STATE OF THE ART

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)

Zoe Harrison (PD, ‘25) received two instruments from Yamaha and upcycled them into art projects. Her violin piece was selected to be displayed at Able Arts Work Gallery in Long Beach and her guitar piece was selected to be displayed at the Anaheim Muzeo.

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 OCSA Debate Team attended the High School Public Debate Program bi-coastal tournament and received 1st place for highest percentage wins in debate rounds and 1st place for best overall school. The following students participated and placed.

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

Individual Speaker Awards
2nd Place: Melanie Kallah (IA, ‘21)
12th Place: Cynthia Huang (CW, ‘24)
14th Place: Annabelle Kim (CW, ‘23)

The following students were selected to be part of the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) Middle School and High School Honor Orchestras.

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

High School:
Darren Qiu (IM, ‘24) - Alto Saxophone
Elliot Shiwota (IM, ‘22) - Percussion
Helaine Zhao (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Alex Padilla (PD, ‘18), Production & Design Conservatory Arts Assistant, received the 2021 Outstanding Student Scholarly and Creative Activities Award from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). The award recognizes excellence in student participation in research or creative activities. Alex was the undergraduate recipient for the CSUF College of the Arts and was selected in light of his sound design for the school’s production of Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Zabby Bagnol (PD, ‘24) was recognized by the Orange County Human Relations Commission’s To Know Better Contest for outstanding community arts efforts related to the rise in hate against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Zabby was awarded $500 for her submission. Zabby also designed the costumes, makeup, and set at OC Steampunk Wonderland.

Sophia Kang (PD, ‘24) performed in the Arts & Learning Conservatory’s production of "Once on This Island Jr." in the lead role of Asaka, Mother of Earth. She also won first place at the 2021 Musical Arts Competition of Orange County in the Musical Theater category.

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

Haven Aram Hanson (PD, ‘23) was cast in the lead role of Seymour in Yorba Linda Spotlight Theater's production of "Little Shop of Horrors." He also provided wig and makeup design, in addition to creating specialty props for the show.

The following students from OCSA’s Eye Matter club hosted a national online summer camp for visually impaired children, utilizing a $5,000 grant from the Anekant Community Foundation. Over the course of five weeks, they focused on creating a supportive community and fostering a sense of belonging, all while combating ableism within the arts. To view their program highlights video, please click here: https://bit.ly/3uGuevU

Ritika Asher (BCD, ‘23)
Alex Breschini (CV, ‘22)
Cece Fanelli (PD, ‘22) - Vice President
Stella Goodman (CV, ‘23)
Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22) - President
Delaney Manna (PD, ‘23)
Finley Sasena (BCD, ‘23)
Hailey Somphone (CV, ‘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.

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 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"

Lauren Young (PD, ‘26) co-created a charitable children's book cover for the Clinton Foundation.

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.

The following students participated in the California State Thespian Festival and received the following awards:

Gai Jones Senior Honor Thespian Scholarship:
Ethan Gray (ACT, ‘22)

Thespy Award Winners:

Solo Musical
First place: Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘22)

Duet Musical
First place: Meghan Barton (MT, ‘23) and Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)

Solo Monologue
Second place: Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25)

Top Scoring (Thespy Superior):

Solo Musical
Meghan Barton (MT, ‘23)
Samantha Divis (MT, ‘25)
Mia Geise (MT, ‘24)
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)
Daniel Grossgold (IA, ‘24)
Chloe Ness (MT, ‘24)
Erin Tardibuono (MT, ‘25)
Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘24)
Landon Wouters (MT, ‘22)

Duet Musical
Meghan Barton (MT, ‘23)
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)
Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘24)
Landon Wouters (MT, ‘22)

Solo Monologue
Isabella Lloyd (IA, ‘25)
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25)

William Chung (PD, ‘26) received the Best Player Award at the Education for Next Generation Organization (ENGO) Scholarship Junior Kendo Championship. He competed in the 12-13 year-old Individual and Team Best Five divisions and won a total of $300 in scholarships.

Emi Yoshino (PD, ‘20) was selected to serve as the assistant stage manager for an event featuring Al Pacino, titled Pacino One Night Only.

The following students and alumni received Musical Theatre West Footlighters Scholarships for 2022. To read more about this scholarship, please visit: https://bit.ly/3VtBesI

Naomi Groleau (MT, ‘22)
Haven Hanson (PD, ‘23)
Jordan Spena (MT, ‘22)
Landon Wouters (MT, ‘22)

Angela Delgado (PD, ‘22) was featured in an article as one of VoyageLA Magazine’s Rising Stars. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3B9lzXh

Sophie Cheng (PD, ‘24) received third place at the International Federation of Aesthetic Group Gymnastics (IFAGG) Junior Tuah Cup and sixth place at the IFAGG Junior World Cup.

Piper Huntley (PD, ‘25) was cast in South Coast Repertory’s 2022 seasonal production of “A Christmas Carol,” a professional live performance with eight shows a week on South Coast Repertory’s Segerstrom Stage.

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 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 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”

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)

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 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)

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

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.

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.

Chiara Cecconi (PD, ‘28) was cast as Girl About Town in “A Christmas Carol” at the South Coast Repertory Theater.

Members of the OCSA Robotics Team were invited to compete at the One World Showcase Event at University of California, Berkeley. Five teams from OCSA competed against 115 other teams from around the country. One of the five teams, Z Squared, was composed of Olivia Lee (VA, ‘25), Sunny Li (IM, ‘24), and Samantha Park (IA, ‘25), making them one of the less than 5% of teams that were made of all female members. Z Squared placed 7th out of 115 in only their second year of robotics. Below is the full list of the OCSA students who participated in the One World Showcase Event.

Shining Chen (CW, ‘26)
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25)
Evan Choe (VA, ‘25)
Rhea Dayal (VA, ‘28)
Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26)
Justin Hong (IM, ‘25)
Peyton Hsu (AE, ‘27)
Jason Lee (IM, ‘27)
Olivia Lee (VA, ‘25)
Sunny Li (IM, ‘24)
Edward Luna (IM, ‘24)
Danny O’Grady (IM, ‘24)
Samantha Park (IA, ‘25)
Taven Rong (IM, ‘28)
Paul Seo (DM, ‘26)
Kaya Simsek (CAH, ‘26)
Kara Syn (IM, ‘24)
George Weichel (PD, ‘27)
Ryan Yoo (CAH, ‘25)
Beatrice Yu (PM, ‘28)
Jojo Yu (CMD, ‘25)