the first-year American Chemical Society (ACS) competition. Due to the students' high combined scores, OCSA earned a Top 6 Team award among all Orange County schools. Additionally, Dane Bergman (IA, ‘25) earned the top score for OCSA and received special recognition at the ACS awards banquet.

Dane Bergman (IA, ‘25)
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25)
Grant (James) Conroy (CV, ‘25)
Sky (Estella) Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Hennah Kim (CW, ‘25)
Minjae (Jaden) Kim (IM, ‘25)
Mican Lai (FTV, ‘25)
Elenna (Jeongwon) Park (IA, ‘25)

The following students were recognized as grand prize finalists, semifinalists, and finalist award winners in The Music Center’s 34th 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 then auditions once more, and the top two finalist performers in each category are selected for a total of 14 Grand Prize Finalists.

Grand Prize Finalists:

Classical Voice
Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)

Semifinalists:

Ballet
Preston Walker (BCD, ‘26)

Dance
Sammi Chung (CMD, '24)
Ayanna Dowell (CMD, '23)
Andrea Martinez (BF, ‘25)
Mallory McKenna (CMD, '23)
Isabella Silva (IA, ‘26)

Classical Instrumental
Ariana Kim (IM, ‘25)
Calene Lee (CW, '25)

Jazz Instrumental
Ian Shin (IM, ‘24)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

Non-Classical Voice
Joan Park (PM, ‘23)

Classical Voice
Grace Huynh (CV, ‘23)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24)

David Du (FTV, ‘24) and Matthew Blam (IM, ‘24) created a short animation, titled "Life of a Mayfly." David animated, directed, and produced the film, while Matthew composed the music. “Life of a Mayfly” was nominated for Best Animation in the National Film Festival for Talented Youth Jury Award in April 2023 and the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.

The following students were recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation, one of the only organizations in the U.S. that supports artists across 10 disciplines at all stages of development, beginning with the critical moment when they decide to pursue a life in the arts and continuing throughout their careers. Their mission is to identify exceptional young artists, amplify their potential, and invest in their lifelong creative freedom.

Finalists:

Classical Music
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) – Oboe
Amy Jong (IM, ‘24) – Violoncello

Dance
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24) – Hip-Hop

Design Art
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25)

Voice
Joan Park (PM, ‘23) – Popular

Writing
Ashley Park (CW, ‘23) – Spoken Word

Honorable Mentions:

Film
David Du (FTV, ‘24) – Documentary
Amelie Muro (FTV, ‘22) – Experimental

Voice
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23) – Popular
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Popular
Jocelyn Wang (PM, ‘23) – Singer-Songwriting

Writing
Olivia Le (CW, ‘25) – Spoken Word

The following students were recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation, one of the only organizations in the U.S. that supports artists across 10 disciplines at all stages of development, beginning with the critical moment when they decide to pursue a life in the arts and continuing throughout their careers. Their mission is to identify exceptional young artists, amplify their potential, and invest in their lifelong creative freedom.

Merit:

Classical Music
Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23) – Piano
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) – Flute

Jazz
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) – Piano

Theater
Mehra Marzbani (ACT, ‘23) – Spoken Word

Visual Arts
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23)

Voice
Maraia Mariselli (PM) – Singer-Songwriter
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Jazz

Writing
Katerina Malabarba (CW, ‘24) – Novel

Ella He (IM, ‘27), Emma He (IM, ‘25), Katelyn Hu (BCD, ‘24), Bryce Leng (CV, ‘24), and Angel Shen (CV, ‘25) were in the “The Monkey King,” a famous Chinese epic tale told through a fusion of western and Chinese musical traditions. Ella, Emma, and Bryce performed in the South Coast Chinese Orchestra, and Katelyn and Angel accompanied them, performing with the Southern California Dance Company.

The following students were recognized as grand prize finalists, semifinalists, finalists, and merit award winners in The Music Center’s 34th 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 then auditions once more, and the top two finalist performers in each category are selected for a total of 14 Grand Prize Finalists.

