艺术状态

总裁兼首席执行官特伦-谢弗（Teren Shaffer）在《现代奢侈品》杂志的 "权力榜"（The Power List）上大放异彩，"权力榜 "评选出了橘郡 50 位最具领导力的开拓者。要阅读他的专题报道，请访问： https://bit.ly/3Occmlf

祝贺以下学生在年度 "学术艺术与写作奖"（Scholastic Art & Writing Awards）中取得优异成绩。这些学生获得了地区荣誉奖。

Felix Brem（CW，23 级）：新闻学，"A Cog in the Machine：
Kaitlyn Byer（CW，25 年级）：个人散文和回忆录：《我是如何变得美丽的》
Ruth Chen（CW，'25）：Flash Fiction，"奶奶的手"，"又见面了"；诗歌，"颜色"；短篇小说，"金色"，"夏雨"
Hailey Cho（BCD，'25）：新闻，"职业演员因在游轮上抢劫和殴打被定罪"；个人散文和回忆录，"努力工作不一定有回报？"
Jennifer Choi（弗吉尼亚州，26 年）：漫画艺术，"走进现实"；绘画与插图，"我的生活"
Ryan Choi（ACT，'24）：评论文章，"一切都是真实的，因此，什么都不是"；个人文章和回忆录，"不精致"
Justine Droullard（CW，'24）：绘画，"深度"，"Peek-A-Boo"；短篇小说，"雨靴"
Run (Sarah) Han (PD，'27)：绘画与插图，"期待"、"扭曲的现实"、"讲述故事的眼睛"、"回忆"
Courtney Hines（CW，'24）：
Jenna Catherine Ho (VA, '26)：绘画与插图，"旅程"
Mankio Hong（PD，26 年）：数字艺术，"三重凝视"
Anna Huang（CW，'24）：Flash Fiction, "What She Heard"
Cynthia Huang (CW, '24)：诗歌：《她的身体是快时尚》
Joy Jin（CW，'26）：短篇小说，"冰棒小子"
Jamie Jung（CW，'24）：诗歌，"CODA：抑郁成人的孩子"；短篇小说，"我们的身体"
Sona Kamaraj（弗吉尼亚州，24 岁）：绘画，"染色维度"
Seoyun Kang（弗吉尼亚州，'23）：绘画，"展示"；数字艺术，"脉搏"
Estella Sky Keong（简历，'25）：摄影，"光之父，卫城的使者"
Bethany Kim（CW，'26）：Flash Fiction，"Imaginations of Reality"
Caroline Kim（VA，'25）：数字艺术，"自动化"
Chaewon Kim (CW, '23)：艺术作品集，"Don't Get Lost"；时装，"Jelly"；混合媒体，"Go bird go"！强力鹱：它们能适应野外生活吗？"、"家是我从未去过的熟悉的地方"；绘画，"你在哪里，我丢失的宝贝？"
Donggyu Kim（弗吉尼亚州，24 年级）：绘画："秋天的蜡翅"、"它潜伏在礁石中"
Frances Kim（内华达州，24 年级）：漫画艺术，"生日拜访"
Gigi Kim（弗吉尼亚州，'25）：绘画和插图，"Skittles"
Hennah Kim（CW，'25）：诗歌，"A 代表厌食"
Ina Kim（CW，'26）：短篇小说，"The Meet Up"
Jaden Kim (IM, '25)：评论文章，"马太效应和歧视性经济政策如何影响非裔美国人社区"
Jennifer Kim（VA，25 岁）：混合媒体，"心理的人为"；雕塑，"通过这一切"

以下学生是街舞比赛团队 Gravy Babies 的成员，该团队在 2022 Bridge Juniors Dance Competition（南加州最大的青少年和成人街舞比赛之一）中击败 15 支队伍，获得第一名。

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)

OCSA 学生俱乐部 Two Step Together 参加了格伦代尔运动会舞蹈比赛，并获得以下奖项。

第一名（11 年级街舞独舞组）
Edward Chen (IA, '24)

街舞独舞 Victor 奖
Edward Chen (IA, '24)


