Welcome to State of the Art, where we celebrate all of the phenomenal accomplishments of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff. Congratulations to all, and don't forget to submit your accomplishments!

To submit a success story to be featured in State of the Art, please fill out the accomplishment submission form here.

  • Hannah Cho Wins at Junior Performance Competition
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    Hannah Cho Wins at Junior Performance Competition
    Hannah Cho (IM, '25) won first place in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Junior Performance competition at both the California state level and Southwest division level. She was selected to advance to the MTNA National competition as a representative of the Southwest division. She also won first place in the American Protégé International Woodwinds and Brass Competition and is scheduled to perform at the winner's solo recital at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.
  • Clara Son Receives High Commendations in Essay Competition
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    Clara Son Receives High Commendations in Essay Competition
    Clara Son (CW, '23) received high commendations in the John Locke Institute Essay Competition for 2020.
  • Christine Choi Receives the Arts in Special Education Award
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    Christine Choi Receives the Arts in Special Education Award
    Christine Choi, Special Services Administrative Assistant and conservatory instructor, received the Arts in Special Education Award as part of the 2021 Orange County Music and Arts Awards, which recognizes outstanding arts educators in the county whose leadership has impacted their school, district, and community. The Arts in Special Education Award honors an educator who delivers exceptional arts instruction to students with disabilities and fosters inclusion in their school community.

    OCSA teachers Sarah Gonzalez, Mathieu Girardet, and Kimberly Cantley were also nominated for this award.
  • OCSA Receives California Exemplary Arts Education Award
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    OCSA Receives California Exemplary Arts Education Award
    Orange County School of the Arts was one of only 33 schools in the state to receive the California Exemplary Arts Education Award from the California Department of Education for 2021. The California Exemplary Arts Education Award celebrates schools that have made a successful effort to engage students in the arts through exposure to a variety of disciplines.
  • Daniel Grossgold Named 2021 Expressions Challenge Finalist
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    Daniel Grossgold Named 2021 Expressions Challenge Finalist
    Daniel Grossgold (IA, ‘24) was named a 2021 Expressions Challenge Finalist through Expressions by Walgreens, which encourages high school students to express themselves creatively through media projects.
  • Orange County Artist of the Year Winners
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    Orange County Artist of the Year Winners
    The Orange County Register announced the winners for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Awards, and OCSA had four winners 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:
    Nolan Hieu Trifunovic (FTV, ‘21) - Film and Animation
    Catherine Johnston (CV, ‘21) - Vocal Music
    Ariyah Brown (ACT, ‘22) - Theater
    Brian Lin (IM, ‘21) - Instrumental Music (Alto Sax)
  • OCSA Named 38th Best High School in the State of California
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    OCSA Named 38th Best High School in the State of California
    U.S. News & World Report released their 2021 national rankings for best high schools, and Orange County School of the Arts was named the 38th best high school in the State of California and the 273rd best high school nationwide. Of the Orange County schools represented on the list, OCSA ranks 3rd in the county.

    To view their website, please visit https://bit.ly/2SMHqQZ
  • Anna Antongiorgi Releases a Book of Poems
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    Anna Antongiorgi Releases a Book of Poems
    Anna Antongiorgi (CCD, ‘15) released a book of poems titled refinding the rules of gravity through Finishing Line Press.
  • Tisha Custodio Featured in Article by the OC Register
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    Tisha Custodio Featured in Article by the OC Register
    Tisha Custodio (ACT, ‘19) was featured in an article by the Orange County Register about her recent casting in a lead role of the Disney+ original series Big Shot.

    To read the article, please visit https://bit.ly/2QihXhs
  • Alyssa Kardos Selected as a Fulbright Scholar
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    Alyssa Kardos Selected as a Fulbright Scholar
    Alyssa Kardos (ACT, ‘17) was selected to be a 2021 Fulbright Scholar and was featured in an article by Georgetown University’s School of Nursing & Health Studies. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program sends American scholars and professionals abroad to lecture or conduct research for up to one year. After graduating from Georgetown University this year, Alyssa will be teaching English in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

