STATE OF THE ART

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, and semi-finalists for the 2024 Artist of the Year. The program highlighted over 800 talented students from across the county, 84 of which were OCSA students:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR WINNERS:

Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25) - Fine Arts
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24) - Vocal Music
Jadon Wu (IM, ‘25) - Instrumental Music

FINALISTS:

Dance
Mackenzie Couch (CMD, ‘24)
Piper Rovsek (CMD, ‘25)

Fine Arts
Chili Sloop (VA, ‘24)
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24)

Instrumental Music
Savannah Tweedt (IM, ‘24)

Theater
Ava DeVoe (ACT, ‘24)
Isabella Kim (ACT, ‘25)
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25)

Vocal Music
William Bolin (CV, ‘24)

SEMI-FINALISTS

Dance
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)
Katie Couch (CMD, ‘25)
Isabella Guzman (BF, ‘25)
Katelyn Hu (BCD, ‘24)

Film and TV
David Du (FTV, ‘24)
Elise Park (FTV, ‘24)
Alex Wolff (FTV, ‘23)
Sadira Wong (FTV, ‘24)

Fine Arts
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24)
Grace Shin (VA, ‘24)
Minnie Zhai (VA, ‘24)

Instrumental Music
Amy Jong (IM, ‘24)
Minjae Jaden Kim (IM, ‘25)
Allie Molin (IM, ‘25)
Fenella Nishigawara (IM, ‘24)

Media Arts
Ava Diaz (DM, ‘24)
Jasmine Diep (DM, ‘25)
Angie Wang (FTV, ‘26)

Theater
Corinne Thomas (IA, ‘24)

Vocal Music
Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25)
Summer Brennan (PM, ‘25)
Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)
Chloe Ness (CV, ‘24)
Joules Recana (PM, ‘25)

The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 2024 Artist of the Year. The program highlighted over 800 talented students from across the county, 84 of which were OCSA students:

NOMINEES

Dance
Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24)
Gabriel Cho (BR, ‘24)
Kameron Couch (CMD, ‘25)
Violet Lopiccola (BCD, ‘24)
Avril Martinez (BF, ‘24)
Daniella Morales (BCD, ‘24)

Film and TV
Ramone Hamilton (FTV, ‘24)
Ella Lindner (FTV, ‘24)
Quentin Marino (FT, ‘24)
Diego Andres Terán (FTV, ‘24)

Fine Arts
Isabella Chiodo (VA, ‘25)
Luke Furca (VA, ‘24)
Clara Kye (VA, ‘24)
Jonathan Leanos-Villanueva (VA, ‘25)
Alex Maldonado (VA, ‘24)
Ciel Mitrovich (VA, ‘24)
Eunice Yoonsu Oh (VA, ‘24)
Claudia Tsai (VA, ‘24)
Jenny Wang (VA, ‘25)
Cindy Zhang (VA, ‘24)

Instrumental Music
Maddox Kennerson (PM, ‘25)
Damian Paul (IM, ‘24)
Aadya Sharma (IM, ‘24)

Media Arts
Violet Adams (VA, ‘24)
Rafael Carrera (DM, ‘24)
Ash Chiov (DM, ‘25)
Robert Martin (DM, ‘24)
Seito Miwa (DM, ‘25)
Fatima Nguyen (VA, ‘24)
Valerie Truc-Mai Nguyen (VA, ‘25)
Victoria Phan (DM, ‘25)
Adrian Resendiz (FTV, ‘24)
Allyn Richardson (IA, ‘24)
Alyssa Uy (VA, ‘24)
Jorryn Voegele (VA, ‘24)
Jhernice Yandoc (DM, ‘25)
Jessica Yang (IA, ‘24)

Theater
Grace Abbott (ACT, ‘24)
Chloe Deutschman (MT, ‘24)
Lukas Loza (PD, ‘24)
Hannah Osier (IA, ‘24)
Isabella Rivas (ACT, ‘24)
Levi Sternshein (ACT, ‘24)

Vocal Music
Lal Besir (CV, ‘25)
Asher Hinton (PM, ‘24)
Estella Sky Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Hugo Nguyen (PM, ‘24)
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)

Zabethah Bagnol (PD, ‘26) was awarded both academic and achievement scholarships from Savannah College of Art and Design. Zabethah was recognized for her work with the Eco Fashion Club, which promotes awareness of the violence fashion perpetuates against our environment and humanity, as well as for her recycled dictionary dress displayed at the Bowers Museum and original work DiscriminAsian, which advocates for education regarding the prevention of violence against Asians.

