STATE OF THE ART

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ava Gray (FTV, ‘29) and Karen Rymar, OCSA’s Director of Arts Enrichment, performed together as Annie and Miss Hannigan in a production of “Annie” at Rose Center Theater in September 2025. As an added bonus, Ms. Rymar’s dog, Kipling, starred as Sandy. This production was a full-circle opportunity for Ava, Ms. Rymar, and Kipling, as they first performed together eight years ago in a production of "Annie" at No Square Theatre as Molly, Miss Hannigan, and Sandy.

Julie Mejer (IA, ‘29) won second prize for the 2025 Romantic Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition. Julie performed Liebestraum No. 3 by Franz Liszt on the piano. She also received a bronze prize at the 2025 American Classical Music Awards, won a silver award in an Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) competition for Romantic Piano, and was cast in a Jordan Matter program.

Lindsay Nguyen (IM, ‘27) won a Certificate of Achievement for the 2025 Music Teachers' Association of California (MTAC) Contemporary Festival, Division C (ages 15+), placing first. Lindsay also achieved second place in the 2025 Satori Open Young Pianists Competition.

Shelby Guetzkow (BCD, ‘26) was selected by Youth America Grand Prix’s International Contemporary Ensemble as one of fifty dancers to perform Bolero X by Shahar Binyamini in Tokyo, Japan. In Summer 2025, she travelled to Trinidad and Tobago to perform with Astor Johnson Repertory Dance as a company member of Los Alamitos Ballet Theatre.

Hudson Fu (IM, ‘31) won second place in the Violin Open Category (age 12) at the Southwestern Youth Music Festival; second place in the Open Category (age 12) at the Satori Summer Music Festival Strings Contest; third place in the Piano Category (ages 11-13) at the Music Teachers’ Association of California – Irvine Branch Romantic Festival; and was accepted into the Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings’ Orchestra to play all second violin solos in their upcoming “Stories the World Told in Song” concert.

OCSA Taekwondo students competed at the 45th annual IL-DO Taekwondo Tournament in November 2025. After opening ceremonies that included Kira Davis (PM, ‘29) singing the National Anthem, a tribute to IL-DO Taekwondo founder ninth degree Black Belt Grand Master Kang, and a performance from Elective Instructor and Taekwondo Grand Master, Steven Amsler, 550 students began to compete in Poomsae (form) and Free Sparring in front of 1,200 spectators. Below are the student names and placements in their respective belt and age divisions.

POOMSAE (FORM)

First Place
Jacky Capparelli (CW, ‘29)
Paige Choi (CW, ‘28)
Eli Hertz (VA, ‘27)
Edison Hsu (AE, ‘28)
Micah Kay (PD, ‘26)
Noah Kim (IM, ‘29)
Jihu Lee (CW, ‘29)
Leo Li (DM, ‘28)
Kaitlyn Molletti (CW, ‘27)
Soriya Shiwotsuka (ACT, ‘28)
Shash Srivastava (FTV, ‘28)
Keenan Walker (IA, ‘28)
Audrie Wu (IA, ‘27)
Faye Wu (VA, ‘29)

OCSA Taekwondo students competed at the 45th annual IL-DO Taekwondo Tournament in November 2025. After opening ceremonies that included Kira Davis (PM, ‘29) singing the National Anthem, a tribute to IL-DO Taekwondo founder ninth degree Black Belt Grand Master Kang, and a performance from Elective Instructor and Taekwondo Grand Master, Steven Amsler, 550 students began to compete in Poomsae (form) and Free Sparring in front of 1,200 spectators. Below are the student names and placements in their respective belt and age divisions.

POOMSAE (FORM)

Second Place
Emma Brull (IM, ‘28)
Nicholas Cheng (PM, ‘29)
Roman Elson (ACT, ‘26)
Gabriel Federman (CW, ‘26)
Yoonho Lee (IM, ‘28)
Chanel Lewis (IA, ‘29)
Sean Lin (DM, ‘28)
Kate Reddel (CW, ‘28)

Third Place
Nuriel Cho (BR, ‘30)
Anneliese Diep (AE, ‘28)
Brandon Joya (AE, ‘27)
Asher Lindstrom (IA, ‘29)
Jupiter Thompson (VA, ‘30)

Adrian Kang (IM, ‘31) won first place in the Woodwinds & Brass Category (ages 10-14) at the International American Protégé Music Competition.

