STATE OF THE ART

Dylin Rodrigo (MT, ‘28) made his Broadway debut as Young Simba in “Disney's The Lion King.” The iconic show is celebrating its 25th year on Broadway.

David Du (FTV, ‘24) and Matthew Blam (IM, ‘24) created a short animation, titled "Life of a Mayfly." David animated, directed, and produced the film, while Matthew composed the music. “Life of a Mayfly” was nominated for Best Animation in the National Film Festival for Talented Youth Jury Award in April 2023 and the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.

Luke Stark (FTV, ‘24) was a National History Day County Finalist and winner of a Judge's Choice Award for Topic Choice and Boldness in Visuals in a Documentary Film for his film “a rebel with a cause; How Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries Broke Political Frontiers Through Music.”

Emily Wen (VA, ‘26) was chosen for publication by the Celebrating Art Contest and Creative Communications Writing Contest and received a High Merit designation for her poetry. The Celebrating Art and Creative Communications Writing Contest is devoted to the promotion and appreciation of student art. The intent of their student art contests is to motivate student artists. The top entries will be published in an anthology.

Colin Savage (CV, ‘27) took second place in the Men’s U16 4+ at the 2023 US Rowing Southwest Youth Championships. The event, held on Lake Natoma in Gold River, California, hosted 1,700 rowers from 37 clubs hailing from California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Summer Brennan (PM, ‘25) was named a finalist in the Song Academy’s International Songwriting Contest.

Stephanie J. Block (MT, ‘90) will be performing in the Broadway @ The Wallis concert series with Seth Rudetsky that will be held in October 2023 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts.

Pedro Pascal (MT, ‘93) was featured in the May 2023 issue of “Vanity Fair.”

Lauren Mei (ACT, ‘23) was honored as a 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholar. She was nominated for this recognition by the National YoungArts Foundation following her YoungArts award in the Theater category in 2022. The U.S. Presidential Scholars award is one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students who exemplify academic excellence, leadership qualities, and community service. The award is presented on behalf of the President of the United States and honors up to 161 graduating seniors of high potential each year.

Ellie Williams (PM, ‘19) was awarded the Songwriters Hall of Fame scholarship from the University of Southern California.

Devin Weaver (ACT, ‘26) was cast in a recurring role on “9-1-1: Lone Star” on FOX.

Haley Kleinman (IA, ‘24) self-published her first young adult fiction novel, “The World of Shadows,” a dystopian science fiction book, available on Amazon.

Anika Desai (CW, ‘26) was accepted to the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) for the 2023 summer session. CSSSA is a rigorous pre-professional training program in the visual and performing arts, creative writing, animation, and film for talented artists of high school age.

Isabella Abiera (ACT, ‘28), Johnisa Almariya Breault (MT, ‘18), Arielle Dettmer (CMD, ‘20), and Adrienne Amanda Morrow (MT, ‘25) performed in McCoy/Rigby Entertainment's Production of "The King and I," at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Preston “PJ” Walker (BCD, ‘26) was recently awarded a $1,600 scholarship from the Petite Oasis Foundation, a non-profit that supports boys/men in their ballet training. He also won second place in the Senior Men's Classical category at Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) regionals and first place with a cash prize in the Senior Men’s Contemporary Dance category at the YAGP regional semifinals in Los Angeles. At the YAGP finals in Florida, Preston participated in master classes and a week-long competition where he was offered four scholarships/acceptances for either short-term or summer intensive training. This summer he will be attending the Houston Ballet Summer Intensive for five weeks on a full tuition/housing scholarship and the Boys Ballet Summer Intensive, in Cary, North Carolina, for two weeks on scholarship.

Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) received first place out of more than 1,600 applicants at the Regional Orange County Science and Engineering Fair for her Behavioral Science study on "The Power of Humor''. She was then selected to compete at the exclusive invitation-only California State Science and Engineering Fair, where only 1,000 entries were chosen from the top 10% of their regional competitors. She was also selected to progress to the National Thermo-Fisher Junior Innovator’s Challenge. Sailee was also recently recognized by the National Veteran’s Federation of War for her patriotic contribution through her writing “My Pledge to the Veterans” with the First Place 2023 Veterans Federation of War District level writing award for Patriot’s Pen theme, Second Place 2023 Veterans Federation of War State level writing award for Patriot’s Pen theme From over 68,800 middle school applicants per year nationally. She attended the Veteran’s Federation of War District Meeting in February 2023 and had the honor of reading her writing directly to the respected veterans of the Laguna Beach VFW Post.

