STATE OF THE ART

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)

Zoe Hebbard (IA, ‘21) performed the lead role of Eva in South Coast Repertory's production of the play "Snow Angel."

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

Sonali Dhanidina (IA, ‘25) was chosen to perform her spoken word piece “Silent Colors” at Breaking Bias, the annual spotlight event for NewGround, which empowers Jewish and Muslim change-makers with the skills, resources, and relationships needed to improve Muslim-Jewish relations and strengthen cooperation on issues of shared concern.

The OCSA VEX Robotics Team competed in their first-ever tournament at the VEX OC Robo Bonanza, hosted by Beckman High School, and received the Judge’s Award. The following students participated in the tournament:

Sumin Cho (IM, ‘24)
Vivienne Ho (IA, ‘22)
Justin Hong (IM, ‘24)
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘23)
Kara Syn (IM, ‘23)
Jeffrey Tadeo (IA, ‘21)
Ryan Yoo (CAH, ‘24)

Emma Grier (IA, ‘22) received a perfect score of 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition exam.

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

Mordecai Mehau (IA, ‘26) was selected to appear on "Real World Homecoming Los Angeles," now available on Paramount+.

Dylan Panetta (IA, ‘25) and Ava Grace Recana (MT, ‘26) were cast in and performed the main roles of Miss Honey and Matilda respectively in Arts & Learning Conservatory’s production of "Matilda the Musical."

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

Congratulations to the following students for their success in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These students received Gold Key Regional-at-Large awards. Gold Key recipients will now be judged at the national level.

Jaeung Cha (VA, ‘25): Photography, “Matured Innocence”
Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, ‘22): Mixed Media, “Knit”; Painting, “Blossom”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Humor, "Lamentations"
Jennifer Choi (VA, ‘26): Mixed Media, “Capitalism”
Grace Chung (CW, ‘23): Science Fiction & Fantasy, "The Margean Codes"; Short Story, "An Essay on My Opinion of Showering"
Justine Droullard (CW, ‘24): Flash Fiction, "Flowers in the Sink"
Ashley Hong (CW, ‘24): Flash Fiction, "God's Gift to Us Witches"
Cynthia Huang (CW, ‘24): Poetry, "Homemade"
Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22): Design, “Squid Game: Temptation or Death”; Drawing & Illustration, “Voices of Objects”, “Ceramics & Glass”, “Plastic Addiction”
Annabelle Kim (CW, ‘24): Dramatic Script, "A Letter to You"; Poetry, "Working towards the next step"
Annette Kim (VA, ‘22): Drawing & Illustration, “Self-portrait”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Architecture & Industrial Design, “Mugression”, “Blewn collection”
Chloe Kim (VA, ‘23): Drawing & Illustration, “Pressure”; Painting, “Toy Box”
Kate Kim (CW, ‘25): Short Story, "Grocery Store"
Kristie Lee (VA, ‘22): Design, “Yearbook Cover Design”; Mixed Media, “The Road Ahead”;
Sculpture, “Cowfee or Tea”, “Futile”
Lauren Kim (VA, ‘22): Film & Animation, "Overwhelming"; Mixed Media, “Pressure”; Sculpture, “Insecure”
Grant Li (CW, ‘23): Poetry, "Earth's Skin"
Julie Lim (IA, ‘23): Drawing & Illustration, “Red Sea”
Georgia Mansey (IA, ‘22): Sculpture, “Honey”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Poetry, "Search Engine Prayer"
Estelle Morris (VA, ‘23): Drawing & Illustration, “Reminiscence”
Sidney Muntean (CW, ‘22): Writing Portfolio, "Amalgamated Moments"
Eunice Oh (VA, ‘24): Comic Art, “Lunch”
Kaitlyn Pak (VA, ‘22): Painting, “Alien”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Cogitate at Night in the Bathroom 20 Yards Away From Her Bedroom Door”, “A Late Night”
Camilla Shen (CW, ‘23): Poetry, "Flux.Flow"
Amy Shi (CW, ‘24): Poetry, "Hereafters of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake"
Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23): Dramatic Script, "Party Pooper"; Humor, "Phototoxic"
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24): Poetry, "mommy"
Lacole Yang (CW, ‘24): Poetry, "Reminiscence from the Lake, 2020"
Ruth Zhang (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Our Sweet Ride”