第三名（男女生街舞组）
Edward Chen (IA. '24) Howard Choi (FTV, '25) Kaelee Cortez (FTV, '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)

祝贺 OCSA 模拟审判队、教师顾问 Whitney Coates、助理教练 Courtney Harper、律师教练 Justice Halim Dhanidina、Melissa Brandman（法学博士）和 Ethan Feng（法学博士）在激烈的竞争中晋级州决赛并获得加州第四名。除了集体的努力，Sabrina Aguilar（DM，23 年级）还获得了 "法庭艺术 "的全州第一名，Emy Pardo（MT，24 年级）也因出色地扮演了证人 Cleo Shafer 而获得了 "杰出 Cleo Shafer "奖。领导力教师兼模拟审判顾问 Whitney Coates 被评为 OC 模拟审判年度最佳教师教练。

橘郡艺术学校（OCSA）因扩大了年轻女性学习 AP 计算机科学原理的机会而获得了大学理事会的 AP® 计算机科学女性多样性奖。

普雷斯顿-沃克（Preston "PJ" Walker，BCD，26 年级）最近获得了 Petite Oasis 基金会颁发的 1600 美元奖学金，该基金会是一家支持男孩/男子接受芭蕾舞培训的非营利组织。他还在美国青年大奖赛（YAGP）地区赛中获得了古典舞高级男子组第二名，并在洛杉矶举行的 YAGP 地区半决赛中获得了现代舞高级男子组第一名和现金奖。在佛罗里达州举行的 YAGP 总决赛上，普雷斯顿参加了大师班和为期一周的比赛，并获得了四项奖学金/短期或夏季强化培训的录取通知。今年夏天，他将参加休斯顿芭蕾舞团为期五周的暑期集训，并获得全额学费/住宿费奖学金，以及在北卡罗来纳州卡里市参加为期两周的男孩芭蕾舞团暑期集训，并获得奖学金。

Ritika Asher（BCD，23 级）撰写并出版了《Detained》一书，旨在揭示美国移民制度中存在的无数不公正现象。这本信息图表书籍汇集了六个来自不同国家的移民的个人故事。每个故事都强调了以下几点：他们为什么被迫来到这个国家，他们在移民拘留所经历了什么，以及他们被释放/驱逐出境后的生活。

以下学生被选为 2023 年金龙奖学金获得者，并获得金龙基金会提供的 5,000 美元社区服务补助金。这些学生是从加州和内华达州的 300 多名申请者中脱颖而出的，他们经过了严格的面试程序，最终获得了奖学金。在获得项目资助的同时，这些学生还将接受三个周末的领导力培训以及当地商业专家的实践指导。

Autistic2Artistic：Justin "JT" Freeman (PM, '25)
脑动脉瘤：被忽视的干扰：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) 和 Audrey Kim (ACT, '25)
Somewhere In Time: Kyle Kim (FTV, '25) 和 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）和 Jadon Vo（CMD，'25）

加州奥林匹克高中科学奥林匹克队参加了由加州大学欧文分校主办的地区科学奥林匹克竞赛。
他们在 23 个项目中的 20 个项目中获得了奖牌，其中 4 个项目获得了第一名，并击败了卫冕全国冠军队。该团队还获得了以下个人奖项：

第一名：
Codebusters、Fast Facts、Green Generation、Solar System

第二名：
实验设计、公路学者、音乐之声

第三名：
第三名：解剖生理学、疾病侦探、动态星球、森林学、过山车

第四名：风暴城堡


第五名：
生物过程实验室、桥梁、无法判断粉末、气象学、岩石与矿物、轮式车辆

第六名：
写出来做出来

OCSA 高中科学奥林匹克队参加了在帕萨迪纳加州理工学院举行的全州科学奥林匹克竞赛，并在 25 个项目中的 16 个项目中获得了奖牌，总成绩名列第三。该团队还获得了以下单项奖：

