STATE OF THE ART

Nicole Berger, Director of the Commercial Dance Conservatory, choreographed for NBC’s Rutherford Falls starring Ed Helms.

The OCSA Science Olympiad Division C (High School) Team competed against 70 teams from across the nation at both the Aggie Invitational, where they earned first place overall, and at the Yosemite Invitational, where they earned 10th place overall. The team also participated in the Miraloma Invitational. The students received the following awards:

Aggie Invitational:

1st Place
Circuit Lab: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24) and Joshua Qin (BR, '23)
Codebusters: Anjal Jain (CV, '22), Joshua Qin (BR, '23), and Jeffrey Yang (CV, '24)
Solar Power: Hannah Kang (VA, '22) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24)

3rd Place
Sounds of Music: Vivian Chen (IM, '23) and Erica Yang (IA, '21)
Forensics: Anjal Jain (CV, '22) and Samantha Su (VA, '21)

4th Place
Dynamic Planet: Jeffrey Yang (CV, '24) and Jiin Yun (IM, '24)
Machines: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24) and Joshua Qin (BR, '23)

5th Place
Designer Genes: Grant Li (CW, '23) and Sara Shimabukuro (IM, '21)

Other competitors included Sameer Bajaj (ACT, '24), Kacy Chung (VA, '23), Katherine Given (ACT, '24), Tane Kim (IM, '24), Amy Lee (IM, '23), and Allison Wong (CW, '23).

Yosemite Invitational:

2nd Place
Helicopters: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, '24) and Vivian Chen (IM, '23)

3rd Place
Codebusters: Kacy Chung (VA, '23), Anjal Jain (CV, '22), and Em Wei-Ten (PM, '23)

4th Place
Circuit Lab: Joshua Qin (BR, '23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24)
Digital Structures: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, '24) and Anjal Jain (CV, '22)
Disease Detectives: Samantha Su (VA, '21) and Allison Wong (CW, '23)
Gravity Vehicle Design: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, '24) and Joshua Qin (BR, '23)

5th Place
Sounds of Music: Vivian Chen (IM, '23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24)

6th Place
Experimental and Data Analysis: Samantha Su (VA, '21), Joshua Qin (BR, '23), and Kacy Chung (VA, '23)
Designer Genes: Caleb Empig (IM, '23) and Kacy Chung (VA, '23)

Other competitors included Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, '22), Lauren Chudner (VA, '23), Katherine Given (ACT, '24), Antara Kalle (CW, '23), Hannah Kang (VA, '22), Tane Kim (IM, '24), Amy Lee (IM, '23), Grant Li (CW, '23), Hyunjin Park (VA, '23), Haley Shimabukuro (IM, '24), Sara Shimabukuro (IM, '21), Isabelle Tran (VA, '22), Rachel Vu (IM, '24), Erica Yang (IA, '21), Jeffrey Yang (CV, '24), and Jiin Yun (IM, '24).

Miraloma Invitational:

1st Place
Environmental Chemistry: Kacy Chung (VA, '23) and Amy Lee (IM, '23)

4th Place
Detector Building: Vivian Chen (IM, '23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24)

The OCSA Science Olympiad Division C (High School) Team competed in the Golden Gate Invitational. Out of 151 teams from across the nation, Kacy Chung (VA, ‘23), Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22), and Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23) earned a 10th place medal in Codebusters.

Other competitors included Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24), Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23), Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23), Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24), Grant Li (CW, ‘23), Sara Shimabukuro (IM, ‘21), Samantha Su (VA, ‘21), Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24), Allison Wong (CW, ‘23), Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24), and Erica Yang (IA, ‘21).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The following students were recognized as Grand Prize Finalists in The Music Center’s 33rd Annual Spotlight Program out of more than 1,500 applicants. Spotlight is a nationally acclaimed arts training and scholarship program for teens that awards more than $100,000 in cash scholarships annually. The students were selected among only 14 Grand Prize Finalists who will perform in a virtual grand finale event and receive a $5,000 scholarship.

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

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

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

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

Mikayla Fleming (CCD, ‘24) was accepted to three summer intensives: Alonzo King Lines Ballet Summer Intensive, University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) Contemporary Program with a special invitation to the Professional Program, and Boston Ballet Summer Intensive.

Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23) was accepted into Harvard University's Summer Pre-College Program.