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

Charlotte Brandman (MT, ‘23): Poetry, "Interior"
Kaitlyn Byer (CW, ‘25): Personal Essay & Memoir, "Just Me and Him"
Jaeung Cha (VA, ‘25): Photography, “Missing You”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Personal Essay & Memoir, "It Is."
Jennifer Choi (VA, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Kitchen Utensils”; Mixed Media, “My Hobbies”
Kacy Chung (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Circles”
David Du (FTV, ‘24): Dramatic Script, "Tokyo from Afar, LA SALVATION"
Weiduo Feng (VA, ‘23): Drawing & Illustration, “Octopus in a rainstorm”; Film & Animation, "Lend"
Kelly Halliburton (CW, ‘25): Poetry, "The Elements of Nature"
Isabella Ho (CW, ‘22): Flash Fiction, "Playing Cards With Death"
Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘24): Science Fiction & Fantasy, "The Mystery Man"
Jessica Hong (CW, ‘24): Short Story, "The Skeleton Girl in My Chemistry Class"
Lyn Huang (CW, ‘24): Flash Fiction, "3165"
Aaliyah Joo (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Venus”
Jamie Jung (CW, ‘24): Poetry, "Pictures and Frames"
Sona Kamaraj (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Artificial Environment”
Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22): Drawing & Illustration, “A Woman’s Back”, “Catastrophe”
Estella Sky Keyoung (CV, ‘25): Photography, “Water Diamonds on the Rocks”
Annette Kim (VA, ‘22): Painting, “Incompetence”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Painting, “It’s Unfair”
Chloe Kim (VA, ‘23): Drawing & Illustration, “Melting”

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"

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)

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.

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

Donggyu Kim (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Sweetness”
Emily Kim (CW, ‘24): Dramatic Script; "Will It Get Better?"; Personal Essay & Memoir; "Regardless of a Drift…"
Frances Kim (IA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Orange in Ice”
Jennifer Kim: Mixed Media, “Night Market”
Haley Kleinman (IA, ‘23): Science Fiction & Fantasy, "The Truth About The Silence"
Leo Lai (CW, ‘24): Dramatic Script, "CATS SIDE STORY"
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Outlook”
Kristie Lee (VA, ‘22): Design, “Our Plastic, Our Oceans”; Fashion, “Reversible Shipping Envelope to Tote Bag”
Evan Yu-Wei Lu (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Doctor”
Jack Malo (CW, ‘23): Poetry, "Latke Words With Grandpa Max"
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Journalism, "Airlines Break Wheelchairs Every Day. Disabled People Are Fighting Back"
Lisa Ordonez (IA, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, "Once Ours Alone"
Ash Park (CW, ‘23): Poetry, "Albert"
Kaitlyn Pak (VA, ‘22): Painting, “Clad”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Elicitation”, “Together Again”, “The Warmest Embrace”, “Sightless”; Sculpture, “Tao”
Ashley Shin (VA, ‘25): Drawing & Illustration, “Still Life”
Clara Son (CW, ‘23): Poetry, "America, Convicted, Greek Tragedies"
Leo Sui (IM, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, "Sweet Tomatoes; Always Closest To Spoiling"
Ally Wong (CW, ‘23): Poetry, "Feng shui (n.)"
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Delicate Doorway”
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24): Critical Essay, "THE WARRING STATES: CULTURAL AND SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE GOVERNMENTAL FEUD BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES"; Poetry, "lunar new year, for her, trapped in nineteen ninety-nine, last conversation with grandmother"
Misu (Cindy) Zhang (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Betrayal”

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

Carrie Kuo (VA, ‘22): Design, “Park Days”
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Barren”, “Isolation”
Kristie Lee (VA, ‘22): Design, "Draw How You See Yourself!"
Grant Li (CW, ‘23): Flash Fiction, "Father's Hands are Magical; Journalism, Essential Immigrant Businesses, PostCOVID, Rebound and Rebuild"
Jeongwon Lim (FTV, ‘25): Film & Animation, "Just Another Weekend"
Evan Yu-Wei Lu (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Illusions”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Female Gaze”, “Homecoming”; Sculpture, “Scotoma”; Photography, “underneaths”, “undoings”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Dramatic Script, "Portrait of the Void"
Sidney Muntean (CW, ‘22): Personal Essay & Memoir, "The Botanists"; Poetry, "palpitations"
Ash Park (CW, ‘23): Dramatic Script, "Try to Try"; Flash Fiction, "Star Seed"
Amy Shi (CW, ‘24): Poetry, "Mother Hands"; Short Story, "Paradoxical Heroism"
Clara Son (CW, ‘23): Poetry, "Lemon Trees", "Letters to Dorothy", "Steps"
Huilun Wang (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Transformation”
Ally Wong (CW, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, "Tiger Lily Bloom Season"; Poetry, "Table Set", "TO-DO LIST", "ITEM NO.3"
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24): Flash Fiction, "Colors on a Blank Canvas", "The Death of Winter"; Poetry, "motel", "the between", "morning coffee", "more than"
Mia Yen (CW, ‘24): Poetry, "take me to a place far away"
Rachel Yoo (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Boundaries”
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26): Painting, “Library of Magic”
Cinna Zhou (VA, ‘25): Mixed Media, “Lure”; Painting, “World of the Books”
Eric Zhu (FTV, ‘22): Film & Animation, "The Best Life"