OCSA Taekwondo students competed at the 45th annual IL-DO Taekwondo Tournament in November 2025. After opening ceremonies that included Kira Davis (PM, ‘29) singing the National Anthem, a tribute to IL-DO Taekwondo founder ninth degree Black Belt Grand Master Kang, and a performance from Elective Instructor and Taekwondo Grand Master, Steven Amsler, 550 students began to compete in Poomsae (form) and Free Sparring in front of 1,200 spectators. Below are the student names and placements in their respective belt and age divisions.

FREE SPARRING

First Place
Declan Davey (CAH, ‘27)
Brandon Joya (AE, ‘27)
Yoonho Lee (IM, ‘28)
Avani Trichinapally (IA, ‘29)
Keenan Walker (IA, ‘28)

Second Place
Nicholas Cheng (PM, ‘29)
Nuriel Cho (BR, ‘30)
Eli Hertz (VA, ‘27)
Noah Kim (IM, ‘29)

Third Place
Micah Kay (PD, ‘26)
Leo Li (DM, ‘28)
Soriya Shiwotsuka (ACT, ‘28)
Jupiter Thompson (VA, ‘30)
Audrie Wu (IA, ‘27)

Amari McCoy (ACT, ‘30) was cast as the lead voice of Stella Sneedly in “Dr. Seuss’s The Sneetches” on Netflix. Amari will also play the lead role of A.J. in the 2026 Disney Jr. animated series “Hey A.J.!”

Ryan Reithmeier, Classical Voice Conservatory Director, sang the baritone solos for Bach Cantata 192 at the St. John's Cantata Vespers in November 2025 at St. John's Orange. Dr. Reithmeier had his application accepted by Opera America for the Classical Voice Conservatory to join as an Educational Presenting Partner, which sets them alongside LACHSA as the only two high school programs in their membership so far. With this distinction, OCSA and community members are able to access the National Opera Center in New York City and take advantage of a suite of resources geared toward aspiring opera singers and those that help to deepen the community around opera.

Joel Lee (CV, ‘29) participated in two vocal competitions in Korea – the 67th National Student Music Competition, hosted by the Chungbuk Arts Council and organized by the Chungcheongbuk-do Chapter of the Korean Music Association, and second Musai Concours, hosted by M Management – where he was awarded first prize and a gold prize, respectively.

David Wong (CW, ‘26) had his research paper, “Environmental Predictors of Malaria Outbreaks: A Dual-Task Approach with Classification and Regression Modeling,” accepted to the 2025 MIT Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Undergraduate Research Technology Conference. David was one of the youngest presenters at the conference, where most participants were university students and professional researchers. Additionally, out of 10,599 students nationwide, David was named a Top 200 Semifinalist in the 2025 USA Biology Olympiad. He also achieved top honors in the prestigious British Biology Olympiad, earning international distinction. Furthermore, David provided research for the Dragon Kim Foundation, where he created a pilot study to capture the impact, experiences, and voices behind fellowship projects.

Jonathan Formica (FTV, ‘08) was nominated for a primetime Emmy for his work on “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night” in the category of Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. Jonathan was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award (Outstanding Lifestyle Program) and News & Documentary Emmy Award (Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary) for his work on “Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut” and “What’s Next: The Future with Bill Gates,” respectively.

Ava Gray (FTV, ‘29) and Jake Villanueva (MT, ‘27) were selected by Segerstrom Center for the Arts to receive personalized coaching from Hugh Jackman in a Candlelight Master Class, as well as performing alongside him in a special concert event in December 2025.

Helena Donato-Sapp (CW, ‘27) was a keynote speaker in a collaboration with Notre Dame in August 2025, with her topic being “Beyond Our Screens: Reimagining Critical Media Literacy.” Students from the Creative Writing and Film & Television Conservatories were able to experience Helena’s presentation in person as it was being live streamed to Notre Dame in Indiana. Among other accomplishments, Helena has been appointed as Commissioner for the California Department of Education Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) and was the fourth annual System Improvement Leads Summit keynote speaker in December in Palm Springs.

Rebecca Yang (CW, ‘27) was selected in November as the single student representative to the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) by the State Board of Education. Rebecca will serve her term during her senior year and will be viewing matters that the IQC are responsible for, such as developing curriculum frameworks, evaluating instructional materials submitted for adoption, recommending policies, and much more.