Anna Antongiorgi (CCD, ‘15) released a book of poems titled refinding the rules of gravity through Finishing Line Press.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jacqueline Artinian (BR, '22) and Lucas McCollum-VanHoosear (BR, '22) received the Open Amateur Under 21 Scholarship in the American Smooth category at the Elite Dancesport Competition.

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

OCSA's Science Olympiad High School Team earned 19th place overall out of 203 teams at the virtual BEARSO Invitational. Twelve team members earned medals in 10 of the 23 events. Joshua Qin (BR, '23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24) both earned medals in all of their events. The following students competed and received awards for their projects:

2nd place:
Codebusters: Lauren Chudner (VA, '23), Anjal Jain (CV, '22), and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24)

7th place:
Gravity Vehicle Design: Joshua Qin (BR, '23) and Alexandra Valainis (VA, '21)

8th place:
Ornithology: Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, '22) and Caleb Empig (IM, '23)

11th place:
Experimental Design: Joshua Qin (BR, '23), Samantha Su (VA, '21), and Alexandra Valainis (VA, '21)

13th place:
Helicopter: Vivian Chen (IM, '23) and Isabelle Tran (VA, '22)

14th place:
Digital Structures: Lauren Chudner (VA, '23) and Anjal Jain (CV, '22)

15th place:
Sounds of Music: Vivian Chen (IM, '23) and Erica Yang (IA, '21)

16th place:
Circuit Lab: Joshua Qin (BR, '23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24)
Water Quality: Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, '22) and Sara Shimabukuro (IM, '21)

17th place:
Machines: Joshua Qin (BR, '23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24)

Other competitors: Aleks Cornforth (CMD, '21) and Allison Wong (CW, '23)

Ritika Asher (CCD, '23) was the co-host for the Orange County Justice Fund’s (OCJF) annual fundraiser. OCJF is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to generating support for effective legal representation for the immigrant community, some of the most vulnerable residents in the county.

Sage Gonzales Lambert (BF, '21) competed in the Latin Mirage Ultimate Soloist Competition and received first place in both the Ballet Folklórico (Sinaloa) and International Samba categories, and second place in the Ballet Folklórico (Campeche) category. She also received a special award for producer's choice and choreography.

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

McKayla Frances Mercado (BF, '22) was promoted to company dancer with LA’s premier folk ballet company Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company. McKayla was also selected to be part of the Dia de Muertos: Al Chile Tour with Grammy Award winner Lila Downs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The following students received a cumulative total of 113 gold, silver, and bronze medals in the Dancesport category at the West Coast Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympic Games. Some dancers also represented OCSA as Junior Olympic Ambassadors.

Hannah Ayala (BR, ‘23)
Jude Camaya (BR, ‘23) - Junior Olympic Ambassador
Gabriel Cho (BR, ‘24) - Junior Olympic Ambassador
Presley Herthel (BR, ‘27)
Jack Hillebrecht (BR, ‘27)
Grace Kim (BR, ‘22) - Junior Olympic Ambassador
Jared Lee (BR, ‘23) - Junior Olympic Ambassador
Natalia Lin (BR, ‘22) - Junior Olympic Ambassador and National Anthem Vocalist
Sophie Ma (BR, ‘23) - Junior Olympic Ambassador
Colton McCann (BR, ‘22) - Junior Olympic Ambassador
Isabelle Miranda (BR, ‘21)
Samantha Okada-Lam (BR, ‘26)
Aurelia Philmore (BR, ‘24)
Marina Pitt (BR, ‘27)
Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23) - Junior Olympic Ambassador
Meghan Reardon (BR, ‘24)
Ambria Shields (BR, ‘27)
Brody Silva (BR, ‘25)
Sean Sulit (BR, ‘24)
Jeffrey Tadeo (BR, ‘22)
Jericho Tran-Faypon (BR, ‘22) - Junior Olympic Ambassador
Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23) - Junior Olympic Ambassador
Celeste Valadez (BR, ‘24)
Alexander Vargas (BR, ‘24)
Melissa Yan (BR, ‘23)

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

The following students participated in the Fred Astaire World Championships and received the following awards.