Olivia Le (CW, ’25) won Poetry Out Loud third place in the Poetry Ourselves State Champion for her original poem “My American Alphabet” and was invited to the State Capital to meet First Partner Jennifer Newsom for a program by CA Arts Council and Arts OC (awarded $100 plus expense paid to capital). She was also a finalist and runner up in the California Youth Poet Laureate. Her poem was also selected by the YoungArts for their Megafauna Land Dwellers Spring Exhibition. She also won second place in the Wrightwood Poetry Slam (awarded $200) and was runner up for the Poetry Week Contest from CommuterLit (awarded $25). In addition, her student letter to Danez Smith's poem was selected by the Academy of American Poets for the Dear Poet Program. Lastly, Olivia was Spoken Word opener for CA Poet Laureate Lee Herrick at his poetry reading in Newport Beach Public Library.

The following OCSA Honors Chemistry students competed in the first-year American Chemical Society (ACS) competition. Due to the students' high combined scores, OCSA earned a Top 6 Team award among all Orange County schools. Additionally, Dane Bergman (IA, ‘25) earned the top score for OCSA and received special recognition at the ACS awards banquet.

Dane Bergman (IA, ‘25)
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25)
Grant (James) Conroy (CV, ‘25)
Sky (Estella) Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Hennah Kim (CW, ‘25)
Minjae (Jaden) Kim (IM, ‘25)
Mican Lai (FTV, ‘25)
Elenna (Jeongwon) Park (IA, ‘25)

OCSA’s Model United Nations Club attended the Trabuco Hills High School Model United Nations Conference, where delegates representing different countries participated in rigorous debate, practiced public speaking and communication skills, and wrote detailed resolution papers addressing important international topics, such as Digital Infrastructure in South East Asia and Ending Terrorist Recruitment. Students received the following awards.

Sophie Kim (ACT, ‘26): Commendation Award, Third Place, and Research Award
Kaiden Orozco (AE, ‘26): Best Delegate Award and First Place
Grace Shin (VA, ‘24): Outstanding Delegate Award and Second Place
Sophie Sukendro (IM, ‘26): Research Award
Kaylie Viloria (PD, ‘25): Best Delegate Award, First Place, and Research Award
Lavinia Watkins (CV, ‘26): Commendation Award and Third Place

Julian Leon (IM, ‘23) was selected to play in the orchestra for the King Charles III’s coronation on May 6 in London, England

Bobby Amamizu (CMD, ‘06) and RJ Higton (MT, ‘18) were cast and performed in an episode of television series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” on Amazon Prime.

Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23), through her organization Ballroom For All, created a new program called Memory In Rhythm that is designed to research and promote dementia and memory loss prevention among the senior/elderly community through dancing.

Hailey Heren (CAH, ‘25) was featured in an article by the Orange County Register highlighting her record-breaking Girl Scout cookie sales. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3My2kNk

The following students competed in the California Restaurant Foundation’s 2023 ProStart Cup and received the following awards. The Culinary Team was also invited to the National ProStart Invitational in Washington, D.C. The following Culinary Arts & Hospitality students were additionally featured in an article by the Los Angeles Times Daily Pilot for their participation in the ProStart competition. To check out the full story, please visit: https://bit.ly/3WcAQ2U
Wienerschnitzel's Dress Your Dog Competition – First Place
Ryan Yoo (CAH, ‘25)

Loaded Idaho Baked Potato Competition – First Place
Trinity Wiideman (CAH, ‘24)

Culinary Competition – First Place
Aurelia Carrie (CAH, ‘23): Co-Captain
Ryan Okajima (CAH, ‘23): Co-Captain
Hannah Dromgoole (CAH, ‘25)
Christian Lopez (CAH, ‘23)
Trinity Wiideman (CAH, ‘24)

Management Competition – Second Place
Evelyn Wu (CAH, ‘23): Co-Captain
Willie Yao (CAH, ‘24): Co-Captain
Lanna Gale (CAH, ‘23)
Brieana Samaniego (CAH, ‘24)

Gavin Alvarez Coyne (BR, ‘23) received the Presidential Gold and President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Orange County School of the Arts was named a finalist in the second annual Building Hope IMPACT Awards in the Model Charter category. The finalists were selected for having exceptional impact on community engagement, educational innovation, student empowerment, and for being model charter schools.

The following students placed first in OC RYSE out of 70 total students from Orange and Los Angeles counties. Hosted by Phil Kaye of Project VOICE, OC RYSE is the largest high school poetry slam in Orange County. Fourteen teams of high school students competed over the course of the two-day event. Judges include professors from CSUF, SUDH, and CSULB.