Vanessa Cortez, OCSA conservatory instructor and Thespians director, received her certification in Ethnic Studies Education from the University of California, Riverside. Her achievement will help create a classroom environment that represents diverse student perspectives, produces culturally competent and global citizens, and celebrates diversity as a commitment to greater social change.

Ella He (IM, ‘27), Emma He (IM, ‘25), Katelyn Hu (BCD, ‘24), Bryce Leng (CV, ‘24), and Angel Shen (CV, ‘25) performed together at the Ninth Annual Lantern Festival at the Segerstrom Concert Hall with over 2,000 people in attendance. Katelyn and Angel performed traditional cultural dance forms as part of the Chinese Dance Company of Southern California. Emma played the Dizi (Chinese Flute), Ella played the Guzheng (Chinese Harp), and Bryce played the Erhu (Chinese Violin) with the South Coast Chinese Orchestra. They have also volunteered their time by participating in various community festivals within the greater Orange County area in the last few years.

Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26) won third place in the OC Marathon for his division (Male 15 & Under). He was also selected as a soloist for the September 2024 Chamber Music Series with the Los Angeles Youth Philharmonic after playing double bass in the honors orchestras for both the California Orchestra Directors Association and Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association.

Stephen Amsler (Elective Taekwondo Teacher) traveled to the Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea to test for his eighth-degree black belt. The process took months and involved a rigorous protocol that included a written 7,000 word thesis, a Board review of his curriculum vitae, submitting a five-hour work-out session, participating in a physical test with three Grand Master Instructors from the Board, and a video submission review from the Kukkiwon Technical Committee. Mr. Amsler successfully completed all the 8th degree black belt requirements and received Grand Master Instructor Status. There are only 305 8th degree black belts that reside in the United States – a one in a million percentile of the country’s population.

Katie Cruz (MT, ‘23) was offered her first professional contract from La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts for their production of “The Little Mermaid.” Katie performed as Arista in the ensemble cast.

Miley Jane Gavarrete (MT, ‘26) was cast as Midge Mahoney at the Yorba Linda Spotlight Theater Company’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” The comedy-musical focuses on six adolescents navigating the pressures of both the titular competition and their teenage years.

Bryce Leng (CV, ‘24) was featured in 2024 social media advertisements for the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). Bryce is a standing member of the OCTA Teen Council, which builds leadership and teamwork skills through various discussions and projects. One of the main promotional videos Bryce was a part of is the Youth Ride Free program through OCTA. Watch the Reel through the following link: https://bit.ly/3yKiT3Z

Ella He (IM, ‘27), Emma He (IM, ‘25), and Bryce Leng (CV, ‘24) performed with the South Coast Chinese Orchestra at the Grammy Museum in February. This cross-cultural celebration for the Year of the Dragon marked the first time a Chinese orchestra group performed at the venue.

Emily Leo (CAH, ‘25), Max Madsen (CAH, ‘26), Tira Smith (CAH, ‘24), and Cynthia Zhou (CAH, ‘26) were crowned 2024 National Restaurant ProStart Invitational Champions in Baltimore, Maryland. They were coached by Chefs Paola Costa (Conservatory Instructor) and Daniel Mattos (Conservatory Director). The restaurant management team went up against 48 other teams from across the country and presented the winning concept of Teddy’s – a sports-centered restaurant that serves breakfast all day. Each member earned $10,000 worth of scholarships from Nationals, including other prizes such as books, journals, cutting boards, Yetis, and more. The event was also covered in an article by “Restaurant Business”, which can be read by visiting: https://bit.ly/3VeOB0T

The following OCSA students, representing 13 conservatories, raised over $30,000 for Maui Wildfire victims by volunteering and sharing their talents at the Music for Maui Benefit Concert and Pop-up Events.

