STATE OF THE ART

Noah Flores (VA, ‘28) and his baseball team, The Dirtbags, won the SoCal Intermediate Tournament of Champions in June, capping off their undefeated season 18-0. In July, Noah also took Third Place in the 13-and-under Small Ball category at the United States Handball Association (USHA) Junior Three Wall National Tournament. In addition, he received First Place in the Big Ball Doubles category of the Junior Vasquez State Three Wall Championship.

Asher Hinton (PM, ‘24) won First Place in the Teen Division at the Unsigned Only Music Competition with his original song “Whisper.” He competed against other recording artists from around the world and was judged by well-respected figures in the music industry.

Ethan Baker (IA, ‘26) won the Junior Division Gold Medal at the Orange Coast Mixed Foil Competition in Santa Ana. Foil is one of three types of weaponry used in the sport of fencing.

Juliet Garbacz (MT) moved to London, England to attend The Upper School at the Royal Ballet. This school, accredited by the University of Roehampton, allows students ages 16-19 to train in classical ballet and eventually earn a BA in Classical Ballet and Dance Performance. Around 100 students representing 17 different countries attend each school year.

Ryley Gamez (PD, ‘24) played scare-actor Catawampus this fall at Knott’s Scary Farm and was featured in the Origins: Curse of Calico Maze. The costume, weighing twenty pounds, required six-inch platform shoes and a five-pound head.

Social Studies instructor and Model United Nations club advisor Lana Sawalha was named an Outstanding Educator by the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. Ms. Sawalha received this honor due to her excellent educational leadership skills and her efforts to enter multiple OCSA student projects in the 2023 National Discovery Award Competition, which gives students in grades 4-12 the opportunity to use their creative talents to tell the remarkable stories of unsung heroes who have inspired change.

Aubrey Banaag (BCD, ‘27) was accepted into the Royal Ballet School of London, England, where she trained for two weeks over the summer. Of the 28 students accepted worldwide into this program, Aubrey was one of five from the USA and the only student from California. Aubrey also won Third Place in the Junior Classical Dance category in the San Diego regional competition of the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP).

Maggie Moland (ACT, ‘24) was cast as Regan MacNeil in John Pielmeier’s new stage adaptation of the novel “The Exorcist,” performed at Golden West College Theater.

West Mulholland (ACT, ‘23) was cast in the role of Mitch Crenshaw in MGM and David Slade’s Halloween horror film “Dark Harvest.” This movie takes place in a midwestern town in the 1960’s, where teenagers must ensure a good harvest by spending every Halloween hunting down a mythical creature. The movie premiered in select theatres and is now available on streaming services.

Alexa Wildish (MT, ‘06) performed on season 24 of “The Voice” and all the coaches turned toward her as she sang a rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird.” Alexa was chosen to be on Niall Horan’s team and made it to the Playoff episode.

Jamie Jung (CW, ‘24) received a $500 Honorable Mention in the 2023 Discovery Award Competition through the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. For the competition, Jamie recited a 10-minute monologue on Marth Lum and the fight to end school segregation for Chinese Americans in the 1920’s.

Milo Karnes (IA, ‘24) and Abbi Park (CW, ‘24) earned perfect scores on their AP Research exam, making them part of a select group of only 1.26% of students worldwide who received this distinction.

Science instructors and Science Olympiad coaches Jessica Daniel and Heather Jonson were featured alongside their Science Olympiad students in a promotional television spot sponsored by L’Oreal Paris, which premiered during “LEGO Masters” on FOX. The video spotlights women in STEM. To watch, please visit: https://bit.ly/3sYs9zc

Science instructor and Science Olympiad coach Heather Jonson was invited by NASA to attend the launch of their Psyche mission at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The goal of the Psyche mission is to send a spacecraft to a unique metal asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.

Miley Jane Gavarrete (MT, ‘26) was cast in the Broadway On Tour Youth Theater’s production of “Les Misérables” in July 2023 at the Ebell Theater of Santa Ana.

Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24) was featured in the Orange County Register for her recycling program that has gone national. She started a non-profit called the Recycling Dictionary that holds workshops across Orange County to educate younger students about smart recycling practices. In addition, Jiin authored a children’s book about recycling and developed an app that offers details on whether and how to recycle more than 500 common items. To read more, please visit: https://bit.ly/3t4XxvJ

Alisa Melendez (MT, ‘16) was cast as the lead of Sophie in the “Mamma Mia!” San Diego Tour. She was also featured in San Diego Magazine in an article that highlights her journey as a stage performer and her passion for her hometown of San Diego. To read the San Diego Magazine article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3TdKPFz

The following students were named semifinalists for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program. The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic scholarship competition, where students can receive recognition and university scholarships. Semifinalists are recognized for their academic and extracurricular achievements, putting these students in a pool of less than 1% of high schoolers in the nation.

Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)
Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24)
Joseph Ho (IM, ‘24)
Tane Kim (IM, ‘24)
Katerina Malabarba (CW, ‘24)
Elise Park (FTV, ‘24)
Aadya Sharma (IM, ‘24)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)
Luke Toner (IM, ‘24)
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)
Lacole Yang (CW, ‘24)
James Yi (CW, ‘24)
Xinchun Zhang (IM, ‘24)

For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/41cHgkX

Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25) was invited to play tenor saxophone at the Herbie Hancock Institute’s annual All-Star Concert Gala in New York, one of the most prestigious national jazz events.

Acting instructor and past director of OCSA Thespians Donald Amerson and Acting instructor and current director of OCSA Thespians Vanessa Cortez, along with Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25), Mia Geise (MT, ‘24), Atalia Lewis (MT, ‘24), Maggie Moland (ACT, ‘24), attended the International Thespian Festival (ITF) at the University of Indiana in Bloomington. ITF is a week-long showcase where young thespians can take workshops and show off their skills. At the festival, Atalia won an award for Solo Musical and Maggie won an award for Solo Acting.

JJ Barton (PM, ‘26) and his band, Duct Tape, played live at the renowned Hollywood venue Whisky a Go Go on Sunset Boulevard. JJ is the lead vocalist for Duct Tape, a classic-rock, edgy hits band.

Cristian Fatu, an instructor in the Instrumental Music Conservatory – Strings & Orchestra Program, was featured on the cover of the See Beyond Magazine September/October 2023 Edition. The corresponding article focused on his career and the challenges and triumphs he has experienced as a musician. To read the article, please visit: https://bit.ly/48o02sj

Prestyn Smith (PM, ‘25) was spotlighted in an article by the Sun Newspapers of Seal Beach. The article focuses on her background in music and the groups she plays in: the PBJ Trio and Accidental Tendencies. Prestyn also released her first solo single in September. To read more, please visit: https://bit.ly/47WPYX2

Nicole Morris (MT, ‘16) was featured on Spectrum News 1 for her involvement as an ensemble cast member in the “Les Misérables” Southern California tour, which performed at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts this past year. In her interview, she spoke about her early love for the theatre, friendships she has made on tour, and her other stage experiences. To watch/read more, please visit: https://bit.ly/47Msns6

Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) was named one of the Best U.S. High Schools for 2023-2024 by US News & World Report. OCSA was ranked #38 in California and #264 in the nation. For full rankings, please visit: https://bit.ly/2SMHqQZ

The following students represented OCSA at the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar at the University of San Diego. This event is a three-day leadership development program that empowers attendees to make positive changes in their communities.

Skylar Christensen (MT, ‘25)
Natalie Hoffman (CW, ‘25)
Ella West Jerrier (FTV, ‘25)
Sky Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Caitlin Kim (ACT, ‘25)
Isabella Kim (ACT, ‘25)
Abriella Nicolalde (MT, ‘25)

William Chung (PD, ‘26) won Third Place in the Junior Boy’s Team tournament of the 15th Annual All United States Kendo Federation National Championships at Oakland University in Michigan. Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art that uses bamboo swords as well as protective armor.

Albert Hacker (IM, ‘26) and Vincent Hacker (IM, ‘28) were invited to Carnegie Hall to perform piano and violin, respectively, in the Winners’ Concert for the American Association for Development of the Gifted and Talented (AADGT) Passion of Music Festival. The AADGT music festival is an opportunity for young musicians around the world to get integrated into the classical music world and spread its culture. Albert also earned First Place in the International Young Artist Piano Competition in Washington, D.C.

Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) was voted the Best Charter School in Orange County for 2023 in the 21st Annual Reader’s Choice Award from Parenting OC Magazine. To view all of the Reader’s Choice Awards, please visit: https://bit.ly/3GBmORe

Stephanie Dorian Smith, Assistant Director of The El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory, was recognized as a 2023-2024 Individual Artist Fellow and awarded an Established Artist Fellowship from the California Arts Council through Arts Orange County (ArtsOC). This program was developed to recognize, uplift, and celebrate the excellence of California artists and culture bearers. For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/3RvNF6H

Savannah Tweedt (PM, ‘24) was named the champion of the Hit Like a Girl International Contest for female drummers ages 13-17. Hit Like A Girl is one of the biggest, most respected, and influential drumming events in the world.

Zeen Zhou (IM, ‘29) was invited to perform as a violin soloist for the Irvine Classical Players at the Summa Cum Laude International Music Festival in Vienna. Zeen was the youngest violin soloist in the entire 2023 festival.

Jenny Wang (VA, ‘25) won First Place in the Youth Division at the 2023 International Comic-Con Masquerade Contest for her creative skit and handmade costume. This competition was viewed and judged by a crowd of over 7,000 people. To read more about her work, check out the OCSA Blog: https://bit.ly/3Tv6f1p

Skyler Tran (IM, ‘28) and Sterling Tran (IM, ‘27) competed in the 9th Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition for Young Artists in Carmel, Indiana. They performed alongside 200 other contestants from around the world. Skyler won Second Prize in Intermediate Concerto and Third Prize in Intermediate Solo. Sterling won First Prize in Advanced Concerto and First Prize in Advanced Solo.

Hennah Kim (CW, ‘25) was runner-up in the New York Times’ 10th Annual Editorial Contest for her essay, titled “Microplastic Is Enveloping the Earth and My Pajamas Are Helping.” Her piece focused on how microplastics are entangled in our daily lives and their impact on our environment. To read her editorial, please visit: https://bit.ly/3NgVaNr

Kate Um (CV, ‘24) was awarded the Silver Prize in Voice at the Elite International Music Competition in New York. Kate also performed as part of the Winners’ Recital at Carnegie Hall. The Elite International Music Competition is an annual event that accommodates pianists and all instrumentalists, vocalists, and small chamber ensembles ages 6 through 22.

Pedro Pascal (MT, ‘93) was featured in People Magazine’s “100 Reasons to Love America in 2023” as number 47 for “owning his moment.” The article focused on a mix of summer fun, natural beauty, inspiring moments, and opportunities for celebration. Pedro was also nominated for the following three 2023 Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in “The Last of Us,” Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for hosting “Saturday Night Live,” and Outstanding Narrator for “Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World.”

Ethan Leung (DM, ‘23) was accepted to the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) for animation.

Teren Shaffer, Executive Vice President, was featured in an article by the Los Angeles Times Daily Pilot. The article highlights Mr. Shaffer’s appointment to the role.

President & CEO Teren Shaffer was featured in “Modern Luxury” magazine’s “The Power List,” which features the top 50 trailblazers in leadership from Orange County. To read his feature, please visit: https://bit.ly/3Occmlf

Jordan Held (FTV, ‘23), Caleb Malis (IA, ‘23), and Noah Granados (ACT, ‘23) created the short film, “Ovaryacting.” Jordan wrote, directed, produced, and acted in the film. Caleb and Noah also acted in the film. "Ovaryacting" has been selected for eight film festivals and won seven awards, including Best Writer at the SCREEN High School Film Festival, Best Writer and Best Performance for an Actor (Caleb Malis) at WESTFLIX Film Festival, and the Silver Remi Award for Student Film Production at Worldfest: Houston’s International Film Festival. In addition, "Ovaryacting" was a semifinalist at the New Optics Film Festival and an award winner at IndieFEST Film Awards. The film was also selected by the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival and 1 World Student Film Festival to be screened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Please watch here https://youtu.be/LSeyML0J_do

The following students were recognized as grand prize finalists, semifinalists, and finalist award winners in The Music Center’s 34th 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 then auditions once more, and the top two finalist performers in each category are selected for a total of 14 Grand Prize Finalists.