Connor Elmore (CW, ‘23)
Cheyenne Harkless (CW, ‘23)
Wyatt Layton (CW, ‘23)
Ash Park (CW, ‘23)
Selah Sanchez (CW, ‘23)

The OCSA Robotics Team competed at the US Open Robotics Championship in Iowa and ranked 35 among 160 teams from across the country.

The OCSA High School Science Olympiad Team attended the Statewide Science Olympiad competition held at CalTech in Pasadena and received third place overall, medaling in 16 of the 25 events. The team also received the following individual awards:

First Place:
Codebusters, Dynamic Planet, Solar System, Microbe Mission

Second Place:
Meteorology, Sounds of Music

Third Place:
Fast Facts, Road Scholar

Fourth Place:
Write It CAD It

Fifth Place:
Crave the Wave, Experimental Design, Write It Do It

Sixth Place:
Can't Judge a Powder, Crime Busters, Disease Detectives, Forestry, Store the Castle

The OCSA High School Science Olympiad Team attended the Regional Science Olympiad Competition, hosted by University of California, Irvine. The team took third place overall and advanced to the Statewide Science Olympiad competition held at CalTech in Pasadena.
They medaled in 20 of the 23 events, coming in first place for four events and beating the reigning National Champion team. The team also received the following individual awards:

First Place:
Codebusters, Fast Facts, Green Generation, Solar System

Second Place:
Experimental Design, Road Scholar, Sounds of Music

Third Place:
Anatomy & Physiology, Disease Detectives, Dynamic Planet, Forestry, Roller Coaster

Fourth Place:
Storm the Castle

Fifth Place:
Bio Process Lab, Bridge, Can't Judge a Powder, Meteorology, Rocks & Mineral, Wheeled Vehicle

Sixth Place:
Write It Do It

Sofya Levitsky-Weitz (MT, ‘08) received a Writer’s Guild Award for Best Comedy series for her work on “The Bear”, which is now streaming on Hulu.

Amy Lee (IM, ‘23), as a part of the Evie Quartet from the Colburn School, received the grand prize and first place in the Junior Division at the 2023 Coltman Chamber Music Competition that took place at the University of Texas at Austin. The quartet was selected to perform at the Lincoln Center in New York and on a KFMA radio broadcast.

The following students were selected as 2023 Dragon Kim Fellows and earned $5,000 community service grants from the Dragon Kim Foundation. These students were chosen from over 300 applicants across California and Nevada and went through a rigorous interview process to earn the fellowships. Along with the project funding, these students receive three weekends of leadership training and hands-on mentorship from local business professionals.

Autistic2Artistic: Justin “JT” Freeman (PM, ‘25)
Brain Aneurysms: An Underlooked Disturbance: Ramzi Idriss (FTV, ‘26)
DearMe: Rohan Soni (PM, ‘26)
EpiSTEMic: Lyn Huang (CW, ‘24) and Xinchun Audrey Zhang (IM, ‘24)
Find Your Light: Lana Lee (IA, ‘26)
Project Insight: Taren Azizi (ACT, ‘25) and Audrey Kim (ACT, ‘25)
Somewhere In Time: Kyle Kim (FTV, ‘25) and Kaylie Viloria (PD, ‘25)
Teacher's Pet: Natalie Hoffman (CW, ‘25)
The Recycling Dictionary: Mary Hong (PD, ‘26) and Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24)
Two Step Together: Edward Chen (IA, ‘24) and Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25)

Ritika Asher (BCD, ‘23) wrote and published “Detained,” a book that seeks to shed light on the myriad injustices in the U.S. immigration system. This infographic book is a compilation of six personal narratives of immigrants from a host of nations. Each story highlights the following: why they were forced to come to this country, what they endured in immigration detention, and their life after being released/deported.

Luna Bella Zamora (CV, ‘24) was cast in the Netflix series “Princess Power" in the role of Penny Pineapple, alongside Oscar Award-winning actress Rita Moreno.

Michael Repper (IM, ‘08), as a part of the New York Youth Symphony, received a Grammy in the category of Best Orchestral Performance, marking the first time in history that a youth orchestra has won a Grammy.

Anaya Green (CAH, ‘26) was featured in a Daily Pilot article where she spoke about her battle with cancer, experience working with the MaxLove Project, and The Mekjian Family Culinary Arts & Hospitality Conservatory. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/41FGYlf

Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) has earned the College Board's AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for expanding young women’s access to AP Computer Science Principles.