    To view the article, please visit https://bit.ly/3uNC4TS
  • Matthew Anderson Selected as a Performing Arts Scholarship Winner
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    Matthew Anderson Selected as a Performing Arts Scholarship Winner
    Matthew Anderson (IM, ‘23) was selected as a 2021 Performing Arts Scholarship winner by the Friends of Cypress Cultural Arts organization. He was awarded a $450 scholarship for the performance of Scherzo Fantastique by Alfred Reed on bass clarinet.
  • Olivia Le Wins Poetry Division in OC Fair Competition
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    Olivia Le Wins Poetry Division in OC Fair Competition
    Olivia Le (IA, ‘25) won the Poetry Division in the OC Fair Imaginology Competition.
  • Sarah Anderson and Zach Hoffman Perform in Production of "Be More Chill"
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    Sarah Anderson and Zach Hoffman Perform in Production of "Be More Chill"
    Sarah Anderson (MT, ‘22) and Zach Hoffman (ACT, ‘22) performed in an outdoor production of "Be More Chill" with Braver Players Musical Theater Foundation.
  • Hannah Cho Winner of Mount San Antonio College Solo Competition
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    Hannah Cho Winner of Mount San Antonio College Solo Competition
    Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) became the grand prize winner of the Mount San Antonio College Solo Competition. She also won first place in the Middle School Division of the competition.
  • Emilia Djordjevic Opens her own Online Store
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    Emilia Djordjevic Opens her own Online Store
    Emilia Djordjevic (IM, ‘23) opened her own online store via Spreadshirt to sell her designs.
  • Ayiah and Ellie Soufi Featured in ALL EYES Magazine
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    Ayiah and Ellie Soufi Featured in ALL EYES Magazine
    Sisters Ayiah Soufi (IA, ‘26) and Ellie Soufi (PM) were featured on the cover of the April 2021 issue of ALL EYES Magazine with an eight-page spread. ALL EYES Magazine is an international digital and print magazine that showcases young talent from all over the world.
  • Meghan Barton Awarded Scholarship to Attend Summer Intensive
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    Meghan Barton Awarded Scholarship to Attend Summer Intensive
    Meghan Barton (MT, ‘23) was awarded the Undergraduate Scholarship from the California State Thespian Society to attend Broadway Artists Alliance Summer Intensive. She also received the highest rank of “Superior” for her performance of the "Meadowlark" solo from The Baker's Wife.
  • Mia Soumbasakis Honored as a 2021 Outstanding Volunteer
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    Mia Soumbasakis Honored as a 2021 Outstanding Volunteer
    Mia Soumbasakis (CW, ‘22) was honored as a 2021 Outstanding Volunteer by the OneOC Spirit of Volunteerism Awards for her service work with Lion’s Heart Teen Volunteers and Leaders.
  • Michele Lu is Semifinalist in U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts Competition
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    Michele Lu is Semifinalist in U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts Competition
    Michele Lu (PM, ‘21) was selected as a semifinalist in the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts competition and will advance to the final round. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars will ultimately choose 20 students to be recognized for their academic and artistic accomplishments, leadership, community outreach, and overall creativity.
  • Hana Uehara Accepted into Harvard's Pre-College Program
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    Hana Uehara Accepted into Harvard's Pre-College Program
    Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23) was accepted into Harvard University's Summer Pre-College Program.
  • Gianna Pedregon Writes an Article for Strings Magazine
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    Gianna Pedregon Writes an Article for Strings Magazine
    Gianna Pedregon (IM, ‘21) wrote an article for Strings magazine titled “Creative Freedom: How Jazz and the 5-string Violin have Unlocked a World of Infinite Musical Possibility.”

    To read the full article, please visit https://bit.ly/3hzfudZ
  • Hailey Riley Becomes Regional Champion in the USA Gymnastics Competition
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    Hailey Riley Becomes Regional Champion in the USA Gymnastics Competition
    Hailey Riley (MT, ‘25) earned first place in Floor and Vault and became the All-Around Regional Champion for Level Seven (Senior B) in the USA Gymnastics Region 1 Finals competition.
  • Mikayla Fleming Accepted to Three Summer Intensives
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    Mikayla Fleming Accepted to Three Summer Intensives
    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.
  • Samara Kohne Accepted into Colorado Vocal Institute
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    Samara Kohne Accepted into Colorado Vocal Institute
    Samara Kohne (CV, ‘24) was accepted into the Colorado Vocal Institute for this summer.
  • Students Selected for SCSBOA Honor Orchestras
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    Students Selected for SCSBOA Honor Orchestras
    The following students were selected to be part of the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) Middle School and High School Honor Orchestras.

    Middle School:
    Hannah M. Cho (IM, ‘25) - Oboe
    Samuel J. Chung (IM, ‘25) - Alto Saxophone
    Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26) - Double Bass
    Tiffani Hsu (PD, ‘26) - Flute
    Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26) - Trumpet
    Allie S. Molin (IM, ‘25) - Trumpet
    Jaehee Park (IM, ‘26) - Violin
    Keilah Y. Park (IM, ‘25) - Horn
    Benjamin Y. Quil (IM, ‘26) - Violin
    Katherine J. Shinogi (IM, ‘25) - Clarinet

    High School:
    Darren Qiu (IM, ‘24) - Alto Saxophone
    Elliot Shiwota (IM, ‘22) - Percussion
    Helaine Zhao (IM, ‘24) - Piano
  • Kiana Keli`i South Region winner for Scholarship Award
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    Kiana Keli`i South Region winner for Scholarship Award
    Kiana Keli`i (IM, ‘21) was one of 10 nominees selected from the South Region as a finalist for the California Scholarship Federation Seymour Memorial Award. She was then honored as the South Region winner for her dedication to service, academics, and raising awareness of the cultural diversity of Pacific Islanders.
  • Grand Prize Finalists for Annual Spotlight Program
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    Grand Prize Finalists for Annual Spotlight Program
    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
  • Orange County Artist of the Year Semi-finalists
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    Orange County Artist of the Year Semi-finalists
    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)
  • Orange County Artist of the Year Finalists
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    Orange County Artist of the Year Finalists
    The Orange County Register announced the finalists 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.