Katie Baker (IM, ‘25)
Carleigh Beckner (CV, ‘26)
Hank Braverman (PM, ‘26)
Olivia Bullock (CV, ‘26)
Natalia Campos (ACT, ‘27)
Natalia Caraveo (CV ‘25)
Tiffany Carr (CV, ‘26)
Cosi Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘25)
Trent Chickering (PM, ‘26)
Grant Conroy (CV, ‘25)
Ashwin Desai (PM, ‘26)
Kira Efimenko (DM, ‘26)
Hayden Ficht (PD, ‘25)
Caitlin Francisco (PM, ‘25)
Gianna Gourley (MT, ‘27)
Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘27)
Evani Gulati (MT, ‘26)
Julian Gwin (MT, ‘26)
Claire Harmsen (PM, ‘26)
Hanna Heger (CW, ‘26)
Matthew Henderson (CV, ‘25)
Zane Hermann (PM, ‘25)
Lucy Hunter (FTV, ‘26)
Sky Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Alyssa Kim (MT, ‘26)
Avni Krishnamoorthy (PM, ‘26)
Emma Ladisky (MT, ‘26)
Ayn Liu (CAH, ‘26)
David Liu (CAH, ‘25)
Liam Majerus (BR, ‘27)
Sydney Malone (CV, ‘26)
Rylee Miyoshi (BR, ‘28)
Paige Morgan (CV, ‘25)

The following OCSA students, representing 13 conservatories, raised over $30,000 for Maui Wildfire victims by volunteering and sharing their talents at the Music for Maui Benefit Concert and Pop-up Events.

Ella Mortensen (CV, ‘25)
Leah Navarro (CV, ‘26)
Elysse Nguyen (MT, ‘26)
Saya Nishimura (IM, ‘26)
Kai Orozco (JS, ‘26)
Alec Ortega-Fosado (CV, ‘25)
Caroline Risk (VA, ‘26)
Xavier Saenze (PM, ‘29)
Zaid Salazar (CV, ‘26)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24)
Haley Scott (CW, ‘26)
Nikki Smith (CV, ‘25)
Teresa Smith (MT ‘26)
Adam Strychaz (CAH, ‘26)
Heather Torres-Cancino (BR, ‘26)
Alessandra Venegas (CAH, ‘26)
Sophia Vernon (MT, ‘26)
Lavinia Watkins (CV, ‘26)
Aniya Wilkins (ACT, ‘26)
James Williams (BR, ‘26)
Jack Wilson (CV, ‘25)
Paxton Wong (CV, ‘25)
Cynthia Zhang (BR, ‘27)

Habitat for Humanity OCSA was the first student club in Orange County to be approved for a playhouse build. The custom playhouse, built and painted by OCSA students, was placed at the Boys & Girls Club of Garden Grove for children to enjoy.

The following OCSA students were recipients of the 2024 Dragon Kim Foundation Fellowship. The Dragon Kim Fellowship program includes six months of training, mentorship, and hands-on leadership to help students launch community-changing project ideas from start to finish. Some OCSA students worked together for their projects, while some worked alongside students from other schools. See below for the project names and their OCSA fellows.

Community Canvas
Luke Shin (VA, ‘25)
Olivia Yun (VA, ‘25)

Heart-to-Art
Vedant Dayal (CW, ‘25)
Ashima Sharma (CW, ‘25)

Little Steps
Samantha Bailey (VA, ‘26)
Maiya Leung (DM, ‘26)
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26)

Malama
Ava Villacorta (MT, ‘27)

Meal Mentors
Elizabeth Bancroft (BR, ‘26)
Stella Mulholland (CAH, ‘26)
Talia Rosenblatt (AE, ‘26)

The Joy of Dance
Aaron Chang (CMD, ‘26)
Devin Vo (IA, ‘25)

Orinoco Foxlin (PM, ‘29) earned multiple awards for technical theatre and vocals at the Musical Theatre Competitions of America (MTCA). She won First Place for Vocal Duet, Second Place for Middle School Costume Design, and Third Place for High School Set Design. The concept behind her set and costume designs was an alternate land of Oz where everything was made from candy – inspired in part by Hansel and Gretel.