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)

The following students were selected as 2022 Dragon Kim Fellows and earned $5,000 community service grants from the Dragon Kim Foundation. These students were chosen from over 300 applicants across California and Nevada and went through a rigorous interview process to earn the fellowships. Along with the project funding, these five students will receive three weekends of leadership training and hands-on mentorship from local business professionals.
Teachers Aid+: Camila Balanta (CAH, ‘25) and Sara Balanta (IA, ‘22)
Coding Campers: Tane Kim (IM, ‘24), Abbi Park (CW, ‘24), and Joshua Ta (IM, ‘24)

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 VEX Robotics Team won their last three matches and finished 23rd at the 2022 Southern California VRC High School State Championship. They competed in the Southern California region which has hundreds of teams and is said to be the toughest in the country. The following students are members of the team and competed in the championship:

Sumin Cho (IM, ‘24)
Vivienne Ho (IA, ‘22)
Justin Hong (IM, ‘24)
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘23)
Kara Syn (IM, ‘23)
Jeffrey Tadeo (IA, ‘21)
Ryan Yoo (CAH, ‘24)

The following students were cast in “Clue! The Murder Mystery Dinner Experience.” This production, based on the movie and board game, sold out within 72 hours of ticket announcement.

Mia Baron (CV, ‘23) as Mrs. Peacock
Katie Cruz (MT, ‘23) as Mrs. White
Ashlye Gambill (MT, ‘23) as Ms. Scarlett
Caleb Malis (IA, ‘23) as Mr. Green
Nathen McLaurin (MT, ‘23) as Professor Plum
Luke Witting (IA, ‘23) as Colonel Mustard

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)

Ethan Baker (IA, ‘26) received a silver medal at the Youth 14 Foil Fencing competition and Orange Coast Division's Summer National Championship qualifier. Ethan was selected to compete at the 2022 USA Fencing National Championships in July.

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)

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:
Handcrafted Visual Arts:

Hand Drawing and Painting
London San Luis (DM, ‘23)
Xiaowei (Sophia) Wang (VA, ‘22)

Instrumental Music:

Piano and Strings
Xingyao Li (IM, ‘22)
Sein Yun (IM, ‘22)

Vocal Music:

Classical Voice
Mia Paris Baron (CV, ‘23)

Commercial Voice
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22)

Gabriella Saraivah (IA, ‘23) was cast in the lead role of Carol in “Tudo Igual... SQN,” coming soon to Disney+ Brasil.

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.

Luke Witting (IA, ‘23) was accepted into and attended a songwriting and performance summer session workshop at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, where he learned from professionals in the industry and collaborated with other high school students from the greater Los Angeles area.

Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘23) performed the lead role of Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” at The Music Room School of Performing Arts.

Remy Hall (IA, ‘22) was featured in the Orange County Register for painting a mural on a set of handball courts at Eader Elementary School in Huntington Beach.

Clare Murphy (IA, ‘23) had her writing featured on Kelly Corrigan’s podcast, “Kelly Corrigan Wonders.”

The following students received the National Recognition Program Award from two of the four College Board recognition programs that award academic honors to underrepresented students.This award recognizes their academic achievements and outstanding performances on the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and/or AP Exams.

National African American Recognition Award
Kayalani Degrave (MT, ‘23)
Ayanna Dowell (CMD, ‘23)
Aurelia Philmore (BD, ‘24)

National Hispanic Recognition Award
Sabrina Aguilar (DM, ‘23)
Maya Bleszinski (MT, ‘23)
Analise Delp (CW, ‘24)
Maya Ferchaw (ACT, ‘24)
Abril Garcia (CW, ‘23)
Mia Guillen (IA, ‘23)
David Llenderrozos (CW, ‘23)
Alexa Nunez Magana (MT, ‘23)
Ava Tello (ACT, ‘24)
Arianna Torres (CW, ‘23)
Candace Ramirez (VA, ‘23)
Sophia Ruiz (MT, ‘23)

The following students were named semifinalists for National Merit Scholarships. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation selected more than 16,000 semifinalists who are competing nationally for nearly $28 million in scholarships, which will be awarded next spring.

Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘23)
Yoojung (Sally) Jang (CW, ‘23)
Yoojin Jo (IM, ‘23)
Amber Khauv (CW, ‘23)
Grant Li (CW, ‘23)
Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23)
Joshua Qin (BD, ‘23)
Clara Son (CW, ‘23)
Allison Wong (CW, ‘23)
Evan Wu (IM, ‘23)

Lauren Chudner (VA, ‘23) and Faith Hochgesang (IA, ‘23) both earned perfect scores on the 2022 AP Research exam. Of the roughly 29,000 students who took the exam only 306 earned every point available on their paper, presentation, and oral defense. These students are officially in the highest scoring 1% of researchers.

Thea Larsen (IA, ‘23) received first place in the California Association of Collectors Educational Scholarship Foundation (CACESF) essay writing competition out of over 1,700 applicants and also was named a CACESF Scholarship State Champion.

Kalia Lagbao (IA, ‘27) was chosen to perform at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Pacific Region Conference in Huntington Beach.

The following students were recognized as 2023 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. All YoungArts Finalists are also invited to participate in National YoungArts Week where they collaborate with peers and develop their crafts with internationally recognized leaders in their fields.

Finalists:
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24) – Dance (Hip Hop)
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) – Classical Music (Oboe)
Amy Jong (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Violoncello)
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25) – Design Arts
Ashley Park (CW, ‘23) – Writing (Spoken Word)
Joan Park (PM, ‘23) – Voice (Popular (Pop)

Honorable Mentions:
David Du (FTV, ‘24) – Film (Animation)
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23) – Voice (Popular (Pop))
Olivia Le (CW, ‘25) – Writing (Spoken Word)
Amelie Muro (FTV, ‘22) – Film (Experimental)
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Voice (Popular (Pop))
Jocelyn Wang (PM, ‘23) – Voice (Singer-Songwriter)

Merit:
Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23) – Classical Music (Piano)
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Flute)
Katerina Malabarba (CW, ‘24) – Writing (Novel)
Maraia Mariselli (PM) – Voice (Singer-Songwriter)
Mehra Marzbani (ACT, ‘23) – Theater (Spoken Only)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) – Jazz (Piano)
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Voice (Jazz)
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23) – Visual Arts

Avery Mizrahi (IA, ‘24) was recognized as a National Science Foundation Fellow at the University of California, Irvine where she presented her preliminary research, which hopes to find a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease. Avery was part of a cohort of undergraduate Fellows that flew in from around the country to work in various neuroscience labs with star mentors over the summer.

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, semifinalists, and nominees for the 10th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. OCSA had two winners out of seven arts categories this year, as well as many finalists, semifinalists, and nominees! The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Semifinalists:

Dance

Commercial Dance
Michelle Cheng (CMD, ‘23)
Jonah Smith (CMD, ‘23)

Concert Dance
Courtney Chiu (BCD, ‘23)

Hip-Hop
Faith Aguilar (CMD, ‘23)
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)

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


Film and Television

Cinematography
Zen Sing Thai (FTV, ‘23)

Film Directing
Jordan Held (FTV, ‘23)

Promo/Commercial Making
Evan Padilla (FTV, ‘23)


Fine Arts

Drawing
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24)

Mixed Media
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23)

Painting
London San Luis (DM, ‘23)
Cheungwan (Amy) Wang (VA, ‘23)
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24)


Instrumental Music

Jazz
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Piano
Lucie Kim (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Winds and Percussion
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) - Flute
Damian Paul (IM, ‘24) - Percussion


Media Arts

Digital Illustration
Ava Diaz (DM, ‘24)
Fatima Mai (VA, ‘24)

Game Art
Ethan Situ Leung (DM, ‘23)
Vicky H. Nguyen (DM, ‘23)

Motion Graphics and Animation
David Du (FTV, ‘24)


Theater

Acting
Ava DeVoe (ACT, ‘24)
Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23)

Vocal Music

Classical Voice
Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘23)

Cultural and Commercial Voice
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)

Musical Theater Voice
Sophia Ruiz (MT, ‘23)

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, semifinalists, and nominees for the 10th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. OCSA had two winners out of seven arts categories this year, as well as many finalists, semifinalists, and nominees! The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Nominees:

Dance

Commercial Dance
Michelle Cheng (CMD, ‘23)
Jonah Smith (CMD, ‘23)

Concert Dance
Courtney Chiu (BCD, ‘23)
Aarilyn Lee (CMD, ‘23)
Daniella Morales (BCD, ‘24)
Alisa Nguyen (BCD, ‘23)

Hip-Hop
Faith Aguilar (CMD, ‘23)
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)

World/Cultural Dance
Saira Galilea Arias (BF, ‘23)
Hannah Ayala (BR, ‘23)
Jude Caguioa Camaya (BR, ‘23)
Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘23)
Mia Amaris Lopez (BF, ‘23)
Aurelia Philmore (BR, ‘24)