Classical Voice Conservatory Director Ryan Reithmeier received funding from the Inspired Teacher Grant Program of the Orange County Community Foundation, which were used for costs associated with the production of Die Fledermaus that was performed as a part of the Classical Voice Conservatory’s mainstage season.

Congratulations to OCSA’s Mock Trial Team, faculty advisor Whitney Coates, assistant coach Courtney Harper, and attorney coaches Justice Halim Dhanidina, Melissa Brandman, J.D, and Ethan Feng, J.D. for advancing to state finals and receiving fourth place in California after competing against rigorous competition. In addition to this group effort, Sabrina Aguilar (DM, ‘23) received first place in the state for “Courtroom Art” and Emy Pardo (MT, ‘24) also received “Outstanding Cleo Shafer” for her excellent portrayal of that witness. Leadership Teacher and Mock Trial Advisor Whitney Coates was named Teacher Coach of the Year for OC Mock Trial.

Alix Page (PM, ‘20) was selected to perform at the Aitken Arts Plaza in Orange.

The OCSA student club Two Step Together competed in the Glendale Games Dance Competition and received the following awards.

First Place (11th Grade Hip-Hop Solo Division)
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)

Hip-Hop Solo Victor Award
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)


Third Place (Co-Ed Hip-Hop Division)
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)
Howard Choi (FTV, ‘25)
Kaelee Cortez (IA, ‘25)
Sydney Mae Estrella (IA, ‘26)
Jasmine Lee (CMD, ‘26)
Devin Vo (IA, ‘26)
Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25)

The following students are members of the hip-hop competition team, Gravy Babies, that won first place against 15 teams at the 2022 Bridge Juniors Dance Competition, one of Southern California’s largest hip-hop competitions for juniors and adults.

Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)
Kaelee Cortez (IA, ‘25)
Sydney Mae Estrella (IA, ‘26)
Jasmine Lee (CMD, ‘26)
Devin Vo (IA, ‘26)
Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25)

Daniel Zolghadri (ACT, ‘18) was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Breakthrough Performance for his starring role in the film “FUNNY PAGES.”

Natalia Nouri (IA, ‘28) published a book titled “Dealing With Divorce: A How-To For Kids On Coping With Divorce.”

Rubi Felix Gonzalez (ACT, ‘26) played a DJ set at an Anaheim Ducks game at the Honda Center.

Chloe Marbell Davidson (PD, ‘17) was selected to become a researcher for the 2022 iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3) cohort at the University of Texas at Austin.

The following students of OCSA’s Middle School Science Olympiad Team competed against 20 other middle school teams at the Orange County Regional Tournament and earned an overall third place as a team. Twenty students placed in the top six and received medals for their categories. The team also advanced to the state championships and placed third overall, with students medaling in the top six of 17 categories.

Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27)
Lila Olson (IA, ‘26)
Juneau Foxlin (IMS, ‘26)
Iva (Jiaying) Liu (CV, ‘27)
Samantha Wu (MT, ‘27)
Jeremy Lee (IM, ‘28)
Armaan Diwan (IM, ‘27)
Skyler Tran (IMP, ‘28)
Sterling Tran (IMP, ‘27)
Jackson Tran (IA, ‘27)
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26)
Henry Courtney (CV, ‘26)
Olivia Song (CV, ‘28)
Seojin Park (IMP, ‘28)
Sophie Paulsen (MT, ‘27)

Congratulations to the following students for their success in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These students received Honorable Mention Regional-at-Large awards.