The following OCSA Honors Chemistry students earned Fifth Place among all Orange County schools for their combined scores in the First-Year American Chemical Society (ACS) competition. They received a team plaque at the ACS banquet.

Marcello Bui (ACT, ‘26)
Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26) – Top Scorer
Lila Olson (IA, ‘26)
Rohan Soni (PM, ‘26)
Gloria Xiong (IA, ‘26)
Charlotte Yoh (VA, ‘26)
Lauren Young (VA, ‘26)

Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25), Micah Lai (FTV, ‘25), Matthew Martono (IM, ‘25), Liam Ramos (IM, ‘24), Joshua Ta (IA, ‘24), and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) competed in the 2024 VEX Robotics California State Championship event. Together as Team Charles 92782A, they qualified for this event by winning the Excellence Award at an earlier tournament in their season.

Ava Villacorta (MT, ‘27) performed in the LA Opera’s run of Giacomo Puccini’s “Turandot” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Downtown Los Angeles. Puccini’s Turandot contains imagined, outdated, and inaccurate representations of Asian culture; however, LA Opera worked in consultation with the Asian Opera Alliance, who offered input on how to present the work with greater consciousness, care, and context, while maintaining fidelity to the original opera.

Leah Navarro (CV, ‘26) and Lilah Navarro (IM, ‘26) were named Petition Choir Scholars by the Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano’s Music Ministry Program. The Music Ministry Program has several music ensembles for their celebrations and raises money for scholarships like this one.

Kelly Halliburton (CW, ‘25) was selected as a Save The Children’s National Youth Champion. The National Youth Champion program is a new opportunity for young activists to make a bigger impact for kids and stay committed to making a difference in their communities. Kelly, alongside five other champions, were invited to Washington D.C. to meet with Capitol Hill lawmakers and leaders of Save The Children.

Luke Shin (VA, ‘25), Ella Tran (VA, ‘25), and Olivia Yun (VA, ‘25) were featured at the LGBTQ Center of Orange County’s annual Gala, where they created a live painting that auctioned for nearly $3,000. Fifty percent of the money raised was given to their club, Community Canvas, which aims to uplift and encapsulate the stories and cultures of underrepresented communities in Orange County through the use of murals.

Violet Adams (VA, ‘24) received a Gold Award for her work in the Girl Scouts of America. Violet was awarded this prestigious title for her leadership within her troop and for completing a project that received high remarks.

OCSA’s Junior Thespian Troupe 6826 attended the California State Thespian Festival in Upland, where they participated in workshops, staged readings, group numbers, and the Thespy awards. The following students received awards, along with multiple superior ratings and scholarships.

Malia Chisick (MT, ‘25) - Second Place, Musical Theatre Duet
Samantha Divis (MT, ‘25) - Second Place, Musical Theatre Duet
Daniel Grossgold (IA, ‘24) - First Place, Musical Theatre Duet
Bella Lloyd (MT, ‘25) - First Place, Musical Theatre Duet
Chloe Ness (CV, ‘24) - Judge’s Choice, Musical Theatre Solo
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25) - First Place, Playwriting

Bella Lloyd (MT, ‘25) was selected as one of eight State Thespian Officers (STO) for California. STO is one of the highest honors for a California Thespian student. She not only represents OCSA’s Thespian Troupe 6826, she also represents the state of California as a student board member.

The following OCSA students placed or received honorable mentions in their respective categories at the 2024 VO-CAL live competition at California State University, Long Beach.

Classical - Ages 12-13; “L’ho perduta”
Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) - Second Place
Samantha Shelly (CV, ‘29) - First Place

Classical - Age 14 (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Treble); “The Little Horses”
Simran Goyal (CV, ‘28) - Second Place
Lubaina Habib (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention
Olivia Song (CV, ‘28) - First Place

Classical - Ages 14-15 (Tenor, Baritone, Bass); “Amarilli, mia bella”
Liam Posos (CV, ‘28) - Third Place
Zachary Yoshimura (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention

Classical - Age 15 (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Treble); “The Year’s at the Spring”
Juliette Eitel (CV, ‘27)