Merit Awards:

Dance
Annie Chen (CMD, ‘26)
Mia Lopez (BF, ‘23)

Classical Instrumental
Lucie Kim (IM, ‘24)
Minjae (Jaden) Kim (IM, ‘25)
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25)

Jazz Instrumental
Allie Molin (IM, ‘25)

Classical Voice
Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Samara Kohne (CV, ‘24)
Lavinia Watkins (CV, ‘26)

Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26) was selected for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, High School Honor Group, and performed with them on his double bass. He also ran the Catalina marathon and won first place in his age division, in addition to running the OC Marathon, in which he won third place in his age division with a personal record time of 3:34. With this race, he achieved legacy status for having run his third OC Marathon in a row.

Skyler Tran (IM, ‘28) and Sterling Tran (IM, ‘27) competed in the 9th Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition for Young Artists in Carmel, Indiana. They performed alongside 200 other contestants from around the world. Skyler won Second Prize in Intermediate Concerto and Third Prize in Intermediate Solo. Sterling won First Prize in Advanced Concerto and First Prize in Advanced Solo.

Zeen Zhou (IM, ‘29) was invited to perform as a violin soloist for the Irvine Classical Players at the Summa Cum Laude International Music Festival in Vienna. Zeen was the youngest violin soloist in the entire 2023 festival.

Albert Hacker (IM, ‘26) and Vincent Hacker (IM, ‘28) were invited to Carnegie Hall to perform piano and violin, respectively, in the Winners’ Concert for the American Association for Development of the Gifted and Talented (AADGT) Passion of Music Festival. The AADGT music festival is an opportunity for young musicians around the world to get integrated into the classical music world and spread its culture. Albert also earned First Place in the International Young Artist Piano Competition in Washington, D.C.

Cristian Fatu, an instructor in the Instrumental Music Conservatory – Strings & Orchestra Program, was featured on the cover of the See Beyond Magazine September/October 2023 Edition. The corresponding article focused on his career and the challenges and triumphs he has experienced as a musician. To read the article, please visit: https://bit.ly/48o02sj

Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25) was invited to play tenor saxophone at the Herbie Hancock Institute’s annual All-Star Concert Gala in New York, one of the most prestigious national jazz events.

The following students were named semifinalists for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program. The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic scholarship competition, where students can receive recognition and university scholarships. Semifinalists are recognized for their academic and extracurricular achievements, putting these students in a pool of less than 1% of high schoolers in the nation.

Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)
Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24)
Joseph Ho (IM, ‘24)
Tane Kim (IM, ‘24)
Katerina Malabarba (CW, ‘24)
Elise Park (FTV, ‘24)
Aadya Sharma (IM, ‘24)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)
Luke Toner (IM, ‘24)
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)
Lacole Yang (CW, ‘24)
James Yi (CW, ‘24)
Xinchun Zhang (IM, ‘24)

For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/41cHgkX

Cole Fredrick (PM, ‘16), Matt Jarnagin (FTV, ‘15), Matisse Pasillas (FTV, ‘15), Nick Stone (PM, ‘15), and Chris Trimmer (IM, ‘12) performed on a Virgin Voyage cruise with their band Undecided Future. Undecided Future is an urban pop band with influences from Earth, Wind & Fire, Justin Timberlake, and Bruno Mars, among others. On Virgin Voyage, they have visited Spain, Italy, France, Ibiza, and many other locations throughout 2023.

Grace Lam (IM, ‘29) won a Gold Medal at the 2023 Southern California Junior Bach Festival Complete Works Auditions at Cal State University, Long Beach. The award qualified her to perform at the Complete Works Audition Awards Concert where all first place winners performed.

Ella He (IM, ‘27), Sydney Lee (IM, ‘26), and Xander Shah (IM, ‘28) participated and performed at the Cal State LA Harp Pedagogy Mini-Conference, an annual event that features a variety of presentations and recitals focused on this graceful instrument.

The following students were honored at the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) State Competitions, where musicians from California are offered the chance to advance nationally within their instrumental category. John Hallberg, saxophone instructor, produced winners in both the Junior and Senior Woodwind categories of the competition.