Kyle Kim (FTV, ‘25): Film & Animation, “Between the Bars”
Clara Kye (VA, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Soul Food”
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Portrait of the Future”, “Pyebaek: Fertility Wish”; Printmaking, “Repeated Fate”
Julie Lim (IA, ‘23): Art Portfolio, “Nature vs Nurture”
Evan Lu (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Midnight”, “Serenity”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Dramatic Script, “New Year’s Day”
Brielle Murphy (IA, ‘24): Short Story, “Ocean”
Eunice Oh (VA, ‘24): Digital Art, “Let Me Rot”
Lindsey Robertson (VA, ‘23): Digital Art, “The Library, Wish We Could Turn Back Time”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Kendall Last Year”; Art Portfolio, “mine, not yours.”
Aadya Sharma (IM, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, “How To Ride a Scooter”; Critical Essay, “In the Name of Progress: an Examination of American Racism”
Amy Shi (CW, ‘24): Short Story, “Scylla in a Box”
Ashley Shin (VA, ‘25): Drawing & Illustration, “Deconstruction”
Clara Son (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “Demeter’s Daughter”
Charlton Tsai (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “Foods Correlating to my Asian-American Identity”
Kate Um (CV, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Music Comes From the Heart”
Alyssa Uy (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Wilting Memories”
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23): Expanded Projects, “Emotional Trash”
YanJun Wang (VA, ‘26): Painting, “Birthday Leftovers”
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Brainwashing China”, “Yan’an Road”; Mixed Media, “It Never Ends”
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24): Flash Fiction, “hazelnut”
Jessica Yang (IA, ‘24): Short Story, “Erstwhile Friend”
Kevin Yang (VA, ‘24): Architecture & Industrial Design, “Warped Labyrinth”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26): Photography, “LAX”, “Longing”, “Reflection”, “Sea Woman in Jeju Island”, “Tired”, “Vintage Tokyo House”, “Walking on Sand Carpet”; Sculpture, “Liberate Your Alebrije”
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26): Poetry, “Snakes in Bloom”
Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24): Critical Essay, “Caged in a Zoo: Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Sparks Fly”
Margaret Zhang (DM, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Invasive Growth”
Carina Zheng (VA, ‘24): Sculpture, “Generations”; Painting, “Palpitation”

Congratulations to the following students for their success in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These students received Honorable Mention Regional-at-Large awards.

Felix Brem (CW, ‘23): Journalism, “A Cog in the Machine: SAT History & Test Optional Colleges”
Kaitlyn Byer (CW, ‘25): Personal Essay & Memoir, “How I Became Beautiful”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Flash Fiction, “Grandma’s Hands”, “Hi again”; Poetry, “Colors”; Short Story, “Golden Colors”, “The Summer Rain”
Hailey Cho (BCD, ‘25): Journalism, “Professional Actor Convicted of Robbery and Battery on a Cruise Ship”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Hard Work Doesn't Always Pay Off?”
Jennifer Choi (VA, ‘26): Comic Art, “Into Reality”; Drawing & Illustration, “My life”
Ryan Choi (ACT, ‘24): Critical Essay, “Everything is real, and therefore, nothing is”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Unrefined”
Justine Droullard (CW, ‘24): Painting, “Depth”, “Peek-A-Boo”; Short Story, “Rain Boots”
Run (Sarah) Han (PD, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Anticipation”, “Distorted Reality”, “Eyes That Tell a Story”, “Memories”
Courtney Hines (CW, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Inconstant Senses.”
Jenna Catherine Ho (VA, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Journey”
Mankio Hong (PD, ‘26): Digital Art, “Triple Gaze”
Anna Huang (CW, ‘24): Flash Fiction, “What She Heard”
Cynthia Huang (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “Her Body is Fast Fashion”
Joy Jin (CW, ‘26): Short Story, “Popsicle Kid”
Jamie Jung (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “CODA: Child of Depressed Adult”; Short Story, “Our Body”
Sona Kamaraj (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Dyeing Dimensions”
Seoyun Kang (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Displayed”; Digital Art, “Pulse”
Estella Sky Keong (CV, ‘25): Photography, “Father of Light, The Messenger of Acropolis”
Bethany Kim (CW, ‘26): Flash Fiction, “Imaginations of Reality”
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25): Digital Art, “Automated”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Art Portfolio, “Don’t Get Lost”; Fashion, “Jelly”; Mixed Media, “Go bird go! Power Fowlers: Can They Adapt To The Wild?”, “Home is a familiar place I’ve never been”; Painting, “Where are you, my lost babies?”
Donggyu Kim (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Autumn Waxwings”, “It Lurks in the Reef”
Frances Kim (IA, ‘24): Comic Art, “A Birthday Visit”
Gigi Kim (VA,’25): Drawing & Illustration, “Skittles”
Hennah Kim (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “A is for Anorexia”
Ina Kim (CW, ‘26): Short Story, “The Meet Up”
Jaden Kim (IM, ‘25): Critical Essay, “The Matthew Effect and How Discriminatory Economic Policies Impacted African American Communities”
Jennifer Kim (VA, ‘25): Mixed Media, “Mental’s Artificial”; Sculpture, “Through It All”

Edwin Noh (IM, ‘24) participated in the Winners’ Recital at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Emily Wen (VA, ‘26) received the Gold President's Volunteer Service Award.