    Vocal Music - Commercial Voice
    Ye Ji Kim (PM ‘21)

    Vocal Music - Classical Voice
    Catherine Johnston (CV ‘21)

    Dance - Concert Dance
    Corah Abbott (CCD, ‘21)

    Dance - World/Cultural Dance
    Maya Elizabeth Alvarez-Coyne (CMD, ‘21)

    Handcrafted Visual Arts - Mixed Media
    Junzhu Zhang (VA, ‘21)

    Handcrafted Visual Arts - Sculpting and metalwork
    Juhyun Park (VA, ‘21)

    Film and Animation - Directing and Editing
    Noah Frech (FTV, ‘21)

    Instrumental Music - Winds and Percussion
    Brian Lin (alto sax) (IM, ‘21)

    Theatre - Acting
    Ariyah Brown (ACT, ‘22)
  • Elora Sparnicht Announced Poetry Out Loud Champion
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    Elora Sparnicht Announced Poetry Out Loud Champion
    Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23) became the Orange County Poetry Out Loud Champion and was featured in an article by the Los Angeles Times Daily Pilot.

    To view the article, please visit https://lat.ms/3w04Noz
  • Cathy Michaels Named 2021 Woman of Distinction
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    Cathy Michaels Named 2021 Woman of Distinction
    Vice President of Development Cathy Michaels was named a 2021 Woman of Distinction by Senator Tom Umberg and the 34th California Senate District. This award honors outstanding women who exemplify ethical leadership and a commitment to making a positive impact in the community.
  • Lauren Lim Jackson Featured in Orange Coast Magazine
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    Lauren Lim Jackson Featured in Orange Coast Magazine
    Lauren Lim Jackson (CMD, ‘03), Interim Director of the Musical Theatre Conservatory, was featured in an article by Orange Coast Magazine that highlights her wellness classes at the Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

    To view the article, please visit https://bit.ly/3nXsnzn
  • Joy Baik Illustrates for Children's Book
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    Joy Baik Illustrates for Children's Book
    Joy Baik (VA, ‘19) provided the illustrations for the children's book In All of Your Days Have You Seen the Ways an Animal Plays an Instrument?, which was written by an OCSA alumni parent. The duo is working on a second book to be released this fall.
  • Tisha Custodio Casted in "Big Shot"
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    Tisha Custodio Casted in "Big Shot"
    Tisha Custodio (ACT, ‘19) was cast in a lead role in the upcoming Disney+ original series Big Shot.
  • OCSA Debate Team Wins at Debate Tournament
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    OCSA Debate Team Wins at Debate Tournament
    The OCSA Debate Team attended the High School Public Debate Program bi-coastal tournament and received 1st place for highest percentage wins in debate rounds and 1st place for best overall school. The following students participated and placed.

    Team Awards
    1st Overall Team: Melanie Huq (CW, ‘21), Melanie Kallah (IA, ‘21), and Isabel Lyons (IA, ‘22)
    6th Overall Team: Cynthia Huang (CW, ‘24), Amy Lee (IM, ‘23), and Aashna Rana (CW, ‘23)
    7th Overall Team: Sophie Ma (BR, ‘23), Jillian Metzker (IA, ‘22), and Terra Skaar (PD, ‘24)
    8th Overall Team: Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘23), Joyce Hong (VA, ‘22), and Rajsi Rana (CW, ‘22)

    Individual Speaker Awards
    2nd Place: Melanie Kallah (IA, ‘21)
    12th Place: Cynthia Huang (CW, ‘24)
    14th Place: Annabelle Kim (CW, ‘23)
  • Theater Nominations
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    Theater Nominations
    The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Award. This program highlights talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts. 750 students representing 78 Orange County high schools were nominated, and 50 of them are from OCSA! Each of these students have proven their abilities in their areas of expertise. Here are the nominations for Theater:

    Acting:
    Ariyah Brown (ACT, ‘21)
    Sophia Del Rey (ACT, ‘21)
    Justin Joung (MT, ‘21)
    Mia Kaplan (MT, ‘21)
    Taite Morrison (IA, ‘22)

    Musical Theater Performance:
    Madison E. Osment (MT, ‘21)
    Charlee Rubino (MT, ‘21)
    Arielle Leeah Schmid (MT, ‘21)
  • Hannah Cho Wins at MTNA Competition
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    Hannah Cho Wins at MTNA Competition
    Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) won 3rd place in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) National performance competition, after previously winning at the State and Southwest division levels. She will be receiving a $300 award from the MTNA Foundation fund.
  • Tane Kim Wins 3rd place at the 66th Annual OCSEF
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    Tane Kim Wins 3rd place at the 66th Annual OCSEF
    Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) earned 3rd place at the 66th Annual Orange County Science and Engineering Fair (OCSEF) for his research paper titled "Analyzing TCGA Data to Identify Gene Mutations Linked with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Asians."
  • OCSA Science Olympiad Competes in Orange County Regional Competition
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    OCSA Science Olympiad Competes in Orange County Regional Competition
    The OCSA Science Olympiad High School Team (Division C) competed in the Orange County Regional competition and placed in 14 of the 29 events. The team earned 6th place out of almost 40 schools and will advance to the Southern California State Science Olympiad competition. Team member Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) placed in all of his events.