Amateur Championship Youth Smooth
1st Place: Jacqueline Artinian (BR, ‘22) and Lucas McCollum Van Hoosear (BR, ‘22)
2nd Place: Jude Camaya (BR, ‘23) and Meghan Reardon (BR, ‘24)

Pro-Am Open Smooth Scholarship
1st Place: Jacqueline Artinian (BR, ‘22)
2nd Place: Lucas McCollum Van Hoosear (BR, ‘22)

Youth Amateur Jr. Open Smooth Scholarship
1st Place: Jude Camaya (BR, ‘23) and Meghan Reardon (BR, ‘24)

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

Bianca Lozano (BF, ‘21), Fatima Oregon (BF), and Sammy Perez (BF, ‘21) were a part of a team that helped inspire children through Mexican folk dancing at Garden Grove Methodist Church. They taught folklórico to more than 50 kids through their program, titled Sembrando Dahlias, which was made possible by funding from the Dragon Kim Foundation. To read more about their story, please visit: https://bit.ly/3uPS8Fl

The following students and alumni, along with faculty members Briana and Kris Suakjian, were recognized for their accomplishments at the 2021 Embassy Ballroom Championships.

Jacqueline Artinian (BR, ‘22)
Gabriel Cho (BR, ‘24)
Presley Herthel (BR, ‘26)
Jack Hillebrecht (BR, ‘26)
Lucas McCollum-VanHoosear (BR, ‘22)
Aurelia Philmore (BR, ‘24)
Marina Pitt (BR, ‘26)
Isaac Reynoso (BR, ‘20)
Kaylee Tran (BR, ‘27)
Cynthia Zhang (BR, ‘27)

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

The following students from OCSA’s Eye Matter club hosted a national online summer camp for visually impaired children, utilizing a $5,000 grant from the Anekant Community Foundation. Over the course of five weeks, they focused on creating a supportive community and fostering a sense of belonging, all while combating ableism within the arts. To view their program highlights video, please click here: https://bit.ly/3uGuevU

Ritika Asher (BCD, ‘23)
Alex Breschini (CV, ‘22)
Cece Fanelli (PD, ‘22) - Vice President
Stella Goodman (CV, ‘23)
Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22) - President
Delaney Manna (PD, ‘23)
Finley Sasena (BCD, ‘23)
Hailey Somphone (CV, ‘22)

The following alumni were selected to perform in the return of Disney’s ¡Viva Navidad! at Disney California Adventure Park. This heartfelt street party celebrates both Mexican and Brazilian cultures through the characters of the famed movie "The Three Caballeros."

Jackie Alvarez (IM, ‘18)
Vivian Alvarez (BF, ‘19)
Dominique Breckenridge (BF, ‘16)
Iris Distancia (BF, ‘16)
Matthew De Leon (BF, ‘17)
Alyssa Gomez (BF, ‘17)
Michael Gomez (BF, ‘14)
Melina Marin (MT, ‘18)
Adrian Martinez (BF, ‘20)
Brianna Marquez BF, ‘18)
Madeline Peña (BF, ‘14)
Jose Rea (BF, ‘18)
Rodrigo Rea (BF, ‘21)
Jose Rivera (BF, ‘18)

The following Ballroom Conservatory students received combined 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th place awards at the Elite Dancesport competition.

Rafael Cabanas (BR, ‘27)
Presley Herthel (BR, ‘26)
Jack Hillebrect (BR, ‘26)
Marina Pitt (BR, ‘26)

Mikayla Fleming (BCD, ‘24) joined the Jazz Spectrum Dance Company’s second company, Spectrum 2, and was selected to perform in the Continuing the Legacy dance concert.

Teren Shaffer, President and CEO of Orange County School of the Arts, was voted to serve as 1st Vice President of Arts School Network (ASN) for a two-year term. As the 1st Vice President, he will support the annual conference and assist in the program management of various ASN objectives.

U.S. News & World Report released its 2021 national rankings for Best Elementary and Middle Schools, and Orange County School of the Arts was named the No. 3 Best Charter Middle School in the State of California. For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/3rnvyEv

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

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

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

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

In addition, Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22) and Youning Jiang (FTV, ‘22) attended National YoungArts Week+ as 2022 YoungArts Winners and were nominated to be named 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts in Dance (Modern/Contemporary) and Film respectively. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars will ultimately choose 20 of the 60 nominees to be recognized for their academic and artistic accomplishments, leadership, community outreach, and overall creativity.

