STATE OF THE ART

Maggie Ding’s (FTV, '22) short film, titled Left Behind, won first place in the documentary category at the Josiah Media Festival and the International KidsNFilm Festival. The film also received the award for Best Youth Movie at the SoCal Film Awards and was a finalist in the International Teen Short Film Festival.

Congratulations to the members of OCSA’s Mock Trial Team, who competed this year against more than 35 teams from across Orange County, advancing to the semifinals. The primary competition team was victorious against JSerra, Brea Olinda, Foothill, Santa Ana, Beckman, and Yorba Linda, while the secondary competition team defeated Portola and Mater Dei.

Primary Team:
Sophia Abiera (ACT, ‘24)
Sruthi Alle (CV, ‘21)
Catherine Boland (IA, ‘24)
Charlotte Brandman (MT, ‘23)
Riley Bryant (FTV, ‘21)
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)
Gabriel Chen (PM, ‘22)
Ethan Gray (ACT, ‘22)
Sasha Herthel (ACT, ‘23)
Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘23)
Melanie Huq (CW, ‘21)
Toby Izenberg (CW, ‘23)
Milo Karnes (IA, ‘24)
Emma Kay (ACT, ‘23)
Regan Mading (IA, ‘23)
Mehra Marzbani (ACT, ‘23)
Morgan Milam (IM, ‘24)
Gaby Mikhail (CW, ‘21)
Daisy Noh (IA, ‘22)
Jess Perez (ACT, ‘21)
Paris Lases-Perez (ACT, ‘21)
Colin Root (ACT, ‘22)
Jocelyn Wang (PM, ‘23)

Secondary Team:
Ally Artavia-High (CW, ‘24)
Zabby Bagnol (PD, ‘24)
Daniel Grossgold (IA, ‘24)
McKenna Guldner (IA, ‘24)
Courtney Hines (CW, ‘24)
Darian Hojreh (CAH, ‘22)
Claire Karr (VA, ‘23)
Annabelle Kim (CW, ‘23)
Emily Kim (CW, ‘24)
Nathaniel Kim (DM, ‘22)
Sky Lu (IA, ‘23)
Kendall Phanco (VA, ‘23)
Mia Rinaldi (PM, ‘23)
Aryan Simhadri (ACT, ‘24)
Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23)
Luke Stark (IA, ‘24)

The following students advanced as finalists in receiving prestigious 2021 Dragon Kim Fellowships from the Dragon Kim Foundation. If selected for the fellowship, teams will be awarded up to $5,000 to implement a community service project as a part of a seven-month, hands-on leadership training and mentorship program. OCSA’s finalists are listed below by team.

Art Unlimited: Abril Rodriguez Diaz (CW, ‘22)
Eye Matter: Cece Fanelli (PD, ‘22) and Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22)
Intertwined: Adin Choun (IM, ‘22) and Katelyn Jo (IM, ‘22)
Let’s Learn about Public Health!: Melody Chang (IM, ‘22)
Pacific Bridge: Iris Wang (IM, ‘22) and Eric Zhu (FTV, ‘22)
Sembrando Dahlias: Bianca Lozano (BF, ‘21) and Samantha Perez (BF, ‘21)
Time Travel With Music: Leo Sui (IM, ‘23)
Uncovering Strengths: Saira Arora (IM, ‘22) and Emma McCanne (IM, ‘22)
We are Dancing Women: Grace Kim (BR, ‘22) and Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23)

Grant White (FTV, ‘07) recently directed, filmed, and edited a short documentary on homelessness in Long Beach, titled I Am Somebody. The film amplifies the voices of Anaheim Street’s most vulnerable, those who take shelter under freeway overpasses and concrete buildings. To read more about the documentary, please visit http://bit.ly/3vrDvIi

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)

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

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

Cassandra Hasio (CW, ‘17) and Soorim Lee (FTV, ‘17) created and launched a limited six-episode radio dramedy series podcast, titled Slam!, about a high school poetry team inspired by their time at OCSA. Please click here to listen.

Sophia Madrigal (ACT, '22) wrote a play, titled Wildflower: Indigenous Spirit, that was filmed live and recorded via Zoom with the help of OCSA alumnus Max Rogoff (FTV, '20). Sophia was also selected to speak at the United Nations Girls Speak Out event about her Girl Scout Gold Award project, "Healing Through the Indigenous Art of Storytelling."