Grand Prize Finalists:

Classical Voice
Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)

Semifinalists:

Ballet
Preston Walker (BCD, ‘26)

Dance
Sammi Chung (CMD, '24)
Ayanna Dowell (CMD, '23)
Andrea Martinez (BF, ‘25)
Mallory McKenna (CMD, '23)
Isabella Silva (IA, ‘26)

Classical Instrumental
Ariana Kim (IM, ‘25)
Calene Lee (CW, '25)

Jazz Instrumental
Ian Shin (IM, ‘24)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

Non-Classical Voice
Joan Park (PM, ‘23)

Classical Voice
Grace Huynh (CV, ‘23)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24)

The following students were recognized by the Vocal Organization of California (VO-CAL) 2023 Voice Competition at California State University, Long Beach. VO-CAL is an organization for Voice Teachers residing in California. The Voice Competition celebrates the following categories; Classical Voice, Musical Theater & Contemporary (CCM).

Musical Theater & Contemporary (Ages 12-13)
Leyla Ton (PM, ‘28) First place

Musical Theater (Age 13)
Anya Mulay (MT, '28) First Place

Musical Theater (Age 14)
Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, '27) First place
Leila Woodward (CV, '27) Second place
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (MT, '27) Third place

Musical Theater (Age 15 Soprano/Mezzo-Soprano/Treble)
Malia Chisick (MT, ‘25) Second place

Musical Theater (Age 16 Soprano/Mezzo-Soprano/Treble)
Lilliana Mindel (CV, '24) First place
Chloe Ness (CV, '24) Third place
Sydney Sublette (CV, '26) Honorable Mention

Musical Theater (Ages 16-18 Tenor/Baritone/Bass)
Jeffrey Yang (CV, '24) Second place

Orange County School of the Arts was awarded the Exemplary School designation by the Arts Schools Network (ASN). This five-year designation is awarded in recognition of a commitment to excellence based on a strategic evaluation that dives into the school’s purpose, operations, and educational programs. ASN will acknowledge OCSA’s achievement at its annual conference and awards ceremony this October in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Arts & Enterprise Conservatory was honored with the Arts Schools Network (ASN) Arts Innovation Award! This award was designed to recognize a school or program that has committed to taking innovative artistic risks to make a positive impact in the lives of students and the community. ASN will acknowledge the conservatory’s achievement at its annual conference and awards ceremony this October in Birmingham, Alabama.

OCSA's award-winning Mock Trial team was recognized for their successes this school year by former Mayor of Santa Ana and current OC Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento.

West Mulholland (ACT, ‘23) was cast as Hunter Drake in “A Great Divide,” which stars Ken Jeong. The film explores the wave of anti-Asian racism and seeks to create empathy and hope.

Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26) was selected for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, High School Honor Group, and performed with them on his double bass. He also ran the Catalina marathon and won first place in his age division, in addition to running the OC Marathon, in which he won third place in his age division with a personal record time of 3:34. With this race, he achieved legacy status for having run his third OC Marathon in a row.

The following students were recognized as grand prize finalists, semifinalists, finalists, and merit award winners in The Music Center’s 34th 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 then auditions once more, and the top two finalist performers in each category are selected for a total of 14 Grand Prize Finalists.

Merit Awards:

Dance
Annie Chen (CMD, ‘26)
Mia Lopez (BF, ‘23)

Classical Instrumental
Lucie Kim (IM, ‘24)
Minjae (Jaden) Kim (IM, ‘25)
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25)

Jazz Instrumental
Allie Molin (IM, ‘25)

Classical Voice
Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Samara Kohne (CV, ‘24)
Lavinia Watkins (CV, ‘26)

Classical Voice Conservatory Director Ryan Riethmeier and the following Classical Voice students, Sky (Estella) Keyoung (CV, ‘25), Chloe Ness (CV, ‘24), Sebastian Nunez (CV, ‘24), and Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24), attended the CS Music Vocal Competition in San Francisco, California. The students were offered a total of $364,000 in scholarships. In addition, out of over 350 singers, Sky Keyoung was named a Top 6 National Finalist in the Musical Theater High School Category.

The following students were recognized by the Vocal Organization of California (VO-CAL) 2023 Voice Competition at California State University, Long Beach. VO-CAL is an organization for Voice Teachers residing in California. The Voice Competition celebrates the following categories; Classical Voice, Musical Theater & Contemporary (CCM).