Orange County School of the Arts was featured in the Orange County Register for the OCSA Thrift event, where students hosted a pop-up thrift shop on campus. To read the full article, please visit https://bit.ly/453LFIG

The following students were accepted into the California Band Directors Association (CBDA) All-State Ensembles for 2023:

Junior High School Concert Band
Mason Ahn (IM, ‘28) - Bb Clarinet
Nari Chin (IM, ‘27) - Oboe
Isabella Cho (ACT, ‘27) - Flute
Chelsea Jiang (IM, ‘27) - Piccolo
Sydney Kramer (IM, ‘27) - Oboe

Junior High School Symphonic Band
Kenny Song (IM, ‘27) - Bb Clarinet


Junior High School Concert Orchestra
Ethan Choi (IM, ‘28) - Cello
Emily Lu (IM, ‘27) - Violin 1
Ho Sen Ken Xiao (IM, ‘28) - Violin 2
Evelyn Yang (IM, ‘28) - Cello

Junior High School String Orchestra
Katelyn Chang (IM, ‘28) - Violin 2
Annabelle Jin (IM, ‘27) - Viola
Brian Kim (IM, ‘28) - Viola
Heejae Kim (IM, ‘27) - Violin 1
Sophia Kim (IM, ‘27) - Violin 1
Jaynie Lee (IM, ‘27) - Violin 1
Jeremy Lee (IM, ‘28) - Cello
Gracie Park (IM, ‘28) - Viola
Chloe Woo (IM, ‘27) - Violin 2
Julian Yoon (IM, ‘28) - Violin 1

High School String Orchestra
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25) - Viola
Kara Wong (IM, ‘24) - Viola
Audrey Yoon (IM, ‘26) - Violin 1

High School Symphony Orchestra:
Joshua Cua (IM, ‘24) - Bass
Jessica Hong (CW, ‘24) - Violin 1
Justin Hong (IM, ‘25) - Viola
Ariana Kim (IM, ‘25) - Bassoon
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) - Flute
Jaden Kim (IM, ‘25) - Violin 2
Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) - Cello
Rubi Lee (IM, ‘25) - Violin 1
Sarah Yang (IM, ‘26) - Violin 1
Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24) - Cello

Delaney Laughlin (ACT, ‘25) was selected to participate in New York Fashion Week.

Congratulations to the following students for their success in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These students received Silver Key Regional-at-Large awards.

Felix Brem (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “Failed Pigmalion”
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24): Poetry, “All in a Night’s Work”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Flash Fiction, “Dance of the Butterflies”; Poetry, “Like Glass”
Isabella Cho (ACT, ‘27): Personal Essay & Memoir, “The Dress, The Stain, and The Friend”
Emilia Djordjevic (IM, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Wet Syrup”
Jadon Han (CW, ‘25): Personal Essay & Memoir, “The Brown Line”
Ashley Hong (CW, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Holding Hands”
Cynthia Huang (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “Colorblind”
Seoyun Kang (VA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Perception”, “Persistence to Stay Anonymous”; Painting, “Gift: Holiday Wine Glass”
Sophia Kang (PD, ‘24): Short Story, “Alone at the Aquarium”
Bethany Kim (CW, ‘26): Science Fiction & Fantasy, “The Land At The Middle In Nowhere”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Photography, “Pieta In Loose Threads”
Lauren (Minyoung) Kim (CW, ‘24): Digital Art, “Cement”
Leo Lai (CW, ‘24): Critical Essay, “The Fishing Industry: Catching an Environmental Issue”
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23): Art Portfolio, “Dismantling Repetition”; Mixed Media, “Torrential Era”
Amanda Lee (IM, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Sacred”
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Invasion”; Painting, “Addiction”
Julie Lim (IA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Neo Age”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Flash Fiction, “(Hello)”; Poetry, “How to Be Perfect”
Ava Park (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Submerged”; Sculpture, “Playing Chess”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Adan”, “Follower of Tradition”
Ashima Sharma (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “My Grandmother’s Map”
Ashley Shin (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Nostalgia”
Sohun Shin (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Walking Chaos”
Clara Son (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “Fire Tests Gold”; “Suffering Tests a Woman”
Irene Son (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Escapism”, “Foundational Sacrifice”
Lola Suleiman (CW, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, “The Countdown”
Arianna Torres (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “Loveless Ring”
Charlton Tsai (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “One Day”
Claudia Tsai (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Seeker”
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23): Photography, “Animal Claw Machine”
Huilun Wang (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Rule of Creation”; Sculpture, “Elapsed”
Yimeng Wang (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “My Mother”
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24): Painting, “The War is Here”
Keyun Xiao (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Overflow”
Kevin Yang (VA, ‘24): Sculpture, “Reminiscences of a Bitter Tune”
Lacole Yang (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “Midst of the Fog”
Mia Yen (CW, ‘24): Flash Fiction, “It’s Brevity”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Blossoming Gift of Love”; Fashion, “Upcycle Coffee Sack Project: Bohemian Bliss”; Photography, “Man on the Sand”, “Manhole”
Audrey Yoo (VA, ‘24): Digital Art, “Do You Hear Something?”, “Franken-pigeon”
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Snakes in Bloom”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Beckoning Us Into Beauty”
Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24): Critical Essay, “The Impact of Guns on the American Education System”
Olivia Yun (VA, ‘25): Drawing & Illustration, “Embrace”; Painting, “Metamorphosis”
Margaret Zhang (DM, ‘24): Digital Art, “One in the Same”