Film and Television

Cinematography
Owen Thomas Blum (FTV, ‘23)
Zen Sing Thai (FTV, ‘23)

Film Directing
Dominic Gonzalez (FTV, ‘23)
Jordan Held (FTV, ‘23)

Promo/Commercial Making
Evan Padilla (FTV, ‘23)


Fine Arts

Drawing
Nina Alvarez (VA, ‘23)
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24)
Chili Sloop (VA, ‘24)

Mixed Media
Chloe Kim (VA, ‘23)
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23)

Painting
Luke Furca (VA, ‘24)
London San Luis (DM, ‘23)
Cheungwan (Amy) Wang (VA, ‘23)
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24)


Instrumental Music

Jazz
Megan Etzel (IM, ‘23) - Piano
Trent Horio (IM, ‘23) - Tenor saxophone
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Piano
Emilia Djordjevic (IM, ‘23) - Piano
Lucie Kim (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Winds and Percussion
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) - Flute
Aidan Luu (IM, ‘23) - Alto Saxophone
Daniel Park O’Grady (IM, ‘24) - Clarinet
Damian Paul (IM, ‘24) - Percussion
Leo Sui (IM, ‘23) - Trombone

World/Cultural and Commercial Music
Savannah Tweedt (PM, ‘24) - Drum Set and Percussion


Media Arts

Digital Illustration
Ava Diaz (DM, ‘24)
Cindy (Tenna) Kuang (VA, ‘24)
Fatima Mai (VA, ‘24)
Olivia Sarno (DM, ‘23)
Mingxuan Wang (VA, ‘23)

Game Art
Rachel Kondo (DM, ‘24)
Ethan Situ Leung (DM, ‘23)
Vicky H. Nguyen (DM, ‘23)

Motion Graphics and Animation
David Du (FTV, ‘24)

Photography
Candace Ramirez (VA, ‘23)


Theater

Acting
Ava DeVoe (ACT, ‘24)
Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23)
Ethan Swartz (ACT, ‘23)

Musical Theater Performance
Alexa Núñez Magaña (MT, ‘23)
Sophie Russ (MT, ‘24)


Vocal Music

Classical Voice
Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Grace Huynh (CV, ‘23)
Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)
Sebastian Nunez (CV, ‘24)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘23)

Cultural and Commercial Voice
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)

Musical Theater Voice
Chloe Deutschman (MT, ‘24)
Clare Adelaide Murphy (IA, ‘23)
Sophia Ruiz (MT, ‘23)

The following students received National Awards in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Gold Medal Winners
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Family Ties”, “If The Shoe Fits”
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25): Design, “Kids Tiger Drink Box”
Julie Lim (IA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Newton’s Third Law”
Irene Son (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Externalizing the Future”
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23): Ceramics & Glass, “Dim Sum”
Huilun Wang (VA, ‘23): Printmaking, “In the Back of the Mind”

Silver Medal Winners
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Who Am I”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Wai Po’s Feet”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “If Our Bodies are 60% Water, Then my Other 40% Consists of…”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Look Harder”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26): Photography, “Reach For Your Dreams”

American Visions Medal Winner
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27): Mixed Media, “Eye Of Africa”

Congratulations to the following students for their success in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These students received Gold Key Regional-at-Large awards. Gold Key recipients were judged at the national level.

Felix Brem (CW, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Giants”
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Family Ties”, “If The Shoe Fits”, “Who Am I”; Mixed Media, “Eye Of Africa”; Photography, “A Piece of the Pie”; Sculpture, “A New Home”
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24): Critical Essay, “Exercising Rights: On Youth Civic Engagement”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Critical Essay, “Waves of Society and Change - A Comparison Essay”; Humor, “Banana Peel”; Poetry, “Season”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Wai Po’s Feet”
Justine Droullard (CW, ‘24): Science Fiction & Fantasy, “Something About Living”
David Du (FTV, ‘24): Film & Animation, “Life of a Mayfly”
Jaya Gandhi (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “An Abecedarian Poem In Which I Name Myself”
Run (Sarah) Han (PD, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Mirage”
Courtney Hines (CW, ‘24): Short Story, “Speaking to You is Like a Foreign Language”
Seoyun Kang (VA, ‘23): Art Portfolio, “Interpersonal Identity and the Greater Media”; Drawing & Illustration, “Outer Layer”
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25): Design, “Braille Clothing Tags”, “Kids Tiger Drink Box”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Painting, “Hold on tight”, “Open up”, “your hopes are raw and revealed.”
Chloe Kim (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Shelter”
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Framed in Modernity”
Calene Lee (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “umbrella”
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Changeable and Unchangeable”
Julie Lim (IA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Newton’s Third Law”, “The Outside Forces”
Evan Lu (VA, ‘23): Editorial Cartoon, “Perpetual”; Painting, “Solitude”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “If Our Bodies are 60% Water, Then my Other 40% Consists of…”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Look Harder”
Amy Shi (CW, ‘24): Short Story, “Fixer”
Irene Son (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Externalizing the Future”
Lola Suleiman (CW, ‘23): Flash Fiction, “They’re Still Burning Witches”
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23): Ceramics & Glass, “Dim Sum”
Huilun Wang (VA, ‘23): Printmaking, “In the Back of the Mind”
Emily Wen (VA, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Banana Appétit”
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24): Painting, “The Long-Awaited Delivery”
Keyun Xiao (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Motherhood”
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24): Poetry, “from the beginning, we were, and we were not: an abecedarian poem”, “Pantoum”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26): Photography, “A Father’s Light at the End of the Tunnel”, “Reach For Your Dreams”
Audrey Yoo (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Self Portrait of a Tired Artist”
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26): Critical Essay, “The Monster is Here: Tech, Glorifying Efficiency, and the Rise of Autocrats”; Poetry, “Ode to an Unknown Glacier, Ode to an Unknown Artist”, “Elegy to My Paintbrush”
Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “We, the animals of the United Oceans”
Olivia Yun (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Daydreaming”