Classical - Age 16 (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Treble); “Se Florindo e fedele”
Celine Curtis (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26) - Second Place

Classical - Ages 16-18 (Tenor, Baritone, Bass); “Vecchia zimarra”
William Bolin (CV, ‘24) - First Place
Henry Courney (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention

Classical - Ages 17-18 (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor); “Batti, batti”
Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) - Second Place
Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25) - Third Place
Eliza Tait (CV, ‘25) - Honorable Mention

Commercial Music - Ages 14-15; “Easy on Me”
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (PM, ‘27) - First Place
Leyla Ton (PM, ‘28) - Second Place

Musical Theatre - Age 13; “Out There”
Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) - Second Place
Kristin Mamangun (MT, ‘29) - Third Place
Enzo Passalacqua (MT, ‘28) - First Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 14-15 (Group 1); “Santa Fe”
Anya Mulay (MT, ‘28) - Second Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 14-15 (Group 2); “Screw Loose”
Asmi Aggarwal (CV, ‘27) - Honorable Mention
Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘27) - Second Place
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (PM, ‘27) - Third Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 14-15 (Group 3); “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”
Amber Bach (CV, ‘26) - Third Place
Juliette Eitel (CV, ‘27) - Second Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 16-18 (Group 2); “I Don’t Need a Roof”
Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) - Third Place
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention

Musical Theatre - Ages 16-18 (Group 3); “Be a Lion”
Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25) - Second Place
Eliza Tait (CV, ‘25) - Honorable Mention

The following OCSA students placed or received honorable mentions in their respective categories at the 2024 VO-CAL live competition at California State University, Long Beach.

Commercial Music - Ages 14-15; “Easy on Me”
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (PM, ‘27) - First Place
Leyla Ton (PM, ‘28) - Second Place

Musical Theatre - Age 13; “Out There”
Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) - Second Place
Kristin Mamangun (MT, ‘29) - Third Place
Enzo Passalacqua (MT, ‘28) - First Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 14-15 (Group 1); “Santa Fe”
Anya Mulay (MT, ‘28) - Second Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 14-15 (Group 2); “Screw Loose”
Asmi Aggarwal (CV, ‘27) - Honorable Mention
Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘27) - Second Place
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (PM, ‘27) - Third Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 14-15 (Group 3); “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”
Amber Bach (CV, ‘26) - Third Place
Juliette Eitel (CV, ‘27) - Second Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 16-18 (Group 2); “I Don’t Need a Roof”
Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) - Third Place
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention

Musical Theatre - Ages 16-18 (Group 3); “Be a Lion”
Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25) - Second Place
Eliza Tait (CV, ‘25) - Honorable Mention

OCSA’s Junior Thespian Troupe 6826 participated in the Junior Thespian Festival hosted on OCSA’s campus. All participating middle school students received Superior Thespy awards, while also receiving two Judge’s Choice Awards and one First Place title as a group. Listed below are OCSA students who won an award.

Rohan Ganesan (ACT, ‘28)
Finn Pauley-Rodriguez (ACT, ‘28)
Daniel Peters (ACT, ‘28)
Kayleigh Thompson (ACT, ‘29)
Macy Wong (IA, ‘29)

Junjin Huang (IM, ‘29) and Junyu Huang (IM, ‘29) won First Place in the 2024 Concordia Music Competition. The twin brothers played the Baroque piece “Concerto in G major for Two Violas” by J.P. Telemann.

Edward Chen (IA, ‘24) was named a 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts for demonstrating academic and artistic excellence. Having first been named a YoungArts Winner for Dance in 2023, Edward was one of just twenty students selected in 2024 as the nation’s most talented young artists.

William Bolin (CV, ‘24), Edward Chen (IA, ‘24), Amy Jong (IM, ‘24), and Jamie Jung (CW, ‘24) were selected among 625 semifinalists to advance to the final round of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars competition.

The following OCSA students below received recognition at the 29th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival, hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center. These students performed as part of OCSA’s Ambassador Jazz Orchestra, which was one of just 15 competition finalists chosen from schools across the nation.