    1st Place
    Codebusters: Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22), Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23), and Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)

    2nd Place
    Digital Structures: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) and Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22)
    Amazing Mechatronics: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) and Isabelle Tran (VA, ‘22)

    3rd Place
    Chiropterology: Kacy Chung (VA, ‘23) and Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23)
    Circuit Lab: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) and Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)
    Experimental and Data Analysis: Katherine Given (ACT ‘24), Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23), and Samantha Su (VA, ‘21),
    Fermi Questions: Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) and Haley Shimabukuro (IM, ‘24)
    Helicopters: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) and Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23)
    Game On: Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24) and Em Wei-Ten (PM, ‘23)
    Geologic Mapping: Aleks Cornforth (CMD, ‘21) and Erica Yang (IA, ‘21)

    4th Place
    Algorithms and Heuristics: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) and Em Wei-Ten (PM, ‘23)
    Dynamic Planet: Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24) and Jiin Yun (IM, ‘24)
    Gravity Vehicle: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) and Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)
    Ornithology: Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23) and Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23)

    Other Competitors
    Amy Lee (IM, ‘23), Grant Li (CW, ‘23), Sara Shimabukuro (IM, ‘21), and Allison Wong (CW, ‘23)
  • Holly Calderon Accepted into Berklee Musical Theater Acting Intensive This Summer
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    Holly Calderon Accepted into Berklee Musical Theater Acting Intensive This Summer
    Holly Calderon (MT, ‘24) was accepted into the Boston Conservatory at Berklee Musical Theater Acting Intensive for Summer 2021.
  • Aashna Rana Wins 1st Place Alternate at VOCE Festival
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    Aashna Rana Wins 1st Place Alternate at VOCE Festival
    Aashna Rana (CV, ‘23) participated in the VOCE 2021 Festival and won 1st Place Alternate in the Solo Competitive 14-15 Year Old Division.
  • Aryan Simhadri Casted in Cheaper by the Dozen Remake
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    Aryan Simhadri Casted in Cheaper by the Dozen Remake
    Aryan Simhadri (ACT, ‘24) was cast as the lead in the new Disney+ remake of Cheaper by the Dozen.
  • Students from National History Day Club Progress to State Level Competition
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    Students from National History Day Club Progress to State Level Competition
    The OCSA National History Day Club, founded by Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22), competed in the National History Day Orange County Competition. The students created historically accurate projects relating to the 2021 theme of “Communication: The Key to Understanding.” The following students became Orange County Champions and progressed to the State level.

    Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22)
    Sally Jang (CW, ‘23)
    Jamie Jung (CW, ‘24)
    Katie Kim (CW, ‘23)
    Arianna Ramirez (BF, ‘26)
    Annabel Reiher (CW, ‘23)
    Selah Sanchez (CW, ‘23)
    Emma Wei-Ten (PM, ‘23)

    Other Club Participants
    Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘23)
    Anna Huang (CW, ‘24)
    Lauren Kim (CW, ‘24)
    Luke Stark (IA, ‘24)
  • Lilah D. Horton Selected as 2020's Dance Artist of the Year
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    Lilah D. Horton Selected as 2020's Dance Artist of the Year
    Lilah D. Horton (CMD, ‘21) was selected as last year's Dance Artist of the Year by the Orange County Register as part of a competition that included 100 nominated dance artists from all over Orange County’s public, private, and charter high school community. She was the first-ever Artist of the Year from OCSA's Commercial Dance Conservatory in the 30-year tenure of former Director Jim Kolb.
  • Students Accepted into All-State Ensembles
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    Students Accepted into All-State Ensembles
    The following Instrumental Music Conservatory students auditioned and were accepted into the California Orchestra Directors Association All-State Ensembles.

    Irene Choung (IM, ‘24) - Cello
    Amy Lee (IM, ‘23) - Violin
    Amy Jong (IM, ‘24) - Cello
    Amelia Kang (IM, ‘26) - Violin
    Lauren Kim (IM, ‘23) - Violin
    Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) - Cello
    Amy Lee (IM, ‘23) - Violin
    Jenny Park (IM, ‘26) - Violin
    Benjamin Quil (IM, ‘26) - Violin
    Amelia Shiwota (IM, ‘26) - Violin
    Jiin Yun (IM, ‘24) - Cello
    Hannah Zhao (IM, ‘22) - Violin
  • Katherine Wong Announced as a 2021 Coca-Cola Scholar
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    Katherine Wong Announced as a 2021 Coca-Cola Scholar
    Katherine Wong (CW, ‘21) was named a 2021 Coca-Cola Scholar in recognition of her superior leadership, service, and academics, as well as her efforts to positively affect others in her community. Out of the 251 regional finalists across the country, she was one of 150 selected to receive a $20,000 college scholarship and join a network of more than 6,000 Coca-Cola Scholar alumni that encourage, challenge, and support each other in their common goal of making the world a better place.
  • Instrumental Music Nominations
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    Instrumental Music Nominations
    The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Award. This program highlights talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts. 750 students representing 78 Orange County high schools were nominated, and 50 of them are from OCSA! Each of these students have proven their abilities in their areas of expertise. Here are the nominations for Instrumental Music:

    Jazz:
    Gianna Pedregon (IM, ‘21) - Violin
    Reynaldo Soza-Sandoval (IM, ‘21) - Sax

    Piano and Strings:
    Hannah Noh (IM, ‘21) - Piano
    Max Wang (IM, ‘21) - Viola

    Winds and Percussion:
    Brian Lin (IM, ‘21) - Alto Sax

    World/Cultural and Commercial Music:
    Analiese Marie Bancroft (PM, ‘21) - Piano/Keyboards
    Thomas Daniel Lowrey (PM, ‘21) - Drum Set
    Angelina Petticord (PM, ‘21) - Electric Bass Guitar
  • Vocal Music Nominations
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    Vocal Music Nominations
    The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Award. This program highlights talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts. 750 students representing 78 Orange County high schools were nominated, and 50 of them are from OCSA! Each of these students have proven their abilities in their areas of expertise. Here are the nominations for Vocal Music:

    Classical Voice:
    Catherine Johnston (CV, ‘21)
    Kangsan E. Kim (CV, ‘22)
    Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21)
    Evan Richards (CV, ‘22)

    Commercial Voice:
    Darian Baena (PM, ‘21)
    Ye Ji Kim (PM, ‘21)
    Michele Lu (PM, ‘21)
    Tawnie Kiyoné Shorter (MT, ‘21)

    Nonclassical Voice:
    Olivia "Via" Forman (MT, ‘21)
    Aaliyah Mariah Magcasi (MT, ‘21)
    Lukas Wozencraft (CV, ‘22)
  • Handcrafted Visual Arts Nominations
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    Handcrafted Visual Arts Nominations
    The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Award. This program highlights talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts. 750 students representing 78 Orange County high schools were nominated, and 50 of them are from OCSA! Each of these students have proven their abilities in their areas of expertise. Here are the nominations for Handcrafted Visual Arts:

    Ceramics:
    Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22)

    Hand Drawing and Painting:
    Joyce Lee (VA, ‘21)
    Samantha (Ziyao) Su (VA, ‘21)

    Mixed Media:
    Junzhu Zhang (VA, ‘21)

    Sculpting and Metalwork:
    Juhyun Park (VA, ‘21)
  • Film/Animation Nominations
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    Film/Animation Nominations
    The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Award. This program highlights talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts. 750 students representing 78 Orange County high schools were nominated, and 50 of them are from OCSA! Each of these students have proven their abilities in their areas of expertise. Here are the nominations for Film/Animation:

    Animation and Visual Effects:
    Angela Benet (DM, ‘21)

    Cinematography:
    Antone Axten (MT)

    Directing and Editing:
    Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21)
    Johann Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21)
    Noah Frech (FTV, ‘21)
    Nolan Hieu Trifunovic (FTV, ‘21)
    Elinor Weber (FTV, ‘21)
  • Dance Nominations
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    Dance Nominations
    The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Award. This program highlights talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts. 750 students representing 78 Orange County high schools were nominated, and 50 of them are from OCSA! Each of these students have proven their abilities in their areas of expertise. Here are the nominations for Dance:

    Commercial Dance:
    Danielle Silver (CMD, ‘22)
    Dawson Charles Walker (CMD, ‘21)

    Concert Dance:
    Corah Abbott (CCD, ‘21)
    Ian Francisco Roman (CCD, ‘22)

    World/Cultural Dance:
    Maya Elizabeth Alvarez-Coyne (CMD, ‘21)
    Rodrigo Blanco (BF, ‘21)
    Lucas McCollum-VanHoosear (BR, ‘22)
    Rodrigo Francisco Rea (BF, ‘21)
  • Computer-Assisted Visual Arts Nominations
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    Computer-Assisted Visual Arts Nominations
    The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Award. This program highlights talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts. 750 students representing 78 Orange County high schools were nominated, and 50 of them are from OCSA! Each of these students have proven their abilities in their areas of expertise. Here are the nominations for Computer-Assisted Visual Arts:

    Computer Drawing and Painting:
    Eden Haymond (DM, ‘21)
    Alaina Marino (DM, ‘21)
    Ashley Yang (VA, ‘22)

    Graphic Design and Digital Illustration:
    Carla Forno (VA, ‘22)
  • OCSA's JSA Event Features Harley Rouda
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    OCSA's JSA Event Features Harley Rouda
    The following students from OCSA's Junior Statesmen of America (JSA) chapter ran a successful debate event, which featured guest speaker former California Congressman Harley Rouda. More than 50 students from JSA chapters across Southern California attended and participated. Jennifer Woo (IA, '21) was also voted "Best Speaker'' for her debate.