Over the summer, the following students were honored by the Orange County Register as winners and finalists for the 2020 Artist of the Year.

Computer-Assisted Visual Arts
Mira Hirabayashi (VA, '20): Computer Drawing and Painting Finalist

Dance
Lilah Dee Horton (CMD, '21): Dance Artist of the Year & Commercial Dance Finalist
Kaprice Janae Glen (CCD, '20): Concert Dance Finalist
Maya Alvarez Coyne (CMD, '21): World/Cultural Dance Finalist

Film/Animation
Maggie McKelvey (FTV, '20): Animation and Visual Effects Finalist

Theater
Christina Tinde Jesenski (ACT, '20): Theater Artist of the Year & Acting Finalist

Vocal Music
Catherine Johnston (CV, '21): Classical Voice Finalist

Golden Bachelder (ACT, '19) and Noah Connor (ACT, '19) produced an online film festival called Razzmatazz, featuring original sketches, short films, one-acts, music, magic, and more. With assistance from other current OCSA students and alumni, as well as Acting Conservatory instructors Bodie Newcomb and Tess Lina, Razzmatazz combined talents from New York University, UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, and OCSA.

The following current students and alumni were involved with the festival:

Nick Charles Currie (ACT, '19)
Chris Drake (ACT, '19)
Elliott Dynes (FTV, '19)
Reese Gonzalez (ACT, '18)
Julia Jachetta (ACT, '22)
Ryan Jachetta (FTV, '19)
Logan Langevin (ACT, '23)
Alexandra Levine (ACT, '19)
Krish Marwah (ACT, '23)
Jack Robertson (ACT, '21)
Noah Strattan (ACT, '20)
James Slaybaugh (ACT, '21)

Anirudh Kota (FTV, ‘22) was one of three winners of the Lockdown Script Writing Contest sponsored by Notre Dame High School and the Dr. Barbara Seniors Harkins Foundation.

The following Film & Television Conservatory students and alumni were selected to screen their films at this year’s All-American High School Film Festival in New York City.

Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) – “By Your Side”, “Pho”
Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21) – “Dreams of Ambivalence”
Maggie Ding (FTV, ‘22) – “Magdalena”
Noah Frech (FTV, ‘21) – “Run Away”
Ava Gaskins (FTV, ‘22) – “Ours to Yours”, “The Corpse in the Mirror”
Kenneth Ha (FTV, ‘25) – “A Quiet Game”
Nona Nishigawara (FTV, ‘22) – “Dobu”
Allee Stone (FTV, ‘20) – “Tess and Dodi”
Nolan Hieu Trifunovic (FTV, ‘21) – “The Other”, “Know Better”
Elinor Weber (FTV, ‘21) – “The Omega”

Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) has been ranked by Niche as the #1 Best Charter High School in California for the third year in a row, as well as the #6 Best Charter High School in America for 2022! We would like to express our gratitude to all the students, teachers, and staff who continue to make OCSA an exceptional institution. To view all rankings for OCSA, please visit: https://bit.ly/3D8R02u

Soren Almeida (FTV, ‘22) displayed and sold his photography as a student artist at Art-A-Fair in Laguna Beach. To read more about the student artist program, please click here: https://bit.ly/3a6Jhpe

Ella Jerrier (FTV, ‘25), as president of GirlBoss Films, recently wrote, produced, directed, and starred in her own film, "The Waiting Room." Her film was shown at the TCL Chinese Theatre and NoHo Cinefest in Hollywood and has also been selected for the Newport Beach Film Festival.

Elinor (Ellie) Weber (FTV, ‘21) and her short film, "The Omega," were nominated for five awards at the 2021 All American High School Film Festival in New York. The film was nominated for Best Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Drama, and Best Direction. Ellie was nominated for Female Rising Star.

The following students were recognized as 2022 YoungArts Winners by the National YoungArts Foundation for their artistic achievements. All YoungArts award winners at all levels receive cash prizes between $100 and $10,000. All YoungArts Finalists were also invited to participate in National YoungArts Week+, which features virtual classes and performances, workshops, mentorship opportunities, and an exhibition for the public.