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

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

Kotone Matsuzaki (BCD, ‘26) won third place in the Junior Classical Dance category at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) San Diego regional competition.

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

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


BirdSO Mini Science Olympiad Competition:

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

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

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

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

National Invitational Science Olympiad Satellite Competition:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 from the Ballroom Dance Conservatory participated in the 2022 California Open DanceSport competition. Many of these students are members of the OCSA Ballroom Latin and Smooth Formation Teams, which also competed and notably received second place as well as many other awards.

Presley Alvarez (BR, ‘27)
Gavin Alvarez-Coyne (BR, ‘23)
Jacqueline Artinian (BR, ‘22)
Celeste Arvizu (BR, ‘25)
Hannah Ayala (BR, ‘23)
Elizabeth Bancroft (BR, ‘26)
Mario Berestetsky (BR, ‘24)
James Brown (BR, ‘27)
Jude Camaya (BR, ‘23)
Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24)
Nathan Chen (BR, ‘26)
Daniel Cho (BR, ‘22)
Gabriel Cho (BR, ‘24)
Rafael Cabanas (BR, ‘27)
Paolo De Lancellotti (BR, ‘23)
Princeton Fletcher (BR, ‘25)
Arely Gutierrez (BR, ‘25)
Presley Herthel (BR, ‘26)
Jack Hillebrecht (BR, ‘26)
Dean Jackson (BR, ‘27)
Grace Kim (BR, ‘22)
Jared Lee (BR, ‘24)
Diego Linn (BR, ‘25)
Natalia Linn (BR, ‘22)
Sophie Ma (BR, ‘23)
Liam Majerus (BR, ‘27)
Eva Mazzara (BR, ‘23)
Lucas McCollum-Van Hoosear (BR, ‘22)

The following students from the Ballroom Dance Conservatory participated in the 2022 California Open DanceSport competition. Many of these students are members of the OCSA Ballroom Latin and Smooth Formation Teams, which also competed and notably received second place as well as many other awards.

Samantha Okada-Lam (BR, ‘26)
Nikolai Olive (BR, ‘27)
Nischal Patel (BR, ‘25)
Xavier Petry (BR, ‘27)
Aurelia Philmore (BR, ‘24)
Marina Pitt (BR, ‘26)
Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)
Chloe Savage (BR, ‘24)
Emmeline Savage (BR, ‘22)
Salim Scheper-Herard (BR, ‘27)
Jessica Shen (BR, ‘27)
Ambria Shields (BR, ‘26)
Jessica Sigala (BR, ‘27)
Brody Silva (BR, ‘25)
Sean Sulit (BR, ‘24)
Jeffrey Tadeo (BR, ‘22)
Heather Torres-Cancino (BR, ‘26)
Kaylee Tran (BR, ‘27)
Jericho Tran-Faypon (BR, ‘22)
Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23)
Celeste Valadez (BR, ‘24)
Breizhlander Vidal (BR, ‘26)
Angela Wang (BR, ‘27)
Alex Williams (BR, ‘26)
Emmanuelle Weisbach (BR, ‘22)
Melissa Yan (BR, ‘23)
Selina You (BR, ‘27)
Mateo Zarate (BR, ‘22)
Cynthia Zhang (BR, ‘27)

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

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

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

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

Marlene Hall, Elective Dance Instructor, received an official government patent for her new and original exercise method that uses a rotator disc to help improve dancers’ turns, strength, and stability.

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

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

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

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

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

Mixed Media
Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22)

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

Theater:
Acting
Sophia Madrigal (ACT, ‘22)

Musical Theater Performance
Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘22)

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

Semifinalists:
Computer-Assisted Visual Arts:

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

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

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

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)

The Middle School Science Olympiad Team qualified for state championships for the first time.

Nathaniel Bowman Sindt (BCD, ‘22) earned the rank of Eagle Scout from Troop 90 of the Boy Scouts of America. He is the 250th Eagle Scout in the Orange County Council.

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

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

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

Chemistry Instructor Heather Jonson was the recipient of the 2022 Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Educator of Distinction Award.

Founder & Strategic Consultant Dr. Ralph Opacic and President & CEO Teren Shaffer were both featured in “Modern Luxury” magazine’s “The Power List,” which features the top 50 trailblazers in leadership from Orange County. To read their features, please visit: https://bit.ly/3Occmlf

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.