Hannah Cho (IM): Winner; California Senior Performance Woodwind (Oboe)
Rubi Lee (IM, ‘25): Honorable Mention; California Senior Performance String (Violin)
Darren Qiu (IM, ‘24): Alternate; California Senior Performance Woodwind (Saxophone)
Natalie Xu (IM, ‘29): Honorable Mention; California Junior Performance String (Violin)

Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) was published in The Oncologist as a co-author for the paper “Real-World Outcomes of Latinx Versus Non-Latinx Patients Treated with First-Line Immunotherapy for Metastatic Renal-Cell Carcinoma,” in collaboration with UCLA and City of Hope oncologists.

The following student musicians, as part of the OCSA’s Ambassador Jazz Orchestra (AJO), had the opportunity to work and perform with the Juilliard Jazz sextet and their director Aaron Flagg. They were also able to sit with Aaron Flagg for a Q&A session.

Emmet Althoen (IM, ‘28)
Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25)
Mateo Tomas Cruz (IM, ‘24)
James Dechary (IM, ‘24)
Nicholas Doan (IM, ‘24)
Pedro Fregoso (IM, ‘27)
Grace Gillen (IM, ‘25)
Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26)
Kilan Lam (IM, ‘29)
Danny Lee (IM, ‘24)
Allison Molin (IM, ‘25)
Darren Qiu (IM, ‘24)
Owen Ramos (IM, ‘27)
Ian Shin (IM, ‘24)
Katherine Shinogi (IM, ‘25)
Oliver Shiwota (IM, ‘27)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)
Luke Toner (IM, ‘24)
Emily Vu (IM, ‘24)
Kaylie Wise (IM, ‘24)

Members of the OCSA Robotics Team were invited to compete at the One World Showcase Event at University of California, Berkeley. Five teams from OCSA competed against 115 other teams from around the country. One of the five teams, Z Squared, was composed of Olivia Lee (VA, ‘25), Sunny Li (IM, ‘24), and Samantha Park (IA, ‘25), making them one of the less than 5% of teams that were made of all female members. Z Squared placed 7th out of 115 in only their second year of robotics. Below is the full list of the OCSA students who participated in the One World Showcase Event.

Shining Chen (CW, ‘26)
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25)
Evan Choe (VA, ‘25)
Rhea Dayal (VA, ‘28)
Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26)
Justin Hong (IM, ‘25)
Peyton Hsu (AE, ‘27)
Jason Lee (IM, ‘27)
Olivia Lee (VA, ‘25)
Sunny Li (IM, ‘24)
Edward Luna (IM, ‘24)
Danny O’Grady (IM, ‘24)
Samantha Park (IA, ‘25)
Taven Rong (IM, ‘28)
Paul Seo (DM, ‘26)
Kaya Simsek (CAH, ‘26)
Kara Syn (IM, ‘24)
George Weichel (PD, ‘27)
Ryan Yoo (CAH, ‘25)
Beatrice Yu (PM, ‘28)
Jojo Yu (CMD, ‘25)

The following students were recognized as 2023 YoungArts Winners by the National YoungArts Foundation for their artistic achievements. YoungArts Award Winners received a monetary award of $250 and those 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.

YoungArts Award Winners:
Summer Brennan (PM, ‘25) – Voice (Popular & Singer-Songwriter)
Lyla Briggs (CMD, ‘26) – Dance (Ballet)
David Du (FTV, ‘24) – Film (Narrative)
Claire Harmsen (PM, ‘26) – Voice (Popular)
Jaden Kim (IM, ‘25) – Classical Music (Violin)
Olivia Le (CW, ‘25) – Writing (Spoken Word)
Jasmine Lee (CMD, ‘26) – Dance (Hip-Hop)
Allie Molin (IM, ‘25) – Jazz (Trumpet)
Hugo Nguyen (PM, ‘24) – Voice (Jazz)
Arianna Ramirez (BF, ‘26) – Dance (World Dance: Mexican Folkloric)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24) – Voice (Classical: Soprano)
Bella Silva (IA, ‘26) – Dance (Tap)
Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25) – Dance (Hip-Hop)
Preston Walker (BCD, ‘26) – Dance (Ballet)
Chloe Woo (IM, ‘27) – Writing (Nonfiction)

YoungArts Award With Distinction Winners:
William Bolin (CV, ‘24) – Voice (Classical Bass)
Asher Hinton (PM, ‘24) – Voice (Popular & Singer-Songwriter)
Jaime Jung (CW, ‘24) – Writing (Spoken Word)
Evee Lee (CMD, 26) – Dance (Modern Contemporary)
Bella Silva (IA, ‘26) – Dance (Tap)

Allie Molin (IM, ‘25) was recognized as one of six young female musicians selected for the Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo 2024. The ensemble traveled to Boston in January and participated in a series of activities and performances at Berklee College of Music. They will also be performing at the 67th Monterey Jazz Festival in September. Allie was also selected for the 2024 All-State ensembles for both Jazz and Symphony Orchestra, under the California Band Directors Association (CBDA).

Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25) who plays the tenor saxophone, was chosen to perform with the Herbie Hancock Institute’s National Peer-to-Peer Sextet. The sextet is composed of six of the most gifted high school musicians around the country. They had the honor of performing at the Herbie Hancock International Piano Competition in New York City alongside former winner of the Institute’s International Jazz Vocal Competition Lisa Henry and renowned jazz educator JB Dyas.

The following students were announced as winners in their respective categories for the 20th Annual SoCalPhil Young Artists Competition. First Place winners were invited to perform in select SoCalPhil concerts in Spring 2024.

Cadence Bleakley (CV, ‘28) - Third Place (Protégé Vocal)
William Bolin (CV, ‘24) - Second Place (Artiste Vocal)
Irene Choung (IM, ‘24) - Second Place (Artiste Instrumental)
Celine Curtis (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention (Artiste Vocal)
Estella Keyoung (CV, ‘25) - First Place (Artiste Vocal)
Seojin Park (IM, ‘28) - Second Place (Protégé Piano)
Alyssa Snow (IM, ‘25) - First Place (Artiste Piano)
Eliza Tait (CV, ‘25) - First Place (Artiste Vocal)
Sterling Tran (IM, ‘27) - Third Place (Artiste Piano)
Natalie Xu (IM, ‘29) - First Place (Protégé Instrumental)

Cole Frederick (IM, ‘16), Matthew Jarnagin (FTV, ‘15), Matisse Pasillas (FTV, ‘15), Nicholas Stone (IM, ‘15), and Christopher Trimmer (IM, ‘12), also known as pop group Undecided Future, received rave reviews from Virgin Voyage Entertainment Director Jeremy Larochelle for their five Virgin Voyage cruise bookings since 2022. They will sail to Greece for the second time in June 2024 to perform their original songs and some covers.

More information on their group can be found on undecidedfuture.com.

Zeen Zhou (IM, ‘29) was awarded a full-tuition merit scholarship for the 2024 Interlochen Center for the Arts Summer Arts Camp six-week string program. At the annual Summer Arts Camp students experience all the fun of summer camp – from cabin games and activities to enjoying the sun and exploring the great outdoors – all while practicing, performing, and making art.

Lisa Cho (VA, ‘25), Joseph Ho (IM, ‘24), Micah Lewison (CW, ‘24) and Brian Stevens (Director of Community Engagement) attended the second annual Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center at CHOC Conference in late March. Lisa, Joseph, and Micah are members of the Neurodiversity Club at OCSA. The conference featured keynote presentations, sessions, and panels that focused on community, inclusion of adults with disabilities, and teacher & student skills.

Jadon Wu (IM, ‘25) was the First Place winner of the Antelope Valley Symphony Concerto Competition. As a winner, he was invited to play piano in a concert with the Antelope Valley Symphonic Orchestra.

The following OCSA Advanced Placement Chemistry students collectively placed fourth out of 33 Orange County schools in the local section exam for the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad. The top four scorers will be honored at an awards dinner presented by the Orange County Section of the American Chemical Society. This local exam is the first stepping stone of many, with an opportunity to compete internationally.

Dane Bergman (IA, ‘24) - Top Scorer
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25)
James Conroy (CV, ‘25)
Natalie Hoffman (CW, ‘25)
Jessica Hong (CW, ‘24)
Hennah Kim (CW, ‘25)
Micah Lai (FTV, ‘25)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

The OCSA Tennis Team defeated Marina High School and won the Final at their league tournament at the Cabrillo Tennis Center/Matchpoint Tennis Academy in Santa Ana. The OCSA Tennis Team is a USTA junior tennis-sanctioned team coached by Danny Salloum. The following students comprise the team.