Emmet Althoen (IM, ‘28) - Outstanding Piano
Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25) - Outstanding Soprano Sax
James Dechary (IM, ‘24) - Outstanding Trombone
Allison Molin (IM, ‘25) - Honorable Mention Trumpet
Ian Shin (IM, ‘24) - Outstanding Trumpet
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) - Outstanding Piano
Emily Vu (IM, ‘24) - Honorable Mention Alto Sax

Jim Stevens (FTV, ‘06 and Elective Instructor) directed the documentary “A Fight to Save Lives” in collaboration with Magic House Anaheim and the awareness project Facing Fentanyl. The film focuses on addiction recovery and promoting awareness of the fentanyl drug crisis in the United States. Mr. Stevens’ directorial project premiered at OCSA’s FTV Winter Cineplex. Read more it here: https://bit.ly/4cbeGot

The following OCSA Taekwondo students successfully tested to higher level belts in April. Spearheaded by 8th degree black beIt Stephen Amsler (Elective Teacher), it was the largest graduation to date of OCSA students.

3rd Degree Black Belt
Chili Sloop (VA, ‘24)
Luke Stark (FTV, ‘24)

2nd Degree Black Belt
Jenna Ho (VA, ‘26)
John Kuli (ACT, ‘26)
Nikun Liu (CV, ‘26)
Eleazar Reiner (CW, ‘26)
Luke Sakurai (IM, ‘26)

1st Degree Black Belt
Milan Albert-Holty (CW, ‘25)
Roman Elson (ACT, ‘26)
Grace Fleischmann (VA, ‘25)
Jaya Gandhi (CW, ‘25)
Tristan Gude (ACT, ‘26)
Carissa Hahn (IM, ‘27)
Yein Han (CW, ‘25)
Ksena Eve Jenkins (IA, ‘26)
Micah Kay (PD, ‘26)
Brendan Knox (PM, ‘25)
Ruby Lau (CW, ‘27)
Alana Liang (CV, ‘26)
Emma Nevell (PM, ‘27)
Erica Park (FTV, ‘27)
Nino Raimondo (IA, ‘27)
Cole Schulein (CAH, ‘25)
Thomas Song (IM, ‘25)
Dylan Spence (VA, ‘26)
Amina Straughn (VA, ‘27)

Selina You (BR, ‘27) competed in the Blackpool Junior Dance Festival in England – one of the biggest competitions for Ballroom Dance in the world. She earned Fourth Place after competing in four rounds to get into the final top eight.

Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24) won the Schmidt Vocal Competition National Award after advancing from Regionals. She was honored with First Place out of hundreds of student singers from across the nation. Lilliana was also a recipient of the Regents Scholarship at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Regent Scholars are selected by a UCLA faculty committee on the basis of exceptional academic achievement and promise.

Ballet Folklórico Conservatory students took part in Boot Barn’s summer media campaign that included a film and photo shoot on location.

Miaad Bushala (PM, ‘21) led a class at University of California, Berkeley called Artistry and Entrepreneurship: Taylor’s Version. The course focused on the business strategies and impact of Taylor Swift. The course caught the attention of CBS who interviewed Miaad and her students about this business course. Watch the video here: https://bit.ly/4bO2WbT

Six students from Commercial Dance (CMD) were cast in Music Theatre West’s production of “42nd Street.”

Olivia Liddi (CMD, ‘26)
Makaela McCosar (CMD, ‘26)
Ariel Tello (CMD, ‘26)
Elizabeth Weber (CMD, ‘27)
Emma Rose Williams (CMD, ‘26)
Sophia Grace Williams (CMD, ‘25)

They were also featured in an article about the show: https://bit.ly/45cnbNT

Tobias Izenberg (CW, ‘23), Emma Kay (PM, ‘23), Emily Kim (CW, ‘24), and Jocelyn Wang (PM, ‘23) were featured in the Orange County Register article “Pictures of the Year” in December 2023. The picture, which was featured in February Favorites, showed the students’ celebration when they won against El Dorado High School at the Orange County Mock Trial Competition, hosted by the Constitutional Rights Foundation at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. To read the article, please visit https://bit.ly/4c2MEvy

Noah Granados (ACT, ‘23), Jordan Held (FTV, ‘23), and Caleb Malis (IA, ‘23) were honored by The American Pavilion’s 2024 Emerging Filmmaker Showcase for their work on “Ovaryacting.” The film was selected and announced at the Cannes-hosted The American Pavilion showcase and screened at the American Library in Paris.