Finalists:
Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22) – Dance (Modern/Contemporary)
Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) – Film
Youning Jiang (FTV, ‘22) – Film
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23) – Design Arts
Lauren Mei (ACT, ‘23) – Theater
Kailyn Yi (CMD, ‘22) – Dance (Modern/Contemporary)

Honorable Mentions:
Andy Choi (CW, ‘22) – Writing (Play or Script)
Johann Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21) – Film
Amy Jong (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Violoncello)
Wyatt Layton (CW, ‘23) – Writing (Creative Nonfiction)

Merit:
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Flute)
Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21) – Voice (Classical)
Mia Lopez (BF, ‘23) – Dance (World Dance Forms: Mexican Folkloric)
London San Luis (DM, ‘23) – Visual Arts
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23) – Writing (Creative Nonfiction)
Aidan Meixner (MT, ‘22) – Voice (Singer-Songwriter)
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Voice (Popular: Pop)
Jocelyn Wang (PM, ‘23) – Voice (Singer-Songwriter)
Sein Yun (IM, ‘22) – Classical Music (Violin)
Helaine Zhao (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Piano)

In addition, Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22) and Youning Jiang (FTV, ‘22) attended National YoungArts Week+ as 2022 YoungArts Winners and were nominated to be named 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts in Dance (Modern/Contemporary) and Film respectively. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars will ultimately choose 20 of the 60 nominees to be recognized for their academic and artistic accomplishments, leadership, community outreach, and overall creativity.

The following students were selected as regional semi-finalists in the Coca-Cola Scholars Program in recognition of their leadership, service, and academics, as well as their efforts to positively affect others in their community. Winners will be selected to receive a $20,000 college scholarship and to 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.

Melody Chang (IM, ‘22)
Abril Rodriguez Diaz (CW, ‘22)
Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22)
Sein Yun (IM, ‘22)
Hannah Zhao (IM, ‘22)
Eric Zhu (FTV, ‘22)

Lana Sawalha, an OCSA history teacher, was offered the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Fellowship in Scott, KS. The fellowship is awarded annually to educators who have distinguished themselves in teaching understanding and respect through project-based learning.

Ryan Jachetta (FTV, ‘19) released his first album, titled "meudon drive," under the name 2 The Sun.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UNDECIDED FUTURE was featured in an article by Orange Coast Magazine. Band members include: Cole Fredrick (IM, ‘16) on guitar, Matt Jarnagin (FTV, ‘15) on lead vocals, Hayden Lyskoski (IM, ‘16) on bass, Matisse Pasillas (FTV, ‘15) on drums, and Nick Stone (IM, ‘15) on keys.

Orange County School of the Arts was featured in an article by KTLA about our recent Niche ranking as the #1 Best Charter High School in California for the third year in a row, as well as the #6 Best Charter High School in America for 2022. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3Iy3N1k

Elective and Conservatory Instructor Cameron Shim received his Level 1 Teaching Certification for Aerial Silks from Aerial Physique.

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

Charlotte Brandman (MT, ‘23): Poetry, "Interior"
Kaitlyn Byer (CW, ‘25): Personal Essay & Memoir, "Just Me and Him"
Jaeung Cha (VA, ‘25): Photography, “Missing You”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Personal Essay & Memoir, "It Is."
Jennifer Choi (VA, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Kitchen Utensils”; Mixed Media, “My Hobbies”
Kacy Chung (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Circles”
David Du (FTV, ‘24): Dramatic Script, "Tokyo from Afar, LA SALVATION"
Weiduo Feng (VA, ‘23): Drawing & Illustration, “Octopus in a rainstorm”; Film & Animation, "Lend"
Kelly Halliburton (CW, ‘25): Poetry, "The Elements of Nature"
Isabella Ho (CW, ‘22): Flash Fiction, "Playing Cards With Death"
Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘24): Science Fiction & Fantasy, "The Mystery Man"
Jessica Hong (CW, ‘24): Short Story, "The Skeleton Girl in My Chemistry Class"
Lyn Huang (CW, ‘24): Flash Fiction, "3165"
Aaliyah Joo (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Venus”
Jamie Jung (CW, ‘24): Poetry, "Pictures and Frames"
Sona Kamaraj (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Artificial Environment”
Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22): Drawing & Illustration, “A Woman’s Back”, “Catastrophe”
Estella Sky Keyoung (CV, ‘25): Photography, “Water Diamonds on the Rocks”
Annette Kim (VA, ‘22): Painting, “Incompetence”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Painting, “It’s Unfair”
Chloe Kim (VA, ‘23): Drawing & Illustration, “Melting”