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

Felix Brem (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “Failed Pigmalion”
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24): Poetry, “All in a Night’s Work”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Flash Fiction, “Dance of the Butterflies”; Poetry, “Like Glass”
Isabella Cho (ACT, ‘27): Personal Essay & Memoir, “The Dress, The Stain, and The Friend”
Emilia Djordjevic (IM, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Wet Syrup”
Jadon Han (CW, ‘25): Personal Essay & Memoir, “The Brown Line”
Ashley Hong (CW, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Holding Hands”
Cynthia Huang (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “Colorblind”
Seoyun Kang (VA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Perception”, “Persistence to Stay Anonymous”; Painting, “Gift: Holiday Wine Glass”
Sophia Kang (PD, ‘24): Short Story, “Alone at the Aquarium”
Bethany Kim (CW, ‘26): Science Fiction & Fantasy, “The Land At The Middle In Nowhere”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Photography, “Pieta In Loose Threads”
Lauren (Minyoung) Kim (CW, ‘24): Digital Art, “Cement”
Leo Lai (CW, ‘24): Critical Essay, “The Fishing Industry: Catching an Environmental Issue”
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23): Art Portfolio, “Dismantling Repetition”; Mixed Media, “Torrential Era”
Amanda Lee (IM, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Sacred”
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Invasion”; Painting, “Addiction”
Julie Lim (IA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Neo Age”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Flash Fiction, “(Hello)”; Poetry, “How to Be Perfect”
Ava Park (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Submerged”; Sculpture, “Playing Chess”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Adan”, “Follower of Tradition”
Ashima Sharma (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “My Grandmother’s Map”
Ashley Shin (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Nostalgia”
Sohun Shin (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Walking Chaos”
Clara Son (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “Fire Tests Gold”; “Suffering Tests a Woman”
Irene Son (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Escapism”, “Foundational Sacrifice”
Lola Suleiman (CW, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, “The Countdown”
Arianna Torres (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “Loveless Ring”
Charlton Tsai (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “One Day”
Claudia Tsai (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Seeker”
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23): Photography, “Animal Claw Machine”
Huilun Wang (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Rule of Creation”; Sculpture, “Elapsed”
Yimeng Wang (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “My Mother”
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24): Painting, “The War is Here”
Keyun Xiao (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Overflow”
Kevin Yang (VA, ‘24): Sculpture, “Reminiscences of a Bitter Tune”
Lacole Yang (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “Midst of the Fog”
Mia Yen (CW, ‘24): Flash Fiction, “It’s Brevity”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Blossoming Gift of Love”; Fashion, “Upcycle Coffee Sack Project: Bohemian Bliss”; Photography, “Man on the Sand”, “Manhole”
Audrey Yoo (VA, ‘24): Digital Art, “Do You Hear Something?”, “Franken-pigeon”
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Snakes in Bloom”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Beckoning Us Into Beauty”
Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24): Critical Essay, “The Impact of Guns on the American Education System”
Olivia Yun (VA, ‘25): Drawing & Illustration, “Embrace”; Painting, “Metamorphosis”
Margaret Zhang (DM, ‘24): Digital Art, “One in the Same”