    Maya Coyne (CMD, ‘21)
    Tane Kim (IM, ‘24)
    Sophia Kimmel (CV, ‘22)
    Max Mikkelsen (IA, ‘22)
    Aashna Rana (CV, ‘23)
    Rajsi Rana (CW, ‘22)
    London San Luis (DM, ‘23)
    Isabella Szabo (CV, ‘21)
    Jennifer Woo (IA, ‘21)
  • OCSA Eye Matter Club Covered in Voice of OC Article
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    OCSA Eye Matter Club Covered in Voice of OC Article
    The OCSA Eye Matter Club, founded by Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22), was covered in an article by Voice of OC. The Eye Matter Club helps individuals with eye impairment to connect with each other through the arts. Eye Matter recently hosted online international art classes in nine different artistic disciplines for individuals with visual impairments. These art classes were taught completely by OCSA students and the visually impaired students' artistic performances were displayed during an international showcase. The following students are also members of the club.

    Ritika Asher (CCD, ‘22)
    Cece Fanelli (PD, ‘22)
    Ava Gaskins (FTV, ‘22)
    Stella Goodman (CV, ‘23)
    Joyce Lee (CV, ‘22)
    Delaney Manna (PD, ‘23)
    Sarah Park (CV, ‘23)
    Finley Sasena (CCD, ‘23)
    Hailey Somphone (CV, ‘22)
    Larkin Ten Elshof (CV, ‘22)
    Grace Wilcox (ACT, ‘22)

    Please view the article here: https://bit.ly/3dgeRDd
  • Christina Miles Performs at the Golden Globe Awards
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    Christina Miles Performs at the Golden Globe Awards
    Christina Miles (CW, ‘21) was selected by the Get Lit organization to perform alongside two other poets at the Golden Globe Awards.
  • Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - Honorable Mention
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    Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - Honorable Mention
    Congratulations to the following students for their success in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These students received Regional-at-Large awards.

    Honorable Mention:
    Anika Biswas (CW, ‘23): Short Story, Boa Constrictor
    Lena Brem (CW, ‘23): Short Story, The Ticking Stops
    Cat Bui (CW, ‘22): Science Fiction & Fantasy, Libellulidae
    Melody Chang (IM, ‘22): Poetry, Ode to an Eraser, Reflections: from a Woman in STEM
    Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, ‘22): Drawing & Illustration, Flight
    Andy Choi (CW, ‘22): Short Story, 38th Parallel
    Erin Choi (VA, ‘22): Painting, Warmth, A Slipped Disc
    Adin Choung (IM, ‘22): Short Story, China Dolls
    Ethan Chu (VA, ‘21): Film & Animation, Life at a Japanese High School
    Nora De Vente (VA, ‘22): Ceramics & Glass, Ignited
    Maggie Ding (FTV, ‘22): Film & Animation, VOICE
    Emilia Djordjevic (CW, ‘23): Short Story, Blood On My Hands
    Joyce Hong (VA, ‘22): Comic Art, Night Illusion at Osaka; Drawing & Illustration, Rotten
    Sally Jang (CW, ‘23): Flash Fiction, Keep the Distance, If I Was Back: A Vignette
    Youning Jiang (FTV, ‘22): Painting, Portrait of Dad
    Aaliyah Joo (VA, ‘23): Drawing & Illustration, America, Land of the Free?; Painting, Dreams of Fish
    Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22): Painting, Complexities of Skin Color
    Annabelle Kim (CW, ‘24): Short Story, A Thread Between Us, Simplicity of Life
    Annette Kim (VA, ‘22): Drawing & Illustration, Human; Sculpture, Leisure
    Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25): Fashion, Asymmetry
    Chloe Kim (VA, ‘23): Digital Art, Continuos
    Katie Kim (CW, ‘23): Short Story, Domesticated
    Emily Kim (CW, ‘24): Poetry, picture this...
    Grace Kim (BR, ‘22): Personal Essay & Memoir, Imo's House; Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mayu
    Olivia Knox (PM, ‘23): Painting, Koi Fish closet
    Carrie Kuo (VA, ‘22): Painting, Human, Spring Beginnings; Mixed Media, Scary Carrie
    Dawon Lee (PD, ‘23): Drawing & Illustration, Hand Elements
    Joyce Lee (VA, ‘21): Painting, Archive; Mixed Media, Crisis, Imitation
    Kristie Lee (VA, ‘22): Digital Art, In My Own Little World, Mixed Media, Contend
    Samantha Losey (VA, ‘25): Painting, Aries
    Evan Yu-Wei Lu (VA, ‘23): Painting, Peppers, Cancer
    Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Journalism, Figure Skaters' Eating Habits Leave Them on Thin Ice
    Sidney Muntean (CW, ‘22): Flash Fiction, The Event Horizon
    Lisa Ordonez (IA, ‘23): Science Fiction & Fantasy, A Reverie of an Icy Prince; Painting, The Storyteller
    Juhyun Park (VA, ‘21): Art Portfolio, The Progression of 2020; Digital Art, Babel City
    Junwoo Park (VA, ‘21): Mixed Media, Janus, The Two Faces of a Pandemic; Art Portfolio, Beauty Under Destruction
    Tobi-Hope Jieun Park (CW, ‘21): Poetry, the mythos speaks of women; Writing Portfolio, Meraki and Other Dances
    Abril Rodriguez Diaz (CW, ‘22): Poetry, Skeleton House
    London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Digital Art, INDELIBLE, INVERSION
    Keila Sato (CW, ‘21): Novel Writing, The Fire in His Blood
    Amy Shi (CW, ‘24): Poetry, Cordae Lupa; Short Story, Animotophobia— fragens, nefasta, et timida
    Sohun Shin (VA, ‘24): Painting, Closest, Most Precious; Drawing & Illustration, Home Stays
    Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23): Humor, In Opposition of Ice Breaker Games
    Ashley Thornton (CW, ‘23): Poetry, The Unicorn, The Universal Collapse, Paradise Parasite, Premonitio[n], God is a Butterfly, Starlight
    Trenyce Tong (VA, ‘21): Mixed Media, The Bifurcation of Life, Violation; Film & Animation, Weather’s Changing
    Jonathan Truong (CW, ‘21): Short Story, Newspaper Planes
    Huilun Wang (VA, ‘23): Painting, Light, Leafs
    Suofei Wang (VA, ‘21): Painting, Night Market
    Xiaowei Wang (VA, '22): Drawing & Illustration, The Composer of Decomposition
    Ally Wong (CW, ‘23): Poetry, maintenance inside her heart chamber, Courtesy of the Coyotes, We were left behind to survive, behind grandpa's feet
    Katherine Wong (CW, ‘21): Poetry, waning&waxing down capital cul-de-sacs
    Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24): Flash Fiction, late mis-; Poetry, inner prayer, two eyes
    Rachel Yoo (VA, ‘23): Photography, Hands of Stereotypes
    Cindy Zhang (VA, ‘24): Painting, Hush
    Junzhu Zhang (VA, ‘21): Sculpture, Thin Man; Drawing & Illustration, Red Door, Red Shoes; Painting, Spring 2020; Art Portfolio, The world I live in -2
    Carina Zheng (VA, ‘24): Design, Tenki No Ko
  • Scholastic Art & Writing Silver Key Award
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    Scholastic Art & Writing Silver Key Award
    Congratulations to the following students for their success in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These students received Regional-at-Large awards.