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

Anika Biswas (CW, ‘23) Short Story, "Einkornicales: Lost Letters"
Kaitlyn Byer (CW, ‘25): Poetry, "The Crow's Lover"
Jaeung Cha (VA, ‘25): Fashion, “Design by Quinn”, “Dual Identity”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Critical Essay, “The Ethical Dilemma of True Crime as Entertainment”; Drawing & Illustration, "Hope"; Flash Fiction, "Murder"; Poetry, "Wide World"; Short Story, "Lost and Gone"
Ryan Choi (ACT, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Toyna Character Concept Design”; Sculpture, “Mythical Creature Game Pieces for Creativity Board Game”
David Du (FTV, ‘24): Film & Animation, "Incent City"
Isabella Ho (CW, ‘22): Flash Fiction, "Little Lanterns"; Humor, "A Pretzel Hazard"
Faith Hochgesang (IA, ‘23): Flash Fiction, "Cries of the Maasai"; Poetry, "Rapture"
Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, "Pots Burn, Seams Burst"
Lyn Huang (CW, ‘24): Novel Writing, "Someday In A Room With A Seaside View"
Sally Jang (CW, ‘23): Dramatic Script, "Dear Lauren"
Ryan Jeong (P&D, ‘23): Journalism, "Scholastic Competition: Conservatives vs. Media: A Thinning Ice"
Antara Kalle (CW, ‘23): Poetry, "Balcony Boats"
Griffin Kelleher (CW, ‘23): Science Fiction & Fantasy, "The Auxer"
Amber Khauv (CW, ‘24): Science Fiction & Fantasy, "Don't Lie to Me"
Annabelle Kim (CW, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, "Familiarity in the Unknown, Is it truly fortunate?"; Poetry, "Words passed from her to me"
Emily Kim (CW, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, "A Daily Reminder"
Seo Yun Kang (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Part of Me”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Drawing & Illustration, “You’re getting old”
Kate Kim (CW, ‘25): Poetry, "A Plate of Gochu"

Congratulations to OCSA’s Mock Trial Team, faculty advisor Whitney Coates, and volunteer coaches Justice Halim Dhanidina, Melissa Brandman, J.D, and Ethan Feng, J.D. for advancing to the Orange County finals for the first time and receiving second place after competing against rigorous competition. OCSA’s Gold team advanced to the top eight for only the second time in the program’s history. The following students competed as members of the team.

Sophia Abiera (ACT, ‘24)
Sruthi Alle (CV, ‘22)
Zabethah Bagnol (PD, ‘24)
Charlotte Brandman (MT, ‘23)
Sarah Demeter (CW, ‘25)
Sammy Dorfman (IA, ‘24)
V Garcia (ACT, ‘25)
Mona George (CV, ‘25)
Ethan Gray (ACT, ‘22)
Kennedy Harrison (PD, ‘25)
Sasha Herthel (ACT, ‘23)
Joshua Hizon (MT, ‘23)
Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘23)
Toby Izenberg (CW, ‘23)
Milo Karnes (IA, ‘24)
Claire Karr (VA, ‘23)
Emma Kay (ACT, ‘23)
Annabelle Kim (CW, ‘23)
Ariana Kim (IM, ‘25)
Caitlin Kim (ACT, ‘25)
Emily Kim (CW, ‘24)
Fanny Kim (IA, ‘24)
Isabella Kim (ACT, ‘25)
Haley Kleinman (IA, ‘24)
Elaine Lim (FTV, ‘25)
Diego Linn (BR, ‘25)
Samantha Liu (IM, ‘23)
Regan Mading (IA, ‘23)
Katia Miyamoto (CW, ‘24)
Lucy Moriyama (ACT, ‘23)
Daisy Noh (IA, ‘22)
Kendall Phanco (VA, ‘23)
Colin Root (ACT, ‘22)
Ashima Sharma (CW, ‘25)
Cat Silva-Oliveira (IA, ‘24)
Ciara Tadeo (IA, ‘25)
Josie Wang (PM, ‘23)
Sophia Wilhelm (VA, ‘23)
Lacole Yang (CW, ‘24)

The OCSA Robotics Team qualified for the 2022 Southern California VRC High School State Championship held at Damien High School, where they will compete for a chance to go to the 2022 VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas.