Sasha Tolkachev (MT, ‘27) starred as Agatha Trunchbull in “Matilda Jr.” at Tustin’s Top Hat 8 Reparatory (TH8R). The all-teen cast, ages 12-18, performed multiple shows at TH8R.

Grant Conroy (CV, ‘25) and Quinn Conroy (MT, ‘27) created an organization called “Diabetes High” to promote awareness of Type 1 Diabetes among middle and high school students. They worked with numerous school districts to get #SeeTheSigns posters in 127 school health offices. The #SeeTheSigns posters point out early warning signs for Type 1 Diabetes and have the potential to reach hundreds of school nurses and over 135,000 students. Grant and Quinn also arranged for the posters to be translated into Mandarin, Vietnamese, Korean and Portuguese to reach a broader audience in the diverse school system and the global audience of the organization BeyondType1. Through "Diabetes High," they started the OCSA Diabetes Awareness Club and have set up an online portal for students from around the country to start their own diabetes awareness clubs at their schools. The OCSA club participates in the Support Breakthrough T1D Walk and has raised over $9,000 for diabetes research and programs.

Anthony Terricciano (BCD, ‘26) was accepted to the three-week American Ballet Theater Summer Intensive in Tampa, Florida. The program provides the opportunity to work with master teachers to focus on the development and implementation of a variety of ballet techniques.

Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) took second place in Pacific Symphony’s Opera Focus competition and was also presented with a California Legislature Assembly Resolution in recognition of her hardwork and success in vocal study/performance, academics, community service, and overall character.

Preston Walker (BCD, ‘26) will be taking a sabbatical from OCSA in order to join the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company in Chicago for the 2024-2025 academic year, after first attending the Juilliard Summer Dance Intensive. Additionally, he has earned scholarships from Petite Oasis and Laguna Dance Festival, as well as monetary prizes from placing in regional national ballet competitions. Preston has also performed as a soloist at the Lincoln Center after advancing to the final round at the Youth America Grand Prix in New York.

Cassady Lorentzen (PM, ‘29) qualified to be on the 2024-2025 Sailing National Team for the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) and will be representing the USA at the IODA North American Championships in Puerto Rico.

Aubrey Banaag (BCD, ‘27) and Preston Walker (BCD, ‘26) participated in the American Dance Competition’s Youth International Ballet Competition Finals in St. Petersburg, Florida. Aubrey placed 18th overall in the Female Division and Preston was the Senior Division’s Grand Prix recipient.

Joel Carrasco (IM, ‘25) participated in the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus 2024 Emerging Artists competition. Joel was awarded Best Performance of a Contemporary Work for his rendition of “Funk the String” by Aleksey Igudesman.

William Chung (PD, ‘26) competed at the 2024 Western Kendo Federation Spring Tournament, the Japanese martial art competition held at the Fullerton Community Center. He was awarded Second Place in the Individual 16-18 Year division and First Place in the Best Team A division.

Kaitlyn Molletti (CW, ‘27) submitted a play to the Young Writers Project, an outreach program through the Theatre of NOTE in Los Angeles that works with high school students on developing and producing theatre pieces. Kaitlyn’s ten-minute play was chosen to be performed at the theatre.

The OCSA Tennis Team defeated Marina High School and won the Final at their league tournament at the Cabrillo Tennis Center/Matchpoint Tennis Academy in Santa Ana. The OCSA Tennis Team is a USTA junior tennis-sanctioned team coached by Danny Salloum. The following students comprise the team.

Charles Blumling (IA, ‘25)
James Conroy (CV, ‘25)
Quinn Conroy (BR, ‘27)
Megan Demeter (DM, ‘27)
Armaan Diwan (IM, ‘27)
Evan Jo (VA, ‘25)
Aleena Khan (IA, ‘28)
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25)
Kyle Siu (CW, ‘25)
Leah Siu (DM, ‘27)
Teagan Spiak (AE, ‘26)

The following OCSA Advanced Placement Chemistry students collectively placed fourth out of 33 Orange County schools in the local section exam for the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad. The top four scorers will be honored at an awards dinner presented by the Orange County Section of the American Chemical Society. This local exam is the first stepping stone of many, with an opportunity to compete internationally.