    Silver Key Award:
    Lena Brem (CW, ‘23): Short Story, The Cul-de-sac
    Laura Anne Chen (CW, ‘21): Flash Fiction, Windowpane Glass; Novel Writing, Jewel-Steeped Hibiscus
    Andy Choi (CW, ‘22): Poetry, Cyborg Asian Americana
    Adin Choung (IM, ‘22): Flash Fiction, Yellow to White; Personal Essay & Memoir, My Poor Green Frog Mother
    Kacy Chung (VA, ‘23): Drawing & Illustration, Escape, Wonder
    David Du (FTV, ‘24): Film & Animation, Incent City
    Isabel Hahn (CW, ‘22): Short Story, Sonder
    Faith Hochgesang (IA, ‘23): Poetry, Quaran-Sonnet
    Jessica Hong (CW, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, The Raging Inferno
    Joyce Hong (VA, ‘22): Painting, War of Worship
    Melanie Huq (CW, ‘21): Short Story, Isolatoes, The Sapphire Key
    Jamie Jung (CW, ‘24): Flash Fiction, My Name; Short Story, The Voice
    Tara Kalle (CW, ‘23): Flash Fiction, Baby Luke My 'Demon' Brother
    Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22): Painting, Prerogative of the Activists
    Annette Kim (VA, ‘22): Painting, Incompetent
    Chloe Kim (VA, ‘23): Comic Art, My Quarantine
    Donggyu Kim (VA, ‘24): Ceramics & Glass, The Amalgamate
    Lauren Kim (VA, ‘22): Sculpture, Life Organs; Expanded Projects, The Pixel World
    Ava Li (VA, ‘22): Painting, mystery forest
    Leo Lai (CW, ‘24): Short Story, Peter the Pencil and Ed the Eraser
    Joyce Lee (VA, ‘21): Painting, Burning
    Evan Yu-Wei Lu (VA, ‘23): Mixed Media, Time
    Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Dramatic Script, life in the sky; Short Story, the family on the bathroom wall
    Sidney Muntean (CW, ‘22): Flash Fiction, MUSINGS OF A MODERN-DAY GHOST; Personal Essay & Memoir, Desperado
    Ashley Oh (DM, ‘24): Sculpture, Ethereal
    Lisa Ordonez (IA, ‘23): Poetry, Nothing Lasts; Short Story, Where the Stars and Fires Played the Same Song
    Kaitlyn Pak (VA, ‘22): Painting, Submerged
    Juhyun Park (VA, ‘21): Painting, Split Realities of Quarantine; Drawing & Illustration, New Normal
    London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Digital Art, Spring in America, 2020
    Keila Sato (CW, ‘21): Science Fiction & Fantasy, Helios, The Last Ama; Secrets in the Sands; Writing Portfolio, Distant Worlds
    Amy Shi (CW, ‘24): Short Story, Sanguine
    Sohun Shin (VA, ‘24): Mixed Media, Natural Beauty
    Clara Son (CW, ‘23): Poetry, Greek Tragedies, Ablaze
    Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23): Humor, My Name is COVID-19
    Trenyce Tong (VA, ‘21): Digital Art, Pixelated View
    Huilun Wang (VA, ‘23): Painting, Fallen
    Vivienne Williams (VA, ‘23): Drawing & Illustration, Construction of One’s Self
    Ally Wong (CW, '23): Poetry, Eczema, Assimilation, Calligraphy Lesson
    Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24): Flash Fiction, the orphan's memoir; Poetry, gone forever, dear ai
    Kevin Yang (VA, ‘24): Painting, Blinded
    James Yi (CW, ‘24): Flash Fiction, First Human
    Junzhu Zhang (VA, ‘21): Mixed Media, Tongue; Painting, Storage Room, Lady with Earrings
  • Scholastic Art & Writing Gold Key Award
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    Scholastic Art & Writing Gold Key Award
    Congratulations to the following students for their success in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These students received Regional-at-Large awards. Gold Key recipients will now be judged at the national level.