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

Carrie Kuo (VA, ‘22): Design, “Park Days”
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Barren”, “Isolation”
Kristie Lee (VA, ‘22): Design, "Draw How You See Yourself!"
Grant Li (CW, ‘23): Flash Fiction, "Father's Hands are Magical; Journalism, Essential Immigrant Businesses, PostCOVID, Rebound and Rebuild"
Jeongwon Lim (FTV, ‘25): Film & Animation, "Just Another Weekend"
Evan Yu-Wei Lu (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Illusions”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Female Gaze”, “Homecoming”; Sculpture, “Scotoma”; Photography, “underneaths”, “undoings”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Dramatic Script, "Portrait of the Void"
Sidney Muntean (CW, ‘22): Personal Essay & Memoir, "The Botanists"; Poetry, "palpitations"
Ash Park (CW, ‘23): Dramatic Script, "Try to Try"; Flash Fiction, "Star Seed"
Amy Shi (CW, ‘24): Poetry, "Mother Hands"; Short Story, "Paradoxical Heroism"
Clara Son (CW, ‘23): Poetry, "Lemon Trees", "Letters to Dorothy", "Steps"
Huilun Wang (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Transformation”
Ally Wong (CW, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, "Tiger Lily Bloom Season"; Poetry, "Table Set", "TO-DO LIST", "ITEM NO.3"
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24): Flash Fiction, "Colors on a Blank Canvas", "The Death of Winter"; Poetry, "motel", "the between", "morning coffee", "more than"
Mia Yen (CW, ‘24): Poetry, "take me to a place far away"
Rachel Yoo (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Boundaries”
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26): Painting, “Library of Magic”
Cinna Zhou (VA, ‘25): Mixed Media, “Lure”; Painting, “World of the Books”
Eric Zhu (FTV, ‘22): Film & Animation, "The Best Life"

The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 9th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. This program highlights talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts. Each of these students has proven their abilities in their areas of expertise.

Computer-Assisted Visual Arts:

Computer Drawing and Painting
Sofia De Luna (DM, ‘22)
Juliana Jarvis (DM, ‘22)
Elise Maniquis-Dormitorio (DM, ‘22)
Hannah Miller (DM, ‘22)
Megan Mo (DM, ‘22)

Graphic Design and Digital Illustration
Josh Nguyen (FTV, ‘22)

Photography (Film and Digital)
Soren Almeida (FTV, ‘22)

Dance:

Commercial Dance
Danielle Silver (CMD, ‘22)
Reagan Vallejo (IA, ‘22)

Concert Dance
Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22)
Nicole Frias Lugo (BCD, ‘22)
Alisa Nguyen (BCD, ‘23)
Amelie Jolie Vidrio (BCD, ‘22)

World/Cultural Dance
Hannah Ayala (BR, ‘23)
Mia Amaris Lopez (BF, ‘23)
Joshua Qin (BD, ‘23)
Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23)

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, and semifinalists for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Awards, and OCSA had five winners out of seven arts categories this year! The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Artist of the Year Winners:
Joyce Yuruo Hong (VA, ‘22) - Handcrafted Visual Arts
Youning Jiang (FTV, ‘22) - Film and Animation
Lauren Mei (ACT, ‘23) - Acting
Danielle Silver (CMD, ‘22) - Dance
Landon Wouters (MT, ‘22) - Vocal Music

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, and semifinalists for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Awards, and OCSA had five winners out of seven arts categories this year! The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Finalists:
Computer-Assisted Visual Arts:
Computer Drawing and Painting
Juliana Jarvis (DM, ‘22)

Handcrafted Visual Arts:
Hand Drawing and Painting
Grace Jo (VA, ‘22)

Mixed Media
Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22)

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

Theater:
Acting
Sophia Madrigal (ACT, ‘22)

Musical Theater Performance
Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘22)

Vocal Music:
Classical Voice
Evan Richards (CV, ‘22)

Semifinalists:
Computer-Assisted Visual Arts:

Computer Drawing and Painting
Elise Maniquis-Dormitorio (DM, ‘22)
Hannah Miller (DM, ‘22)

Graphic Design and Digital Illustration
Josh Nguyen (FTV, ‘22)