Dane Bergman (IA, ‘24) - Top Scorer
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25)
James Conroy (CV, ‘25)
Natalie Hoffman (CW, ‘25)
Jessica Hong (CW, ‘24)
Hennah Kim (CW, ‘25)
Micah Lai (FTV, ‘25)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

OCSA’s Model United Nations (MUN) Team took part in the Laguna Beach Invitational MUN Conference at Laguna Beach High School. Under the guidance of Lana Sawalha (History Instructor and MUN Advisor), five students received Winning Gavels (Best Delegate Award).

The following Classical Voice (CV) students performed selections from Gaetano Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment at the Soka Performing Arts Center. The concert was sponsored by the Parnassus Society and featured internationally-renowned tenor John Osborne, soprano Lynette Tapia, and bass Mattia Venni. Students were prepared by Dr. David Clemensen (Classical Voice Instructor), while Ryan Reithmeier (Classical Voice Conservatory Directory) sang the role of the Corporal. Alyssa Wills and William Reeder (Classical Voice Instructors) joined the ensemble.

Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25)
Lal Besir (CV, ‘25)
William Bolin (CV, ‘24)
Hope Bradley (CV, ‘26)
Henry Chung (CV, ‘26)
Henry Courtney (CV, ‘26)
Celine Curtis (CV, ‘26)
Matthew Henderson (CV, ‘25)
Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29)
Vincent Lu (CV, ‘26)
Michael Ma (CV, ‘27)
Alec Ortega-Fosado (CV, ‘26)
Ashton Ortega-Fosado (CV, ‘27)
Liam Posos (CV, ‘28)
Zaid Salazar (CV, ‘26)
Cian Sheridan (CV, ‘24)
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26)
Adam Suh (CV, ‘24)
Lavinia Watkins (CV, ‘26)
Jack Wilson (CV, ‘26)
Paxton Wong (CV, ‘25)
Maxwell Yen (CV, ‘24)
Jaden Yoo (CV, ‘25)
William Yu (CV, ‘26)

Jadon Wu (IM, ‘25) was the First Place winner of the Antelope Valley Symphony Concerto Competition. As a winner, he was invited to play piano in a concert with the Antelope Valley Symphonic Orchestra.

Jimena Alcocer (BF, ‘26), Fabian Elias (BF, ‘26), Lilia Muniz (Conservatory/Electives Instructor), and Brian Stevens (Director of Community Engagement) were invited to present information about the OCSA Connects Community Arts Festival at the Santa Ana Arts and Culture Commission. Their presentation promoted the significance of OCCAF and included a small dance number for the commission.

Ryan Reithmeier (Classical Voice Conservatory Director) performed the baritone solos for Johannes Brahms’ Ein deutsches requiem with the Cathedral Singers at the St. John’s Concert Series on St. Patrick’s Day. The performance marks Dr. Reithmeier’s 10th year in residency at the concert series. As a baritone soloist, he has performed solos for numerous cantatas of J.S. Bach, the Durufle Requiem, and many others.

The following students attended the National History Day (NHD) Awards Ceremony. Five students advanced to State and were given the opportunity to compete in Sacramento with nearly 1,600 other talented students nationwide. Samantha Bailey (VA, ‘26) and Emily Yi (VA, ‘26) won the National Qualifier for their research, titled “Nauseating a Nation: How the Jungle Turned the Stomach of America Into Legislation,” and will represent California in the National Championships at the University of Maryland.

Advanced to Nationals
Samantha Bailey (VA, ‘26)
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26)

Advanced to State
Samantha Bailey (VA, ‘26)
Jamie Jung (CW, ‘24)
Aarav Putrevu (CAH, ‘26)
Julianne Wu (DM, ‘27)
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26)

Runner Ups
Harlo Cozzens (ACT, ‘25)
Harah Lee (VA, ‘26)