Charles Blumling (IA, ‘25)
James Conroy (CV, ‘25)
Quinn Conroy (BR, ‘27)
Megan Demeter (DM, ‘27)
Armaan Diwan (IM, ‘27)
Evan Jo (VA, ‘25)
Aleena Khan (IA, ‘28)
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25)
Kyle Siu (CW, ‘25)
Leah Siu (DM, ‘27)
Teagan Spiak (AE, ‘26)

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, and semi-finalists for the 2024 Artist of the Year. The program highlighted over 800 talented students from across the county, 84 of which were OCSA students:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR WINNERS:

Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25) - Fine Arts
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24) - Vocal Music
Jadon Wu (IM, ‘25) - Instrumental Music

FINALISTS:

Dance
Mackenzie Couch (CMD, ‘24)
Piper Rovsek (CMD, ‘25)

Fine Arts
Chili Sloop (VA, ‘24)
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24)

Instrumental Music
Savannah Tweedt (IM, ‘24)

Theater
Ava DeVoe (ACT, ‘24)
Isabella Kim (ACT, ‘25)
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25)

Vocal Music
William Bolin (CV, ‘24)

SEMI-FINALISTS

Dance
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)
Katie Couch (CMD, ‘25)
Isabella Guzman (BF, ‘25)
Katelyn Hu (BCD, ‘24)

Film and TV
David Du (FTV, ‘24)
Elise Park (FTV, ‘24)
Alex Wolff (FTV, ‘23)
Sadira Wong (FTV, ‘24)

Fine Arts
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24)
Grace Shin (VA, ‘24)
Minnie Zhai (VA, ‘24)

Instrumental Music
Amy Jong (IM, ‘24)
Minjae Jaden Kim (IM, ‘25)
Allie Molin (IM, ‘25)
Fenella Nishigawara (IM, ‘24)

Media Arts
Ava Diaz (DM, ‘24)
Jasmine Diep (DM, ‘25)
Angie Wang (FTV, ‘26)

Theater
Corinne Thomas (IA, ‘24)

Vocal Music
Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25)
Summer Brennan (PM, ‘25)
Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)
Chloe Ness (CV, ‘24)
Joules Recana (PM, ‘25)

The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 2024 Artist of the Year. The program highlighted over 800 talented students from across the county, 84 of which were OCSA students:

NOMINEES

Dance
Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24)
Gabriel Cho (BR, ‘24)
Kameron Couch (CMD, ‘25)
Violet Lopiccola (BCD, ‘24)
Avril Martinez (BF, ‘24)
Daniella Morales (BCD, ‘24)

Film and TV
Ramone Hamilton (FTV, ‘24)
Ella Lindner (FTV, ‘24)
Quentin Marino (FT, ‘24)
Diego Andres Terán (FTV, ‘24)

Fine Arts
Isabella Chiodo (VA, ‘25)
Luke Furca (VA, ‘24)
Clara Kye (VA, ‘24)
Jonathan Leanos-Villanueva (VA, ‘25)
Alex Maldonado (VA, ‘24)
Ciel Mitrovich (VA, ‘24)
Eunice Yoonsu Oh (VA, ‘24)
Claudia Tsai (VA, ‘24)
Jenny Wang (VA, ‘25)
Cindy Zhang (VA, ‘24)

Instrumental Music
Maddox Kennerson (PM, ‘25)
Damian Paul (IM, ‘24)
Aadya Sharma (IM, ‘24)

Media Arts
Violet Adams (VA, ‘24)
Rafael Carrera (DM, ‘24)
Ash Chiov (DM, ‘25)
Robert Martin (DM, ‘24)
Seito Miwa (DM, ‘25)
Fatima Nguyen (VA, ‘24)
Valerie Truc-Mai Nguyen (VA, ‘25)
Victoria Phan (DM, ‘25)
Adrian Resendiz (FTV, ‘24)
Allyn Richardson (IA, ‘24)
Alyssa Uy (VA, ‘24)
Jorryn Voegele (VA, ‘24)
Jhernice Yandoc (DM, ‘25)
Jessica Yang (IA, ‘24)

Theater
Grace Abbott (ACT, ‘24)
Chloe Deutschman (MT, ‘24)
Lukas Loza (PD, ‘24)
Hannah Osier (IA, ‘24)
Isabella Rivas (ACT, ‘24)
Levi Sternshein (ACT, ‘24)

Vocal Music
Lal Besir (CV, ‘25)
Asher Hinton (PM, ‘24)
Estella Sky Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Hugo Nguyen (PM, ‘24)
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)

The Music Center announced their 2024 Spotlight winners. Spotlight is a nationally recognized competition, scholarship, and artistic development program. Out of 14 Grand Prize Finalists, three are from OCSA.