The following students were recognized as 2026 YoungArts Award 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.

Writing
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) - Poetry
Chloe Woo (IM, ‘27) - Nonfiction
Samantha Wu (CW, ‘27) - Nonfiction (Winner with Distinction)

The following students were recognized as 2026 YoungArts Award 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.

Jazz
Emmet Althoen (IM, ‘28) - Piano
Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25) - Saxophone/Tenor & Saxophone/Baritone
Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26) - Trumpet (Winner with Distinction)
Oliver Shiwota (IM, ‘27) - Guitar

Photography
Alyssa Kim (FTV, ‘27)

Voice
Claire Harmsen (PM, ‘26) - Popular
Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26) - Jazz
Isabella Le (PM, ‘26) - Music Creation
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (PM, ‘27) - Music Creation
Lexie Shehab (PM, ‘27) - Jazz

OCSA Classical Voice Conservatory students earned honors in their respective divisions at the National Association of Teachers of Singing Los Angeles Chapter Student Evaluation Program (SEP) Auditions. See below for the students’ names, divisions, recital songs, and results.

Third Place
Asmi Aggarwal (CV, ‘27) - MT 3B-1, “On the Steps of the Palace”
Amber Bach (CV, ‘26) - CL 3B-2, “In uomini”
Cadence Bleakley (CV, ‘28) - CL 3A-2, “S’altro che lagrime”
William Eulen (CV, ‘26) - CL 4B, “Un bacio di mano”
Matilda Haselhuhn (CV, ‘30) - CL 2B, “Per la gloria”; MT 2B, “When He Sees Me”
Chelsea Yang (CV, ‘29) - CL 3A 1, “As When the Dove”

Honorable Mention
Juliette Eitel (CV, ‘27) - MT 3B-1, “On the Steps of the Palace”
Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) - CL 4A, “Nel cor piu non mi sento”
Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘27) - CL 3B-1, “Meinn Herr Marquis”
Willow Wu (CV, ‘27) - CL 3A-2, “S’altro che lagrime”
Kaylie Yoo (CV, ‘28) - CL 3A-2, “S’altro che lagrime”
Julia Zhou (CV, ‘28) - CL 3A-2, “S’altro che lagrime”

The following students were recognized as 2026 YoungArts Award 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 Music
Jiyu Lee (IM, ‘26) - Violin

Dance
Aaron Chang (CMD, ‘26) - Modern/Contemporary (Winner with Distinction)
Richie Granese (CMD, ‘26) - Modern/Contemporary (Winner with Distinction)
Arianna Ramirez (BF, ‘26) - Mexican Folkloric
Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25) - Choreography

Design
Mary Hong (PD, ‘26) - (Winner with Distinction)

Film
Nelan Castillo (FTV, ‘25) - Narrative

OCSA Classical Voice Conservatory students earned honors in their respective divisions at the National Association of Teachers of Singing Los Angeles Chapter Student Evaluation Program (SEP) Auditions. See below for the students’ names, divisions, recital songs, and results.

First Place
Amber Bach (CV, ‘26) - MT 3B-2, “I Don’t Know What I’d Do”
Henry Courtney (CV, ‘26) - CL 4B, “Un bacio di mano”
Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘27) - MT 3B-1, “On the Steps of the Palace”
Lubaina Habib (CV, ‘28) - CL 3A-1, “As When the Dove”
Jamie Ma (CV, ‘29) - CL 4A, “Nel cor piu non mi sento”
Alina Claire Park (CV, ‘30) - CL 2B, “Per la gloria”
Olivia Song (CV, ‘28) - CL 3A-2, “S’altro che lagrime”
Leila Woodward (CV, ‘27) - CL 3B-1, “Mein Herr Marquis”

Second Place
Asmi Aggarwal (CV, ‘27) - CL 3B-1, “Mein Herr Marquis”
Carter Meza (CV, ‘31) - MT 2A-2, “Red Ryder Carbine Action BB Gun”
Leah Navarro (CV, ‘26) - CL 3B-2, “In uomini”
Leila Woodward (CV, ‘27) - MT 3B-1, “On the Steps of the Palace”

Yuqiao Shao (CW, ‘29) placed third overall in the Orange County Speech League Fall Tournament in the Impromptu category. Yuqiao also received a 2025 John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize Competition Commendation award.