第一名：
第二名：气象学、音乐之声


气象学、音乐之声

第三名：
第四名：Write It CAD It

第五名：Fast Facts、Road Scholar
Write It CAD It

第五名：
第六名：Crave the Wave、Experimental Design、Write It Do It


无法判断粉末、犯罪克星、疾病侦探、林业、存储城堡

OCSA 机器人队参加了在爱荷华州举行的美国机器人公开锦标赛，在来自全国的 160 支队伍中排名第 35 位。

橙县艺术学校入围了第二届 "建设希望 IMPACT 奖 "示范特许学校类别的决赛。入围决赛的学校在社区参与、教育创新、学生赋权方面具有卓越的影响力，是特许学校的典范。

加文-阿尔瓦雷斯-科因（BR，23 级）荣获总统金奖和总统志愿者服务奖。

Hana Uehara（BR，23 年）通过她的组织 Ballroom For All 创建了一个名为 "Memory In Rhythm "的新项目，旨在通过舞蹈研究和促进老年人群体预防痴呆症和记忆力衰退。

Bobby Amamizu（CMD，06 级）和 RJ Higton（MT，18 级）在亚马逊 Prime 频道播出的电视剧《了不起的麦瑟尔夫人》（The Marvelous Mrs.

Isabella Abiera（ACT，28 年级）、Johnisa Almariya Breault（MT，18 年级）、Arielle Dettmer（CMD，20 年级）和 Adrienne Amanda Morrow（MT，25 年级）在拉米拉达表演艺术剧院演出了 McCoy/Rigby Entertainment 制作的《国王与我》。

以下学生入围了音乐中心第 34 届年度聚光灯计划的大奖决赛、半决赛和决赛。聚光灯计划是一项享誉全国的青少年艺术培训和奖学金计划，每年颁发的现金奖学金超过 100,000 美元。半决赛选手有机会参加本学科的特别大师班，与享有盛誉的艺术家们分享表演技巧、培训和职业生活方面的专业知识。然后，每位半决赛选手再进行一次试演，每个组别的前两名入围者将被选拔出来，最终产生 14 位大奖决赛选手。

大奖决赛选手：

古典声乐
Lilliana Mindel (CV, '24)

半决赛选手：

芭蕾舞
Preston Walker (BCD, '26)

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

古典器乐
Ariana Kim (IM、
Calene Lee (CW, '25)

爵士器乐
Ian Shin (IM, '24)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, '24)

非古典声乐
Joan Park (PM, '23)

古典声乐
Grace Huynh (CV, '23)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, '24)

Ella He（IM，'27）、Emma He（IM，'25）、Katelyn Hu（BCD，'24）、Bryce Leng（CV，'24）和 Angel Shen（CV，'25）参演了 "孙悟空"，这是一个著名的中国史诗故事，融合了中西方音乐传统。Ella、Emma和Bryce参加了南海岸中乐团的演出，Katelyn和Angel则与南加州舞蹈团一起为他们伴奏。

以下学生入围了音乐中心第 34 届年度 "聚焦计划 "的大奖决赛、半决赛、决赛和优秀奖。聚光灯计划是一项享誉全国的青少年艺术培训和奖学金计划，每年颁发的现金奖学金超过 100,000 美元。半决赛选手有机会参加本学科的特别大师班，与享有盛誉的艺术家们分享表演技巧、培训和职业生活方面的专业知识。然后，每名半决赛选手再进行一次试演，每个组别的前两名入围者将被选拔出来，最终产生 14 名大奖决赛选手。

优秀奖：

舞蹈
Annie Chen (CMD, '26)
Mia Lopez (BF, '23)

Classical Instrumental
Lucie Kim (IM, '24)
Minjae (Jaden) Kim (IM, '25)
Hannah Cho (IM. '25) Jazz Instrumental、

Jazz Instrumental
Allie Molin (IM, '25)

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

橙县艺术学校被艺术学校网络（ASN）授予示范学校称号。该称号为期五年，旨在表彰在深入研究学校宗旨、运营和教育计划的战略评估基础上做出的卓越承诺。ASN 将于今年 10 月在阿拉巴马州伯明翰举行的年度会议和颁奖典礼上表彰 OCSA 的成就。

前圣安娜市市长、现任华侨城参事维森特-萨米恩托（Vicente Sarmiento）对华侨城模拟法庭获奖团队在本学年取得的成功给予了表彰。

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anthony Arreola (BF, ‘24) was offered the opportunity to be a dance instructor at Relámpago del Cielo Grupo Folklórico. Relámpago del Cielo, which means “Lightning from the Sky,” focuses on “bringing the thunder” through intricate performances based on the traditions of the folkloric dance of Mexico.