    Gold Key Award
    Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, ‘22): Painting, The King; Digital Art, Dreamer
    Nora De Vente (VA, ‘22): Printmaking, Mother of Anthropocene
    Joyce Hong (VA, ‘22): Drawing & Illustration, Recurrection
    Mia Hsu (VA, ‘23): Painting, My Asian Woman
    Grace Jo (VA, ‘22): Painting, Help for Hope
    Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22): Painting, Complexities of Skin UnderTones (Sequel)
    Alison Lee (VA, ‘23): Mixed Media, Buried in America; Painting, Refraction
    Amanda Lee (IM, ‘23): Science Fiction & Fantasy, The Girl Who Brought Back Life
    Kristie Lee (VA, ‘22): Sculpture, Communion, Into the Void
    Joyce Lee (VA, '21): Art Portfolio, 2020 Frenzy; Drawing & Illustration, Colorism, Nature's Unification, Reminisce
    Grant Li (CW, ‘23): Humor, An Update from Heaven - Yeah, We Don't Know Either
    Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Dramatic Script, two types of goodbye
    Juhyun Park (VA, ‘21): Film & Animation, Pandemic; Expanded Projects, Homes - Social Distancing; Drawing & Illustration, Time in Quarantine
    Junwoo Park (VA, ‘21): Drawing & Illustration, New Generation Appears, Violence has no Boundaries
    Bridget Phillips (MT, ‘22): Poetry, Be Pretty— No, Be Clever
    London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, Ocularity
    Amy Shi (CW, ‘24): Poetry, Monsters Amid War
    Clara Son (CW, ‘23): Poetry, The Maiden In My Dreams
    Ashley Thornton (CW, ‘23): Critical Essay, The Dead Part of a Star; Poetry, Catallena
    Trenyce Tong (VA, ‘21): Sculpture, WorldWide; Drawing & Illustration, 13 Mementos on My Desk; Art Portfolio, Connective Screens
    Amy Wang (VA, ‘23): Painting, Pajamas
    Suofei Wang (VA, ‘21): Architecture & Industrial Design, Woven Garden, Concert Hall; Drawing & Illustration, Tea Set
    Ally Wong (CW, ‘23): Poetry, Springrolls, On Lunar New Year; Short Story, Gutted
    Kevin Yang (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, The Upside Down World
    Cindy Zhang (VA, ‘24): Digital Art, Assumptions
  • Students Featured in Ladera Ranch Roots and Wings Magazine
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    Students Featured in Ladera Ranch Roots and Wings Magazine
    Adrienne Dunworth (IA, ‘22), Luke Witting (IA, ‘23), and their band, Color of Sound, were recognized in the “Amazing Teens” section of the Ladera Ranch Roots and Wings magazine for performing more than 30 live three-hour performances since mid-May in support of local small businesses.

    To read the full magazine article, please visit https://bit.ly/3gbPnJo
  • 2021 Dragon Kim Fellows
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    2021 Dragon Kim Fellows
    The following students were selected as 2021 Dragon Kim Fellows and earned $5,000 community service grants from the Dragon Kim Foundation. These students were chosen from over 240 applicants across California and Nevada and went through a rigorous interview process to earn the fellowships.

    Melody Chang (IM, ‘22)
    Adin Choung (IM, ‘22)
    Abril Rodriguez Diaz (CW, ‘22)
    Katelyn Jo (IM, ‘22)
    Samantha Perez (BF, ‘22)
    Iris Wang (IM, ‘22)
    Eric Zhu (FTV, ‘22)