STATE OF THE ART

Zoe Harrison (PD, ‘25) received two instruments from Yamaha and upcycled them into art projects. Her violin piece was selected to be displayed at Able Arts Work Gallery in Long Beach and her guitar piece was selected to be displayed at the Anaheim Muzeo.

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)

Logan Langevin (ACT, ‘23) was cast in Nickelodeon’s hit sitcom "Side Hustle."

Aryan Simhadri (ACT, ‘24) received a Young Artist Award for Best Teen Actor in a Streaming Film for his role in "The Main Event."

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

Nina Herzog (MT, ‘09) was selected to star in "My (Unauthorized) Hallmark Movie Musical" at the Broadwater Theater in Los Angeles.

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.

Sophia Madrigal (ACT, ‘22) was honored with an inaugural Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) Gold Award Scholarship. Sophia was selected for demonstrating extraordinary leadership while driving lasting change in her community and beyond through her nonprofit organization, Luke Madrigal Indigenous Storytelling, which focuses on the healing art of Indigenous storytelling. Through her project, Sophia led workshops and also wrote, directed, and performed in the play "Wildflower: Indigenous Spirit." To read more about Sophia’s project, please visit: https://bit.ly/3IA2Aqk

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.

Sophia Vernon (MT, ‘26) was cast in Phantom Projects Theatre Group's production of "Teens on Tour: The Center of the Universe" at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Matthew Garbacz’s (MT, ‘23) band, The Kings of Queen Tribute, booked a week-long tour in Nashville.

The following FTV alumni received awards at this year’s All American High School Film Festival in New York City in October:

WINNERS
Best Drama:
Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) - "Pho"

Best Cinematography:
Antone Axten (MT, ‘21) - "Pho"

Female Rising Star Award:
Allee Stone (FTV, ‘20)

Best Music Video:
Noah Frech (FTV, ‘21) - "Run Away"

NOMINEES
Best Overall:
Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) - "Pho"
Allee Stone (FTV, ‘20) - "Tess & Dodi"
Nolan Trifunovic (FTV, ‘21) - "The Other"

Best Directing:
Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) - "Pho"
Allee Stone (FTV, ‘20) - "Tess & Dodi"
Ellie Weber (FTV, ‘21) - "The Omega"

Best Drama:
Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21) - "Dreams of Ambivalence"
Ellie Weber (FTV, ‘21) - "The Omega"

Best Cinematography:
Antone Axten (FTV, ‘21) - "By Your Side"
Nolan Trifunovic (FTV, ‘21) - "The Other"

Best Screenplay:
Allee Stone (FTV, ‘20) - "Tess & Dodi"
Ellie Weber (FTV, ‘21) - "The Omega"

Female Rising Star Award:
Ellie Weber (FTV, ‘21)

Best Score:
Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21) - "Dreams of Ambivalence"
Ellie Weber (FTV, ‘21) - "The Omega"

Best Comedy:
Allee Stone (FTV, ‘20) - "Tess & Dodi"

Best Music Video:
Nolan Trifunovic (FTV, ‘21) - "Know Better"

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

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."

Roman Xavier Elson (MT, ‘26) was featured in a YouTube video by entrepreneur and filmmaker Dhar Mann, entitled "Big Brother Hates His Little Bro."

Mya Gonzales (ACT, ‘23) was cast alongside award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix in the film "C’mon, C’mon" from A24.

Jacki Vellandi (ACT, ‘22) co-produced and released ten of her original songs, which feature piano, guitar, and ukulele, under the name JackiLove.

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)

The following students were recognized as semifinalists in The Music Center’s 33rd Annual Spotlight Program. Spotlight is a nationally acclaimed arts training and scholarship program for teens that awards more than $100,000 in cash scholarships annually. Semifinalists have the opportunity to attend a special master class in their discipline with highly regarded artists who share their expertise on performance technique, training, and professional life. Each semifinalist will virtually audition once more, and the top two finalist performers in each category will be selected for a total of 14 Grand Prize Finalists.

Classical Semifinalists:
Leo Sui (IM, ‘23)

Jazz Semifinalists:
Max Gilbert (IM, ‘22)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

Acting Semifinalists:
Grace Wilcox (ACT, ‘22)
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, '25)
Landon Wouters (MT, ‘22)
Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25)

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"

Erin Tardibuono (MT, ‘25) was selected by producer Bruce Kimmel to sing "How Lovely to be a Woman / One Boy" and "Ship in a Bottle" in the 117th Kritzerland Cabaret Show at Feinstein's at Vitello's in Studio City.

Jordan Cruz (MT, ‘21) was cast as one of the elves in a production of "Elf the Musical" with the equity theater Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lauren Young (PD, ‘26) co-created a charitable children's book cover for the Clinton Foundation.

Sarah Anderson (MT, ‘22), Zach Hoffman (ACT, ‘22), and Lauren Williams (ACT, ‘22) were cast and performed in "Les Miserables" with Braver Players Musical Theater Foundation as Cosette, Jean Valjean, and Fantine respectively.

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)

Rick Messina (MT, ‘95) was nominated for an Artios Award for his work on the film "The Tender Bar."

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.

Dante Basco (MT, ‘93) and his family were featured in a Los Angeles Times front-page story about his recent directorial debut on his film "The Fabulous Filipino Brothers." For more info, please visit: https://lat.ms/3Kqv46y

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.