Ballet, Pilates, & Yoga instructor Lauren Farris was accepted into the American Ballet Theater (ABT)’s invite-only Teaching Training Intensive at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. In the program, Ms. Farris will learn the theory and principles of the National Training Curriculum within the five levels of ballet.

Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) was featured on KCAL News’ Class Act series. The morning news segment featured what makes OCSA so special – specifically highlighting the Acting, Ballet Folklórico, Culinary Arts & Hospitality, Integrated Arts, and Popular Music Conservatories, in addition to showing off OCSA’s talented student artists. To view the video, please visit: https://bit.ly/3NhTd37

Lex Ishimoto (CMD) performed with award-winning ballet dancer and director Tiler Peck in the dance programme “Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends.” After its sold-out premiere in New York, the show had its West Coast premiere at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

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)

Katelyn Hu (BR, ‘24), Bryce Leng (CV, ‘24), and Angel Shen (CV, ‘25) participated in the third annual Mid-Autumn Festival at the Great Park in Irvine. Representing the club they founded, the Chinese American Youth Art Leaders Club (CAYALC), the group performed traditional dance routines and took part in the Chinese Orchestra adding to the event’s cultural vibrancy.

Delila George-Taylor (BR, ‘29) took First Place in her age group/category at the California State Games for competitive figure skating, receiving three gold medals. She also earned First Place at the Falling Leaf Classic, First Place at the 58th Arrowhead Open, and Second Place at the Los Angeles 2023 All Year Open. Previously she placed second at the Skate By the Sea 2022 competition in her age group/category. Delila recently passed her United States Figure Skating Novice/Silver Skating Skills test and Pre-Bronze Ice Dance test. Double Lutz is her favorite jump.

The following students were recognized as 2023 YoungArts Winners by the National YoungArts Foundation for their artistic achievements. YoungArts Award Winners received a monetary award of $250 and those with Distinction are invited to participate in National YoungArts Week and have their work further evaluated for cash awards of up to $10,000. Attendees of National YoungArts Week who meet the eligibility requirements are also considered for nomination to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

YoungArts Award Winners:
Summer Brennan (PM, ‘25) – Voice (Popular & Singer-Songwriter)
Lyla Briggs (CMD, ‘26) – Dance (Ballet)
David Du (FTV, ‘24) – Film (Narrative)
Claire Harmsen (PM, ‘26) – Voice (Popular)
Jaden Kim (IM, ‘25) – Classical Music (Violin)
Olivia Le (CW, ‘25) – Writing (Spoken Word)
Jasmine Lee (CMD, ‘26) – Dance (Hip-Hop)
Allie Molin (IM, ‘25) – Jazz (Trumpet)
Hugo Nguyen (PM, ‘24) – Voice (Jazz)
Arianna Ramirez (BF, ‘26) – Dance (World Dance: Mexican Folkloric)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24) – Voice (Classical: Soprano)
Bella Silva (IA, ‘26) – Dance (Tap)
Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25) – Dance (Hip-Hop)
Preston Walker (BCD, ‘26) – Dance (Ballet)
Chloe Woo (IM, ‘27) – Writing (Nonfiction)

YoungArts Award With Distinction Winners:
William Bolin (CV, ‘24) – Voice (Classical Bass)
Asher Hinton (PM, ‘24) – Voice (Popular & Singer-Songwriter)
Jaime Jung (CW, ‘24) – Writing (Spoken Word)
Evee Lee (CMD, 26) – Dance (Modern Contemporary)
Bella Silva (IA, ‘26) – Dance (Tap)

Noah Strattan (ACT, ‘20) performed his magic act alongside alumni Anna Melendres (CMD, ‘18) and Rachel Melendres (CMD, ‘18) at the 2024 New Year Celebration hosted by Kevin Hart at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The show, held in the Bristlecone Ballroom, was for over 1,000 very special guests of the MGM Resorts. Strattan currently lives in Las Vegas and has been performing magic there for the last three years. In addition, Strattan often visits Orange County to perform at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach as a resident performer.