Photography (Film and Digital)
Soren Almeida (FTV, ‘22)

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, and semifinalists for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Awards, and OCSA had five winners out of seven arts categories this year! The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Semifinalists:
Dance:

Commercial Dance
Reagan Vallejo (IA, ‘22)

Concert Dance
Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22)
Alisa Nguyen (BCD, ‘23)

World/Cultural Dance
Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)
Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23)

Film and Animation:

Cinematography
Justin Shin (FTV, ‘22)

Directing and Editing
Maggie Ding (FTV, ‘22)
Alexis Ai Macdonald (FTV, ‘22)
Nona Nishigawara (FTV, ‘22)

The following students were involved in the creation of an original film, titled "Pho," which was shown at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in France.

Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) – Writer/Director/Editor
Aaron Orullian, Director of Film & Television – Executive Producer
Antone Axten (MT) – Cinematographer/Colorist
Darren Camaya (FTV, ‘21) – Production Assistant
Ella Beatriz Catacutan (CMD, ‘21) – Extras
Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21) – Gaffer/Sound Mixer
David Du (FTV, ‘21) – Production Assistant
Ava Encinas (FTV, ‘21) – Producer
Noah Frech (FTV, ‘21) – Still Photographer
Cooper Hardwick (FTV, ‘21) – Still Photographer
Lilah Horton (CMD, ‘21) – Extras
Paris Phillips (FTV, ‘21) – Makeup Artist

Shayna Kaplan (IM, ‘23), Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23), and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) represented OCSA at the Chemistry Olympiad Exam and placed sixth out of all Orange County high schools. The team was honored at the American Chemical Society Awards Banquet with a plaque and Nathan Tatsuta earned the top score from OCSA.

Additionally, Joseph Ho (IM, ‘24), Elise Park (FTV, ‘24), Sohun Shin (VA, ‘24), Melody Wu (VA, ‘24), and Helaine Zhao (IM, ‘24), OCSA’s first-year Chemistry Olympiad team, received second place out of all Orange County high schools’ first-year teams. This team was also honored at the American Chemical Society Awards Banquet with a plaque and Helaine Zhao earned the top score from OCSA.

Wyatt Barclay (FTV, ‘16) co-produced the horror/reality television series “Spook Show 17,” which follows the creators of The 17th Door, an intense haunted house attraction in Southern California.

The following students were recognized as 2023 YoungArts Winners by the National YoungArts Foundation for their artistic achievements. YoungArts award winners at all levels receive cash prizes between $100 and $10,000. All YoungArts Finalists are also invited to participate in National YoungArts Week where they collaborate with peers and develop their crafts with internationally recognized leaders in their fields.

Finalists:
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24) – Dance (Hip Hop)
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) – Classical Music (Oboe)
Amy Jong (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Violoncello)
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25) – Design Arts
Ashley Park (CW, ‘23) – Writing (Spoken Word)
Joan Park (PM, ‘23) – Voice (Popular (Pop)

Honorable Mentions:
David Du (FTV, ‘24) – Film (Animation)
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23) – Voice (Popular (Pop))
Olivia Le (CW, ‘25) – Writing (Spoken Word)
Amelie Muro (FTV, ‘22) – Film (Experimental)
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Voice (Popular (Pop))
Jocelyn Wang (PM, ‘23) – Voice (Singer-Songwriter)

Merit:
Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23) – Classical Music (Piano)
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Flute)
Katerina Malabarba (CW, ‘24) – Writing (Novel)
Maraia Mariselli (PM) – Voice (Singer-Songwriter)
Mehra Marzbani (ACT, ‘23) – Theater (Spoken Only)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) – Jazz (Piano)
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Voice (Jazz)
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23) – Visual Arts

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.

Artist of the Year Winners:

Jonah Smith (CMD, ‘23) – Dance
Lucie Kim (IM, ‘24) – Instrumental Music


Finalists:

Dance
Faith Aguilar (CMD, ‘23)
Courtney Chiu (BCD, ‘23)

Fine Arts
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24)
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24)

Instrumental Music
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) - Flute
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Media Arts
Ava Diaz (DM, ‘24)
David Du (FTV, ‘24)
Ethan Situ Leung (DM, ‘23)

Theater
Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23)

Vocal Music
Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)

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)

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)

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”

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”

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 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)

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)

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.

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.”

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.

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