Ariana Kim (IM, ‘25) was named a 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. This prestigious award is given to high school students who demonstrate academic achievement and artistic talent through the YoungArts program, followed by further evaluation of essays, school recommendations, and academic transcripts by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. Nominated exclusively by YoungArts, twenty out of 161 Presidential Scholars are named Scholars in the Arts.

Xien Zheng (IM, ‘29) won the 2025 California State Taekwondo Championship in the Female Cadet Black Belt 41kg category. By winning the championship, Xien secured her spot on the 2025-2026 California State Taekwondo Team in her category.

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, held concerts at Spaghettini, Sea Country Festival, and Downtown Disney in August 2025. Based in Orange County, Undecided Future has worked with artists such as Jason Derulo, Dem Jointz, and Dr. Dre. The band also signed a contract with Virgin Voyages cruise line and will be headed to Italy to board the Scarlet Lady ship in the Port of Civitavecchia in October.

Shivani Atluri (VA, ‘27) was selected to be a part of the Orange County Young Curators (OCYC) program for the 2025-2026 school year. The OCYC program brings together high school juniors and seniors from across the county to learn about museums, contemporary art, and curatorial practice. Together with artists, peers, and museum staff, students develop an exhibition from start to finish that opens to the public at the museum. Throughout the ten-month program, students complete a variety of projects that result in hands-on museum work and competitive professional experience in the arts and cultural sector.

Leah Navarro (CV, ‘26) was a top nine finalist in the Schmidt Vocal Competition of Southern California. The Schmidt Vocal Competitions have been consistently hosting competitions for college and high school students for two decades.

Jules Tang (BCD, ‘29) published an article in the Daily Pennsylvanian during her experience in the University of Pennsylvania's independent student media organization’s 2025 Summer Press Academy. Read her article here: https://bit.ly/4p2OimS

Jerry Huang (IM, ‘29) and Jesse Huang (IM, ‘29) were awarded first place in the Junior Category of the 2025 American Protégé International Piano & Strings Competition. As a string duo, they also performed Viola Duette No. 2 by W.F. Bach at Carnegie Hall in May. Jerry also earned third prize in the Viola Solo – Youth Category at the 2025 Southwestern Youth Musical Festival. He performed Konzert in C minor, III by Johann Christian Bach. Jerry and Jesse also participated in the 2025 European International Arts Festivals as members of the Los Angeles Maestoso String Orchestra, winning a silver medal for their performance.

The students listed below, from the OCSA Green Technology Club, earned the International Grand Prize from NASA and the Institute of Competition Sciences (ICS) for their NASA Plant the Moon Challenge project. As part of their recognition, the team was invited to the national symposium at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center in June 2025, where they presented their findings with NASA scientists, toured research facilities, and learned about ongoing lunar exploration efforts. The team was also featured in a live, in-studio segment on KTLA for their success.

Isaac Chun (IM, ‘25)
Andrew Jung (DM, ‘26)
Ryan Jung (CW, ‘26) - President
Henry Kim (IM, ‘27)
Aryan Sharma (CW, ‘27)

Watch their interview here: https://bit.ly/4pKnYPw

Amelie Zazik (IA, ‘31) and Max Zazik (ACT, ‘29) performed the lead roles in the short film “Awake,” which was named an official selection of the 2025 Brooklyn Sci-Fi Film Festival.

Iva Liu (CV, ‘27) was named as one of 12 students across the country to represent the USA National Debate Team. Iva competed in multiple international championships since her team selection in August 2025.

Yunah Choi (MT, ‘29) played the role of Belinda Cratchit in “A Christmas Carol” at South Coast Repertory from late November to December 2025.

Yuhan Dai (BR, ‘30) represented Teen Orange County in the United States of America (USOA) Miss California 2025-2026 competition. The USOA Miss California Pageant celebrates confidence, leadership, and community involvement. As a Teen Orange County titleholder, Yuhan’s main responsibilities include serving the community through volunteer work, promoting positive values, and inspiring others to make a difference.

Vivian Gutierrez (MT, ‘28) was elected and installed as the Far West Regional Teen Secretary of Jack and Jill of America Inc. She ran against four other candidates and succeeded with majority votes in two ballots.