Congratulations to the following students for their success in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These students received Gold Key Regional-at-Large awards. Gold Key recipients were judged at the national level.

Felix Brem (CW, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Giants”
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Family Ties”, “If The Shoe Fits”, “Who Am I”; Mixed Media, “Eye Of Africa”; Photography, “A Piece of the Pie”; Sculpture, “A New Home”
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24): Critical Essay, “Exercising Rights: On Youth Civic Engagement”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Critical Essay, “Waves of Society and Change - A Comparison Essay”; Humor, “Banana Peel”; Poetry, “Season”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Wai Po’s Feet”
Justine Droullard (CW, ‘24): Science Fiction & Fantasy, “Something About Living”
David Du (FTV, ‘24): Film & Animation, “Life of a Mayfly”
Jaya Gandhi (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “An Abecedarian Poem In Which I Name Myself”
Run (Sarah) Han (PD, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Mirage”
Courtney Hines (CW, ‘24): Short Story, “Speaking to You is Like a Foreign Language”
Seoyun Kang (VA, ‘23): Art Portfolio, “Interpersonal Identity and the Greater Media”; Drawing & Illustration, “Outer Layer”
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25): Design, “Braille Clothing Tags”, “Kids Tiger Drink Box”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Painting, “Hold on tight”, “Open up”, “your hopes are raw and revealed.”
Chloe Kim (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Shelter”
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Framed in Modernity”
Calene Lee (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “umbrella”
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Changeable and Unchangeable”
Julie Lim (IA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Newton’s Third Law”, “The Outside Forces”
Evan Lu (VA, ‘23): Editorial Cartoon, “Perpetual”; Painting, “Solitude”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “If Our Bodies are 60% Water, Then my Other 40% Consists of…”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Look Harder”
Amy Shi (CW, ‘24): Short Story, “Fixer”
Irene Son (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Externalizing the Future”
Lola Suleiman (CW, ‘23): Flash Fiction, “They’re Still Burning Witches”
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23): Ceramics & Glass, “Dim Sum”
Huilun Wang (VA, ‘23): Printmaking, “In the Back of the Mind”
Emily Wen (VA, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Banana Appétit”
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24): Painting, “The Long-Awaited Delivery”
Keyun Xiao (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Motherhood”
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24): Poetry, “from the beginning, we were, and we were not: an abecedarian poem”, “Pantoum”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26): Photography, “A Father’s Light at the End of the Tunnel”, “Reach For Your Dreams”
Audrey Yoo (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Self Portrait of a Tired Artist”
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26): Critical Essay, “The Monster is Here: Tech, Glorifying Efficiency, and the Rise of Autocrats”; Poetry, “Ode to an Unknown Glacier, Ode to an Unknown Artist”, “Elegy to My Paintbrush”
Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “We, the animals of the United Oceans”
Olivia Yun (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Daydreaming”

The following students received National Awards in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Gold Medal Winners
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Family Ties”, “If The Shoe Fits”
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25): Design, “Kids Tiger Drink Box”
Julie Lim (IA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Newton’s Third Law”
Irene Son (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Externalizing the Future”
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23): Ceramics & Glass, “Dim Sum”
Huilun Wang (VA, ‘23): Printmaking, “In the Back of the Mind”

Silver Medal Winners
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Who Am I”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Wai Po’s Feet”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “If Our Bodies are 60% Water, Then my Other 40% Consists of…”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Look Harder”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26): Photography, “Reach For Your Dreams”

American Visions Medal Winner
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27): Mixed Media, “Eye Of Africa”

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, semifinalists, and nominees for the 10th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. OCSA had two winners out of seven arts categories this year, as well as many finalists, semifinalists, and nominees! The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Nominees:

Dance

Commercial Dance
Michelle Cheng (CMD, ‘23)
Jonah Smith (CMD, ‘23)