Aaron Chang (CMD, ‘26) was cast as the role of Soup in “DÌDI (弟弟),” written and directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sean Wang. Aaron attended the movie’s world premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2024. “DÌDI (弟弟)” is a coming-of-age dramedy about a 13-year-old Taiwanese-American boy discovering skating, flirting, how to love your mom, and other aspects of his early-teens. The film will be released in theaters in July 2024.

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARTIST OF THE YEAR WINNERS:

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

FINALISTS:

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

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

Instrumental Music
Savannah Tweedt (IM, ‘24)

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

Vocal Music
William Bolin (CV, ‘24)

SEMI-FINALISTS

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

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

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

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

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

Theater
Corinne Thomas (IA, ‘24)

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

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

NOMINEES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Music Center announced their 2024 Spotlight winners. Spotlight is a nationally recognized competition, scholarship, and artistic development program. Out of 14 Grand Prize Finalists, three are from OCSA.

GRAND PRIZE FINALISTS

Andrea Martinez (BF, ‘25) - Dance
Isabella Silva (CMD, ‘26) - Dance
Savannah Tweedt (PM, ‘24) - Contemporary Instrumental

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A group of OCSA students attended the 2024 United States National Amateur Dancesport Championships in Provo, Utah. The Latin Formation Team won Fifth Place in Division 1, while the Smooth Formation Team won Second Place in Division 2. Heather Torres Cancino (BR, ‘27) and Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24) also placed second overall in the Rhythm Dance category.

Latin Formation Team
Heather Torres Cancino (BR, ‘27)
Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24)
Eddie Chen (IA, ‘24)
Gabriel Cho (BR, ‘24)
Bella Escobar-Sanchez (BR, ‘24)
Presley Herthel (BR, ‘26)
Jack Hillebrecht (BR, ‘26)
Jared Lee (BR, ‘24)
Liam Majerus (BR, ‘27)
Rylee Miyoshi (BR, ‘28)
Marina Pitt (BR, ‘26)
Jessica Sigala (BR, ‘27)
Brody Silva (BR, ‘25)
Kaylee Tran (BR, ‘27)
Felix Wang (BR, ‘27)
James Williams (BR, ‘26)
Selina You (BR, ‘27)
Cynthia Zhang (BR, ‘27)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Malama
Ava Villacorta (MT, ‘27)

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

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

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

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

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

A group of OCSA students attended the 2024 United States National Amateur Dancesport Championships in Provo, Utah. The Latin Formation Team won Fifth Place in Division 1, while the Smooth Formation Team won Second Place in Division 2. Heather Torres Cancino (BR, ‘27) and Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24) also placed second overall in the Rhythm Dance category.

Smooth Formation Team
Mario Berestetsky (BCD, ‘27)
Heather Torres Cancino (BR, ‘27)
Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24)
Gabriel Cho (BR, ‘24)
Bella Escobar-Sanchez (BR, ‘24)
Arely Gutierrez (BR, ‘25)
Jared Lee (BR, ‘24)
Liam Majerus (BR, ‘27)
Rylee Miyoshi (BR, ‘28)
Sammy Okada-Lam (BR, ‘26)
Aurelia Philmore (BR, ‘24)
Chloe Savage (BR, ‘24)
Jessica Shen (BR, ‘27)
Brody Silva (BR, ‘25)
Sean Sulit (BR, ‘24)
Celeste Valadez (BR, ‘24)
Alex Vargas (BR, ‘24)
Ariadna Vidal (BR, ‘24)
Felix Wang (BR, ‘27)
James Williams (BR, ‘26)
Selina You (BR, ‘27)
Cynthia Zhang (BR, ‘27)

Heather Torres Cancino (BR, ‘26) and Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24) placed second overall in the Rhythm Dance category at the 2024 United States National Amateur DanceSport Championships. Heather and Constantin were the only OCSA pair to compete in the competition and were the first in OCSA Ballroom’s history to win at the national level.