Vera So (VA, ‘30) was selected as a finalist for the 2025-2026 “TIME for Kids” Reporter Contest. As a finalist, she interviewed a young changemaker in Orange County and will have her interview’s article published in the February 2026 issue of “TIME for Kids.”

Valerie Gil (VA, ‘26), Vivi Perez (VA, ‘26), and Emely Ramirez (VA, ‘26) worked together to design and paint a life-size papier-mâché La Catrina statue for the Mercado González Northgate Market La Catrina celebration and competition. Their La Catrina earned second place and an $800 donation to the Visual Arts Conservatory.

Tiffany Carr (CV, ‘26) placed first in the Schmidt Vocal Competition SoCal Regionals. Tiffany was invited to go to Sarasota, Florida for the National Competition in May 2026.

Sofia Patel (IA, ‘29) competed at the Jack Howe Memorial Speech and Debate Tournament in September at California State University, Long Beach. Sofia placed first in Open Original Oratory and placed fifth in Open Impromptu.

Savannah Grace Mosley (MT, ‘29) was cast as Jasmine in Northwest Theater Lab’s Summer 2025 production of “Aladdin,” directed by Gill Vaughn-Spenser. Located in Puyallup, Washington, Northwest Theater Lab is a theatre-rich, education-forward environment built just for kids and teens.

The OCSA Robotics Team opened the 2025-2026 season by winning the Stauffer Challenge Tournament. After going undefeated through the qualifying rounds, the team earned the number one seed. They proceeded to win every round in the playoffs to win the tournament and the Excellence Award. This guaranteed the team a spot at the California State Championship in March. Listed below are the members of the tournament team.

Shining Chen (CW, ’26)
Daniel Chung (IM, ‘29)
Paul Seo (DM, ’26)
Teresa Zhu (CV, ‘29)

Noelani Pese (MT, ‘26) won the Miss Placentia’s Teen Pageant in February 2025. Miss Placentia’s Teen Pageant is a program for young women ages 14 to 28 that serves as a stepping stone to competing at the state and national levels, with the goal of earning scholarships and participating in community service.

Noah Flores (AE, ‘28) won his third-consecutive California District 30 Dick Phillips Tournament with his South Sunrise Little League team, the Dirtbags. Noah shifted between centerfield, shortstop, and pitching for the team, providing versatility to win the championship.

Nico Ballesteros (FTV, ‘17) directed, edited, and produced the documentary, “In Whose Name?”, focusing on Kanye West during times of extremes, brilliance, breakdowns, triumphs and turmoil. Nico shot over 3,000 hours of footage while shadowing the talented and controversial artist, capturing “a reflection of the human condition and all of its contradictions”, as he stated in his featured Hollywood Reporter article. “In Whose Name?” was released in select theatres worldwide by ASMI Entertainment in partnership with AMC, Regal, and Cinemark in September 2025.

Nathan Rhee (ACT, ‘31) played Charles (Green Cast) and Otho (Purple Cast) in Broadway Arts Studio’s production of “Beetlejuice Jr.” Nathan performed at the Lakeforest Performing Arts Center alongside his cast members in October 2025.

OCSA MONTAGE! performed at FashionxFilm 2025 at Fashion Island Newport Beach in October. This event is a collaboration between StyleWeekOC and Newport Beach Film Festival to ignite the conversation between film and fashion. Guests immersed themselves in high style, movie magic, red-carpet moments, and community-spirited events.

Mason Mei (VA, ‘31) received a Rising Artist Award from Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) for his outstanding artwork at the 2025 District Honors Art Show. Mason was also recognized by Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris for winning the IUSD Earth Day poster contest, for which he received a Certificate of Recognition. Mason also performed at Segerstrom Hall with the 2025 IUSD Elementary Honor Band; achieved second place for school and third place individually for the 2025 Elementary School Science Olympiad; took part in the Puma Marketplace Art Show; and won the 2025 Yearbook Cover contest at Cadence Park School.

London Chou (IM, ‘29) received the 2025 Bill Jones Leadership and Integrity Award for his eighth grade conferment in June.

Logan Bailey (MT, ‘29) made his feature film debut as the voice of Pandy Paws in “Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie,” which premiered in theatres worldwide in September 2025. Ahead of the release, Logan walked the red carpet and celebrated with cast and crew at the official premiere event at The Grove in Los Angeles.