GRAND PRIZE FINALISTS

Andrea Martinez (BF, ‘25) - Dance
Isabella Silva (CMD, ‘26) - Dance
Savannah Tweedt (PM, ‘24) - Contemporary Instrumental

Joel Carrasco (IM, ‘25) participated in the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus 2024 Emerging Artists competition. Joel was awarded Best Performance of a Contemporary Work for his rendition of “Funk the String” by Aleksey Igudesman.

The following OCSA Taekwondo students successfully tested to higher level belts in April. Spearheaded by 8th degree black beIt Stephen Amsler (Elective Teacher), it was the largest graduation to date of OCSA students.

3rd Degree Black Belt
Chili Sloop (VA, ‘24)
Luke Stark (FTV, ‘24)

2nd Degree Black Belt
Jenna Ho (VA, ‘26)
John Kuli (ACT, ‘26)
Nikun Liu (CV, ‘26)
Eleazar Reiner (CW, ‘26)
Luke Sakurai (IM, ‘26)

1st Degree Black Belt
Milan Albert-Holty (CW, ‘25)
Roman Elson (ACT, ‘26)
Grace Fleischmann (VA, ‘25)
Jaya Gandhi (CW, ‘25)
Tristan Gude (ACT, ‘26)
Carissa Hahn (IM, ‘27)
Yein Han (CW, ‘25)
Ksena Eve Jenkins (IA, ‘26)
Micah Kay (PD, ‘26)
Brendan Knox (PM, ‘25)
Ruby Lau (CW, ‘27)
Alana Liang (CV, ‘26)
Emma Nevell (PM, ‘27)
Erica Park (FTV, ‘27)
Nino Raimondo (IA, ‘27)
Cole Schulein (CAH, ‘25)
Thomas Song (IM, ‘25)
Dylan Spence (VA, ‘26)
Amina Straughn (VA, ‘27)

The following OCSA students below received recognition at the 29th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival, hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center. These students performed as part of OCSA’s Ambassador Jazz Orchestra, which was one of just 15 competition finalists chosen from schools across the nation.

Emmet Althoen (IM, ‘28) - Outstanding Piano
Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25) - Outstanding Soprano Sax
James Dechary (IM, ‘24) - Outstanding Trombone
Allison Molin (IM, ‘25) - Honorable Mention Trumpet
Ian Shin (IM, ‘24) - Outstanding Trumpet
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) - Outstanding Piano
Emily Vu (IM, ‘24) - Honorable Mention Alto Sax

William Bolin (CV, ‘24), Edward Chen (IA, ‘24), Amy Jong (IM, ‘24), and Jamie Jung (CW, ‘24) were selected among 625 semifinalists to advance to the final round of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars competition.

Junjin Huang (IM, ‘29) and Junyu Huang (IM, ‘29) won First Place in the 2024 Concordia Music Competition. The twin brothers played the Baroque piece “Concerto in G major for Two Violas” by J.P. Telemann.

Leah Navarro (CV, ‘26) and Lilah Navarro (IM, ‘26) were named Petition Choir Scholars by the Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano’s Music Ministry Program. The Music Ministry Program has several music ensembles for their celebrations and raises money for scholarships like this one.

Ella He (IM, ‘27), Emma He (IM, ‘25), Katelyn Hu (BCD, ‘24), Bryce Leng (CV, ‘24), and Angel Shen (CV, ‘25) performed together at the Ninth Annual Lantern Festival at the Segerstrom Concert Hall with over 2,000 people in attendance. Katelyn and Angel performed traditional cultural dance forms as part of the Chinese Dance Company of Southern California. Emma played the Dizi (Chinese Flute), Ella played the Guzheng (Chinese Harp), and Bryce played the Erhu (Chinese Violin) with the South Coast Chinese Orchestra. They have also volunteered their time by participating in various community festivals within the greater Orange County area in the last few years.