Classical (Ages 12-13)
Lubaina Habib (CV, '28) First place

Classical (Age 13, Elder Group)
Cadence Bleakley (CV, '28) First place
Liam Posos (CV, '28) Second place
Asmi Aggerwal (CV, '27) Third place

Classical (Ages 14 Soprano/Mezzo-Soprano/Treble)
Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, '27) First place
Leila Woodward (CV, '27) Second place
Amber Bach (CV, '26) Third place
Olivia Bullock (CV, '26) Honorable Mention

Classical (Ages 14-15 Tenor/Baritone/Bass)
Henry Courtney (CV, '26) First place
William Yu (CV, '26) Second place

Classical (Ages 16 Soprano/Mezzo-Soprano/Treble)
Lilliana Mindel (CV, '24) First place
Chloe Ness (CV, '24) Second place
Viveka Saravanan (CV '24) Honorable Mention

Classical (Ages 16-18 Tenor/Baritone/Bass)
Charlton Tsai (CW, '24) First place
Jaden Yoo (CV, '25) Third place
Sebastian Nunez (CV, '24) Honorable Mention

Classical (Ages 17-18 Soprano/Mezzo-Soprano/Treble)
Grace Huynh (CV, '23) Honorable Mention

Yaphet Chen (ACT, ‘28) formed his own Vex IQ robotics team with other incoming OCSA seventh graders and received first place at regionals, third place for teamwork at states, second place for skills at states, and was promoted to the world championship for the event of Vex IQ 2022-2023 Slapshot.

Raelynn Green (IA, ‘23) was selected to model for designer Betsey Johnson in an '80s prom-themed project.

Joshua D'Souza (IA, ‘25) earned his Eagle Rank this year after being in the Boy Scouts for 10 years. His Eagle Project was the competition of a prayer garden at the Lamb of God maternity home.

The following students were recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation, one of the only organizations in the U.S. that supports artists across 10 disciplines at all stages of development, beginning with the critical moment when they decide to pursue a life in the arts and continuing throughout their careers. Their mission is to identify exceptional young artists, amplify their potential, and invest in their lifelong creative freedom.

Merit:

Classical Music
Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23) – Piano
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) – Flute

Jazz
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) – Piano

Theater
Mehra Marzbani (ACT, ‘23) – Spoken Word

Visual Arts
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23)

Voice
Maraia Mariselli (PM) – Singer-Songwriter
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Jazz

Writing
Katerina Malabarba (CW, ‘24) – Novel

Bryce Leng (CV, ‘24) received a certificate from Senator Dave Min in celebration of his completion of PhotoVoice, a program led by the Asian American Youth Leaders (AAYL) 2.0 and developed through a partnership between the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association and the Humanities Center at the University of California, Irvine. The culminating celebration included an exhibition of student photos and essays displayed at Irvine’s City Hall.

Ella He (IM, ‘27), Emma He (IM, ‘25), Katelyn Hu (BCD, ‘24), Bryce Leng (CV, ‘24), and Angel Shen (CV, ‘25) were in the “The Monkey King,” a famous Chinese epic tale told through a fusion of western and Chinese musical traditions. Ella, Emma, and Bryce performed in the South Coast Chinese Orchestra, and Katelyn and Angel accompanied them, performing with the Southern California Dance Company.

The following students were recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation, one of the only organizations in the U.S. that supports artists across 10 disciplines at all stages of development, beginning with the critical moment when they decide to pursue a life in the arts and continuing throughout their careers. Their mission is to identify exceptional young artists, amplify their potential, and invest in their lifelong creative freedom.

Finalists:

Classical Music
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) – Oboe
Amy Jong (IM, ‘24) – Violoncello

Dance
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24) – Hip-Hop

Design Art
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25)

Voice
Joan Park (PM, ‘23) – Popular

Writing
Ashley Park (CW, ‘23) – Spoken Word

Honorable Mentions:

Film
David Du (FTV, ‘24) – Documentary
Amelie Muro (FTV, ‘22) – Experimental

Voice
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23) – Popular
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Popular
Jocelyn Wang (PM, ‘23) – Singer-Songwriting

Writing
Olivia Le (CW, ‘25) – Spoken Word

Lili Mindel (CV, ‘24) was awarded fourth place in the Opera Buffs Young Artist Competition; third place in the Schmidt Vocal Competition; second place in the Music International Grand Prix, LA District; and third place in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Cal-Western.

Ava Villacorta (MT, ‘27) performed as part of the children’s chorus in a run of Puccini’s “Tosca” with the LA Opera in the winter of 2022.