Film and Animation:

Animation and Visual Effects
Romeo Martin (DM, ‘22)

Cinematography
Justin Shin (FTV, ‘22)

Directing and Editing
Maggie Ding (FTV, ‘22)
Youning Jiang (FTV, ‘22)
Anirudh Vadhri Kota (FTV, ‘22)
Alexis Ai Macdonald (FTV, ‘22)
Nona Nishigawara (FTV, ‘22)
Michael McDonald (IA, ‘22)

Handcrafted Visual Arts:

Hand Drawing and Painting
Grace Jo (VA, ‘22)
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23)
London San Luis (DM, ‘23)
Xiaowei (Sophia) Wang (VA, ‘22)

Mixed Media
Joyce Yuruo Hong (VA, ‘22)
Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22)

Instrumental Music:

Piano and Strings
Xingyao Li (IM, ‘22)
Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23)
Sein Yun (IM, ‘22)
Hannah Zhao (IM, ‘22)

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.

Theater:

Acting
Scott Becker (ACT, ‘22)
Carlos Jimenez (ACT, ‘22)
Sophia Madrigal (ACT, ‘22)
Lauren Mei (ACT, ‘23)

Musical Theater Performance
Kenneth Takeshita (MT, ‘22)
Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘22)

Vocal Music:

Classical Voice
Mia Paris Baron (CV, ‘23)
Alexander Jeon (CV, ‘23)
Evan Richards (CV, ‘22)

Commercial Voice
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22)

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

Hannah Solow (MT, ‘08) made her debut as Gertie Cummings in the national tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “OKLAHOMA!” To read more about her journey to the national tour stage, please visit: https://bit.ly/3NBZ4Pp

Camryn Mi-Young Kim (MT, ‘17) was cast as one of the whistleblowers, Erika Cheung, in the Hulu original series, “The Dropout,” which also features Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes.

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)

Reese Hewitt (MT, ‘25) and Allie Patow (MT, ‘26) were cast and performed in the musical “Fun Home” at the Chance Theater, which was nominated for multiple 2021 Orange County Theatre Guild Awards, including Outstanding Production of a Musical. To read more about the other awards for which they were nominated, please visit: https://bit.ly/3IYkkLw

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

Alyssa Kardos (ACT, ‘17) has continued her work in Phnom Penh, Cambodia as an English Teaching Assistant through the U.S. Department of State's prestigious Fulbright Scholarship Program. She is using acting exercises at her public school to support English learning and engage in cultural exchange. Alyssa also started a community project titled "Re-Made in Cambodia" which promotes the work of young Cambodian fashion designers, musicians, dancers, and poets.

A photo of Hannah Franklin (ACT, ‘19) was selected to be displayed in the lobby of the Ahmanson Theater at The Music Center in Los Angeles. The photo is from Hannah’s winning performance in the 2018 National August Wilson Monologue Competition.

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)

Lauren Mei (ACT, ‘23) was named a Grand Prize Finalist in The Music Center’s 34th 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. She was selected among only 14 Grand Prize Finalists who will perform in a virtual grand finale event and receive a $5,000 scholarship.

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

Joanne Javien (MT, ‘99), Ella Mardirossian (MT, ‘23), and OCSA Musical Theatre Instructor Gina Velez, participated in a production of “The Sound of Music” at La Mirada Theater of the Performing Arts.

Jacqueline Vellandi (ACT, ‘22) won the California Young Playwrights contest for her play “Reverie,” which was selected to be featured in the Young Writers Festival in May. To read more about her work, please visit: https://bit.ly/3OXUHPu

The following students participated in the Pacific Symphony’s 2022 Opera Focus High School Vocal Competition and received the following awards:

First place: Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Second place: Lauren Kimball (VA, ‘24) and Estella Sky Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Third place: Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)
Special Merit: Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24)
Honorable Mention: Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25), Mona George (CV, ‘25), and Aashna Rana (CV, ‘23)

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)

Alyssa Kim (MT, ‘26) was cast in one of the lead roles of the short film “To The Lights” directed by Emily Kim.

Director of The El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory John Walcutt and Visual Arts Instructor Kathleen Fochtman-Gambs were nominated for the Orange County Music and Arts Administrators (OCMAA) Awards in recognition of their dedication to quality, equity, and access to arts programs for all students.

Aryan Simhadri (ACT) was cast in the lead role of Grover in “Percy Jackson & the Olympians,” coming soon to Disney+.

Alyssa Abiera (ACT, ‘26) was cast in the television series “Roar,” now available on Apple TV.

Zach Hoffman (ACT, ‘22) and Sadie Braverman (ACT, ‘23) performed as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett respectively in Braver Players Theater Company’s production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

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

Ashli St. Armant (MT, ‘03) produced her debut theatrical production, titled “NORTH.”

The following OCSA students, as a part of Empowering Arts (eA), a nonprofit founded by Hannah Cho (IM ‘25), were awarded the President's Volunteer Service Gold Award. The students were recognized for their musical concerts at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and the Blind Children’s Learning Center.

Dylan Chia (IM, ‘26)
Brent Cho (ACT, ‘27)
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25)
Isabella Cho (ACT, ‘27)
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25)
Emma Chuang (VA, ‘25)
Mia Geise (MT, ‘24)
Andrew Fung (IM, ‘24)
Arim (Ariana) Kim (IM, ‘25)
Jennifer Kim (VA, ‘25)
Calene Lee (CW, ‘25)
Sunny Lee (IM, ‘24)
Danny O'Grady (IM, ‘24)
Jae Eun (April) Park (IM, ‘25)
Emy Pardo (MT, ‘24)
Lucy Woo (IM, ‘25)
River Zylstra (ACT, ‘27)

Paige Oden, Director of the Visual Arts Conservatory, has been selected to receive the 2022 Arts Schools Network (ASN) Teacher of the Year Award. Additionally, Dante Basco (MT, ‘93) received the 2022 ASN Outstanding Arts School Alumni Achievement Award, which honors an individual whose commitment to excellence is demonstrated through outstanding accomplishments in the areas of citizenship, arts, and academics.