Ella He (IM, ‘27), Emma He (IM, ‘25), and Bryce Leng (CV, ‘24) performed with the South Coast Chinese Orchestra at the Grammy Museum in February. This cross-cultural celebration for the Year of the Dragon marked the first time a Chinese orchestra group performed at the venue.

The following OCSA students, representing 13 conservatories, raised over $30,000 for Maui Wildfire victims by volunteering and sharing their talents at the Music for Maui Benefit Concert and Pop-up Events.

Ella Mortensen (CV, ‘25)
Leah Navarro (CV, ‘26)
Elysse Nguyen (MT, ‘26)
Saya Nishimura (IM, ‘26)
Kai Orozco (JS, ‘26)
Alec Ortega-Fosado (CV, ‘25)
Caroline Risk (VA, ‘26)
Xavier Saenze (PM, ‘29)
Zaid Salazar (CV, ‘26)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24)
Haley Scott (CW, ‘26)
Nikki Smith (CV, ‘25)
Teresa Smith (MT ‘26)
Adam Strychaz (CAH, ‘26)
Heather Torres-Cancino (BR, ‘26)
Alessandra Venegas (CAH, ‘26)
Sophia Vernon (MT, ‘26)
Lavinia Watkins (CV, ‘26)
Aniya Wilkins (ACT, ‘26)
James Williams (BR, ‘26)
Jack Wilson (CV, ‘25)
Paxton Wong (CV, ‘25)
Cynthia Zhang (BR, ‘27)

Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25), Micah Lai (FTV, ‘25), Matthew Martono (IM, ‘25), Liam Ramos (IM, ‘24), Joshua Ta (IA, ‘24), and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) competed in the 2024 VEX Robotics California State Championship event. Together as Team Charles 92782A, they qualified for this event by winning the Excellence Award at an earlier tournament in their season.

Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26) won third place in the OC Marathon for his division (Male 15 & Under). He was also selected as a soloist for the September 2024 Chamber Music Series with the Los Angeles Youth Philharmonic after playing double bass in the honors orchestras for both the California Orchestra Directors Association and Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association.

The following OCSA Honors Chemistry students earned Fifth Place among all Orange County schools for their combined scores in the First-Year American Chemical Society (ACS) competition. They received a team plaque at the ACS banquet.

Marcello Bui (ACT, ‘26)
Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26) – Top Scorer
Lila Olson (IA, ‘26)
Rohan Soni (PM, ‘26)
Gloria Xiong (IA, ‘26)
Charlotte Yoh (VA, ‘26)
Lauren Young (VA, ‘26)

The following OCSA students, representing 13 conservatories, raised over $30,000 for Maui Wildfire victims by volunteering and sharing their talents at the Music for Maui Benefit Concert and Pop-up Events.

Katie Baker (IM, ‘25)
Carleigh Beckner (CV, ‘26)
Hank Braverman (PM, ‘26)
Olivia Bullock (CV, ‘26)
Natalia Campos (ACT, ‘27)
Natalia Caraveo (CV ‘25)
Tiffany Carr (CV, ‘26)
Cosi Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘25)
Trent Chickering (PM, ‘26)
Grant Conroy (CV, ‘25)
Ashwin Desai (PM, ‘26)
Kira Efimenko (DM, ‘26)
Hayden Ficht (PD, ‘25)
Caitlin Francisco (PM, ‘25)
Gianna Gourley (MT, ‘27)
Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘27)
Evani Gulati (MT, ‘26)
Julian Gwin (MT, ‘26)
Claire Harmsen (PM, ‘26)
Hanna Heger (CW, ‘26)
Matthew Henderson (CV, ‘25)
Zane Hermann (PM, ‘25)
Lucy Hunter (FTV, ‘26)
Sky Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Alyssa Kim (MT, ‘26)
Avni Krishnamoorthy (PM, ‘26)
Emma Ladisky (MT, ‘26)
Ayn Liu (CAH, ‘26)
David Liu (CAH, ‘25)
Liam Majerus (BR, ‘27)
Sydney Malone (CV, ‘26)
Rylee Miyoshi (BR, ‘28)
Paige Morgan (CV, ‘25)

The following students were named 2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. In order to compete for the scholarship, applicants must complete a detailed application and a written essay, have an outstanding academic record, and demonstrate leadership and service in the community.