Concert Dance
Courtney Chiu (BCD, ‘23)
Aarilyn Lee (CMD, ‘23)
Daniella Morales (BCD, ‘24)
Alisa Nguyen (BCD, ‘23)

Hip-Hop
Faith Aguilar (CMD, ‘23)
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)

World/Cultural Dance
Saira Galilea Arias (BF, ‘23)
Hannah Ayala (BR, ‘23)
Jude Caguioa Camaya (BR, ‘23)
Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘23)
Mia Amaris Lopez (BF, ‘23)
Aurelia Philmore (BR, ‘24)


Film and Television

Cinematography
Owen Thomas Blum (FTV, ‘23)
Zen Sing Thai (FTV, ‘23)

Film Directing
Dominic Gonzalez (FTV, ‘23)
Jordan Held (FTV, ‘23)

Promo/Commercial Making
Evan Padilla (FTV, ‘23)


Fine Arts

Drawing
Nina Alvarez (VA, ‘23)
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24)
Chili Sloop (VA, ‘24)

Mixed Media
Chloe Kim (VA, ‘23)
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23)

Painting
Luke Furca (VA, ‘24)
London San Luis (DM, ‘23)
Cheungwan (Amy) Wang (VA, ‘23)
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24)


Instrumental Music

Jazz
Megan Etzel (IM, ‘23) - Piano
Trent Horio (IM, ‘23) - Tenor saxophone
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Piano
Emilia Djordjevic (IM, ‘23) - Piano
Lucie Kim (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Winds and Percussion
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) - Flute
Aidan Luu (IM, ‘23) - Alto Saxophone
Daniel Park O’Grady (IM, ‘24) - Clarinet
Damian Paul (IM, ‘24) - Percussion
Leo Sui (IM, ‘23) - Trombone

World/Cultural and Commercial Music
Savannah Tweedt (PM, ‘24) - Drum Set and Percussion


Media Arts

Digital Illustration
Ava Diaz (DM, ‘24)
Cindy (Tenna) Kuang (VA, ‘24)
Fatima Mai (VA, ‘24)
Olivia Sarno (DM, ‘23)
Mingxuan Wang (VA, ‘23)

Game Art
Rachel Kondo (DM, ‘24)
Ethan Situ Leung (DM, ‘23)
Vicky H. Nguyen (DM, ‘23)

Motion Graphics and Animation
David Du (FTV, ‘24)

Photography
Candace Ramirez (VA, ‘23)


Theater

Acting
Ava DeVoe (ACT, ‘24)
Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23)
Ethan Swartz (ACT, ‘23)

Musical Theater Performance
Alexa Núñez Magaña (MT, ‘23)
Sophie Russ (MT, ‘24)


Vocal Music

Classical Voice
Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Grace Huynh (CV, ‘23)
Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)
Sebastian Nunez (CV, ‘24)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘23)

Cultural and Commercial Voice
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)

Musical Theater Voice
Chloe Deutschman (MT, ‘24)
Clare Adelaide Murphy (IA, ‘23)
Sophia Ruiz (MT, ‘23)

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, semifinalists, and nominees for the 10th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. OCSA had two winners out of seven arts categories this year, as well as many finalists, semifinalists, and nominees! The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Semifinalists:

Dance

Commercial Dance
Michelle Cheng (CMD, ‘23)
Jonah Smith (CMD, ‘23)

Concert Dance
Courtney Chiu (BCD, ‘23)

Hip-Hop
Faith Aguilar (CMD, ‘23)
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)

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


Film and Television

Cinematography
Zen Sing Thai (FTV, ‘23)

Film Directing
Jordan Held (FTV, ‘23)

Promo/Commercial Making
Evan Padilla (FTV, ‘23)


Fine Arts

Drawing
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24)

Mixed Media
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23)

Painting
London San Luis (DM, ‘23)
Cheungwan (Amy) Wang (VA, ‘23)
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24)


Instrumental Music

Jazz
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Piano
Lucie Kim (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Winds and Percussion
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) - Flute
Damian Paul (IM, ‘24) - Percussion


Media Arts

Digital Illustration
Ava Diaz (DM, ‘24)
Fatima Mai (VA, ‘24)

Game Art
Ethan Situ Leung (DM, ‘23)
Vicky H. Nguyen (DM, ‘23)

Motion Graphics and Animation
David Du (FTV, ‘24)


Theater

Acting
Ava DeVoe (ACT, ‘24)
Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23)

Vocal Music

Classical Voice
Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘23)

Cultural and Commercial Voice
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)

Musical Theater Voice
Sophia Ruiz (MT, ‘23)