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

Felix Brem (CW, ‘23): Journalism, “A Cog in the Machine: SAT History & Test Optional Colleges”
Kaitlyn Byer (CW, ‘25): Personal Essay & Memoir, “How I Became Beautiful”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Flash Fiction, “Grandma’s Hands”, “Hi again”; Poetry, “Colors”; Short Story, “Golden Colors”, “The Summer Rain”
Hailey Cho (BCD, ‘25): Journalism, “Professional Actor Convicted of Robbery and Battery on a Cruise Ship”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Hard Work Doesn't Always Pay Off?”
Jennifer Choi (VA, ‘26): Comic Art, “Into Reality”; Drawing & Illustration, “My life”
Ryan Choi (ACT, ‘24): Critical Essay, “Everything is real, and therefore, nothing is”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Unrefined”
Justine Droullard (CW, ‘24): Painting, “Depth”, “Peek-A-Boo”; Short Story, “Rain Boots”
Run (Sarah) Han (PD, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Anticipation”, “Distorted Reality”, “Eyes That Tell a Story”, “Memories”
Courtney Hines (CW, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Inconstant Senses.”
Jenna Catherine Ho (VA, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Journey”
Mankio Hong (PD, ‘26): Digital Art, “Triple Gaze”
Anna Huang (CW, ‘24): Flash Fiction, “What She Heard”
Cynthia Huang (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “Her Body is Fast Fashion”
Joy Jin (CW, ‘26): Short Story, “Popsicle Kid”
Jamie Jung (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “CODA: Child of Depressed Adult”; Short Story, “Our Body”
Sona Kamaraj (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Dyeing Dimensions”
Seoyun Kang (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Displayed”; Digital Art, “Pulse”
Estella Sky Keong (CV, ‘25): Photography, “Father of Light, The Messenger of Acropolis”
Bethany Kim (CW, ‘26): Flash Fiction, “Imaginations of Reality”
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25): Digital Art, “Automated”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Art Portfolio, “Don’t Get Lost”; Fashion, “Jelly”; Mixed Media, “Go bird go! Power Fowlers: Can They Adapt To The Wild?”, “Home is a familiar place I’ve never been”; Painting, “Where are you, my lost babies?”
Donggyu Kim (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Autumn Waxwings”, “It Lurks in the Reef”
Frances Kim (IA, ‘24): Comic Art, “A Birthday Visit”
Gigi Kim (VA,’25): Drawing & Illustration, “Skittles”
Hennah Kim (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “A is for Anorexia”
Ina Kim (CW, ‘26): Short Story, “The Meet Up”
Jaden Kim (IM, ‘25): Critical Essay, “The Matthew Effect and How Discriminatory Economic Policies Impacted African American Communities”
Jennifer Kim (VA, ‘25): Mixed Media, “Mental’s Artificial”; Sculpture, “Through It All”

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

Kyle Kim (FTV, ‘25): Film & Animation, “Between the Bars”
Clara Kye (VA, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Soul Food”
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Portrait of the Future”, “Pyebaek: Fertility Wish”; Printmaking, “Repeated Fate”
Julie Lim (IA, ‘23): Art Portfolio, “Nature vs Nurture”
Evan Lu (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Midnight”, “Serenity”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Dramatic Script, “New Year’s Day”
Brielle Murphy (IA, ‘24): Short Story, “Ocean”
Eunice Oh (VA, ‘24): Digital Art, “Let Me Rot”
Lindsey Robertson (VA, ‘23): Digital Art, “The Library, Wish We Could Turn Back Time”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Kendall Last Year”; Art Portfolio, “mine, not yours.”
Aadya Sharma (IM, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, “How To Ride a Scooter”; Critical Essay, “In the Name of Progress: an Examination of American Racism”
Amy Shi (CW, ‘24): Short Story, “Scylla in a Box”
Ashley Shin (VA, ‘25): Drawing & Illustration, “Deconstruction”
Clara Son (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “Demeter’s Daughter”
Charlton Tsai (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “Foods Correlating to my Asian-American Identity”
Kate Um (CV, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Music Comes From the Heart”
Alyssa Uy (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Wilting Memories”
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23): Expanded Projects, “Emotional Trash”
YanJun Wang (VA, ‘26): Painting, “Birthday Leftovers”
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Brainwashing China”, “Yan’an Road”; Mixed Media, “It Never Ends”
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24): Flash Fiction, “hazelnut”
Jessica Yang (IA, ‘24): Short Story, “Erstwhile Friend”
Kevin Yang (VA, ‘24): Architecture & Industrial Design, “Warped Labyrinth”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26): Photography, “LAX”, “Longing”, “Reflection”, “Sea Woman in Jeju Island”, “Tired”, “Vintage Tokyo House”, “Walking on Sand Carpet”; Sculpture, “Liberate Your Alebrije”
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26): Poetry, “Snakes in Bloom”
Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24): Critical Essay, “Caged in a Zoo: Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Sparks Fly”
Margaret Zhang (DM, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Invasive Growth”
Carina Zheng (VA, ‘24): Sculpture, “Generations”; Painting, “Palpitation”

The following students of OCSA’s Middle School Science Olympiad Team competed against 20 other middle school teams at the Orange County Regional Tournament and earned an overall third place as a team. Twenty students placed in the top six and received medals for their categories. The team also advanced to the state championships and placed third overall, with students medaling in the top six of 17 categories.

Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27)
Lila Olson (IA, ‘26)
Juneau Foxlin (IMS, ‘26)
Iva (Jiaying) Liu (CV, ‘27)
Samantha Wu (MT, ‘27)
Jeremy Lee (IM, ‘28)
Armaan Diwan (IM, ‘27)
Skyler Tran (IMP, ‘28)
Sterling Tran (IMP, ‘27)
Jackson Tran (IA, ‘27)
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26)
Henry Courtney (CV, ‘26)
Olivia Song (CV, ‘28)
Seojin Park (IMP, ‘28)
Sophie Paulsen (MT, ‘27)

Natalia Nouri (IA, ‘28) published a book titled “Dealing With Divorce: A How-To For Kids On Coping With Divorce.”

The following students are members of the hip-hop competition team, Gravy Babies, that won first place against 15 teams at the 2022 Bridge Juniors Dance Competition, one of Southern California’s largest hip-hop competitions for juniors and adults.

Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)
Kaelee Cortez (IA, ‘25)
Sydney Mae Estrella (IA, ‘26)
Jasmine Lee (CMD, ‘26)
Devin Vo (IA, ‘26)
Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25)

The OCSA student club Two Step Together competed in the Glendale Games Dance Competition and received the following awards.

First Place (11th Grade Hip-Hop Solo Division)
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)

Hip-Hop Solo Victor Award
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)


Third Place (Co-Ed Hip-Hop Division)
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)
Howard Choi (FTV, ‘25)
Kaelee Cortez (IA, ‘25)
Sydney Mae Estrella (IA, ‘26)
Jasmine Lee (CMD, ‘26)
Devin Vo (IA, ‘26)
Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25)

The following students were selected as 2023 Dragon Kim Fellows and earned $5,000 community service grants from the Dragon Kim Foundation. These students were chosen from over 300 applicants across California and Nevada and went through a rigorous interview process to earn the fellowships. Along with the project funding, these students receive three weekends of leadership training and hands-on mentorship from local business professionals.

Autistic2Artistic: Justin “JT” Freeman (PM, ‘25)
Brain Aneurysms: An Underlooked Disturbance: Ramzi Idriss (FTV, ‘26)
DearMe: Rohan Soni (PM, ‘26)
EpiSTEMic: Lyn Huang (CW, ‘24) and Xinchun Audrey Zhang (IM, ‘24)
Find Your Light: Lana Lee (IA, ‘26)
Project Insight: Taren Azizi (ACT, ‘25) and Audrey Kim (ACT, ‘25)
Somewhere In Time: Kyle Kim (FTV, ‘25) and Kaylie Viloria (PD, ‘25)
Teacher's Pet: Natalie Hoffman (CW, ‘25)
The Recycling Dictionary: Mary Hong (PD, ‘26) and Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24)
Two Step Together: Edward Chen (IA, ‘24) and Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25)

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
Andrea Martinez (BF, ‘25)
Isabella Silva (IA, ‘26)

Classical Instrumental
Ariana Kim (IM, ‘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)

Haley Kleinman (IA, ‘24) self-published her first young adult fiction novel, “The World of Shadows,” a dystopian science fiction book, available on Amazon.

Jordan Held (FTV, ‘23), Caleb Malis (IA, ‘23), and Noah Granados (ACT, ‘23) created the short film, “Ovaryacting.” Jordan wrote, directed, produced, and acted in the film. Caleb and Noah also acted in the film. "Ovaryacting" has been selected for eight film festivals and won seven awards, including Best Writer at the SCREEN High School Film Festival, Best Writer and Best Performance for an Actor (Caleb Malis) at WESTFLIX Film Festival, and the Silver Remi Award for Student Film Production at Worldfest: Houston’s International Film Festival. In addition, "Ovaryacting" was a semifinalist at the New Optics Film Festival and an award winner at IndieFEST Film Awards. The film was also selected by the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival and 1 World Student Film Festival to be screened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Raelynn Green (IA, ‘23) was selected to model for designer Betsey Johnson in an '80s prom-themed project.

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

Joshua D'Souza (IA, ‘25) earned his Eagle Rank this year after being in the Boy Scouts for 10 years. His Eagle Project was the competition of a prayer garden at the Lamb of God maternity home.