Matthew Bay (PD, ‘25)
Yeeun Chung (CW, ‘25)
James Conroy (CV, ‘25)
Estella Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Hennah Kim (CW, ‘25)
Katherine Kim (CW, ‘25)
Matthew Martono (IM, ‘25)
Samuel Parigela (CW, ‘25)
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25)

Jacob Jung (IM, ‘29) earned Second Place at the 29th Annual Mojica Judo Invitational. Representing El Toro Judo Club, Jacob competed in the Junior Boys 13-14 division.

Shining Chen (CW, ‘26), Yaphet Chen (ACT, ‘28), Taven Rong (IM, ‘28), Paul Seo (DM, ‘26), and *Rohan Soni (PM, ‘26), also known as Team 11211X, competed at the Downey VEX Robotics Tournament where they were crowned tournament champions. They were also awarded the Design Award, which honors the team that best documented and explained their engineering design process via an engineering notebook and team interview. As a result, they were invited to compete at the California Robotics State Championship in March 2025.
*not pictured in photograph

Natalie Xu (IM, ‘29) won First Place in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) State Competition in the Junior Strings category for violin.

Sebastian Chang, Instrumental Music Conservatory Instructor in the Pianist Program, performed in the second live score presentation of the classic silent film “Nosferatu” with the Louisville Orchestra. The haunting score uses different motifs to represent different characters in this iconic 1922 film.

Nathaniel Sprague (IM, ‘26) won First Place in his division at the Fourth Barum International Piano Competition at California State University, Long Beach. As a First Place winner, he also was awarded a cash prize.

Allie Molin (IM, ‘25) was selected to tour with the Herbie Hancock Institute National Peer-to-Peer All-Star Jazz Sextet, including renowned jazz recording artist Don Braden. The program is one of the most prestigious jazz education programs in the country.

The following students were recognized as 2025 YoungArts Winners by the National YoungArts Foundation for their artistic achievements. 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)

Shaylin Bau (IM, ‘27), Jiwon Chung (IM, ‘27), Kira Efimenko (DM, ‘26), Avni Krishnamoorthy (PM, ‘26), and Sydney Malone (CV, ‘26) created Sing Out, a nonprofit afterschool program designed to provide vocal training for aspiring singers at Orange County Educational Arts Academy (OCEAA). Their goal is to build confidence in aspiring vocalists of all skill levels by developing vocal technique and stage presence with cost-free guidance from student mentors in an inclusive, collaborative, and supportive environment. Their team of student volunteers consisted of Tiffany Carr (CV, ‘26), Ellen Elkins (PM, ‘25) Alyssa Kim (MT, ‘26), Iz Le (PM, ‘26), Brianna Liauw (DM, ‘27), Milo Pack (IA, ‘28) and Cal Thornhill (PM, ‘25). The Sing Out team plans to expand the program, offering more performance opportunities and workshops, while continuing to mentor and support the next generation of young singers.

Mitt Wu (IM, ‘26) won First Place in the VOCE Competition – San Gabriel Branch and was invited to play in the 2024 Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) State Convention. VOCE is a prestigious competition for vocalists, strings, winds/brass, and chamber music at the Regional and State levels.

Cole Frederick (IM, ‘16), Matthew Jarnagin (FTV, ‘15), Matisse Pasillas (FTV, ‘15), Nicholas Stone (IM, ‘15), and Christopher Trimmer (IM, ‘12), also known as the pop group Undecided Future, performed at the American Cancer Society Festival at the Anaheim Convention Center in celebration of cancer survivors and in honor of those that have lost their lives to cancer.

Justin Hong (IM, ‘25), Peyton Hsu (AE, ‘27), and Alex Hwang (IM, ‘27) competed at the 16th Annual Chula Vista Robotics Tournament, where they won the Amaze Award for their consistently high-performing and competitive robot. Their team was also a finalist in the tournament and has been invited to compete at the US Open Robotics Tournament in 2025.