艺术状态

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

Janice Lee (ACT, ‘29) starred in a Hershey Company commercial featuring Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Kit Kat for the Halloween season. The commercial originally aired in 2022 and was later renewed for 2023. To watch the commercial, please visit: https://bit.ly/472e0it

The following students performed in the children’s choir that was featured in the musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” presented by McCoy Rigby Entertainment at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Cameron Avery (ACT, ‘27)
Jasmine Melwani (IA, ‘25)
Adrienne Morrow (MT, ‘25)
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (PM, ‘27)
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26)
Erin Tardibuono (MT, ‘25)
Ava Villacorta (MT, ‘27)
Emma Woodward (CV, ‘27)

Adrienne Morrow (MT, ‘25) was cast as Louisa in “The Sound of Music” at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach, presented by Musical Theatre West.

Jovie Leigh Ugerio (ACT, ‘27) received the Best Young Actress Award at the 3rd Annual iHollywood Film Festival for her role in the independent feature film “Free Lunch.” Jovie performed the role of Sadie, the mischievous new transfer that influences the main character, Sam, to step outside of his comfort zone.

Max Zazik (ACT, ‘29) was cast as Turkey Boy in South Coast Repertory’s “A Christmas Carol” in Costa Mesa.

Richard Arlo Kinsey, an instructor in the El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory who is also an illustrator, recently had the characters he created and fondly named “Purdee & Pals” adapted into a short animated film called “Baby Bee’s Boots," produced by Eden Films LTD in London. In addition, the film won Best Animation Short at the London Independent Film Awards.

Noelani Pese (MT, ‘26) was named Miss California Jr. Teen 2023-2024 and was the first person of Samoan heritage crowned in the pageant’s history.

Logan Bailey (MT, ‘29) voiced the role of Pandy Paws in Dreamworks’ animated series “Gabby’s Dollhouse.” Logan became the new voice of the character starting in season 8 of the Netflix series.

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

Gracie Silberman (ACT, ‘24) starred in a Volkswagen Atlas commercial, titled “Carpool Chaos,” that began airing during the summer. To watch the advertisement, please visit: https://bit.ly/3Nih6aR

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)

Alyssa Kardos (ACT, ‘17) was awarded the Institute of International Education (IIE)’s Centennial Fellowship to address climate change and textile waste with sustainable fashion enterprise ReMade in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She is one of four fellows selected for the award. As an IIE Centennial Fellow, she will work with her team to establish an upcycling center in Phnom Penh that utilizes textile waste from the rivers, honors local weaving methods, and provides employment opportunities for former sweatshop workers. As part of the grant process, she has been interviewing upcycling project managers and designers across Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina to learn best practices to implement for her center. Alyssa returned to live in Phnom Penh in January to tackle textile waste and promote Cambodian design and art.

The following students earned recognition awards for their participation in the 2023 Student Evaluation Program (SEP) hosted by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) - Los Angeles. At the SEP Extravaganza Recital in January, First Place winners in their respective divisions each performed one song of a judge’s choice.

Classical 2A (Youth); Song for Recital: “Chi vuol la zingarella”
Lubaina Habib (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention
Beatrice Main (MT, ‘29) - 3rd Place
Julia Zhou (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention

Musical Theatre 2B (Youth); Song for Recital: “The Secret of Happiness”
Cadence Bleakley (CV, ‘28) - 3rd Place

Classical 3A-1 (Lower HS - High Voices); Song for Recital: “Italian Street Song”
Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘27) - 1st Place
Leila Woodward (CV, ‘27) - 2nd Place

Commercial B (14 Years & Older); Song for Recital: “Easy On Me”
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (PM, ‘27) - 1st Place

Classical 4B (Upper HS - Low Voices); Song for Recital: “Ah! quanto è vero”
Sebastian Nunez (CV, ‘24) - Honorable Mention
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24) - 3rd Place

Classical 2B (Youth); Song for Recital: “Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube”
Cadence Bleakley (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention
Simran Goyal (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention
Liam Posos (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention

Musical Theatre 2A (Youth); Song for Recital: “Shy”
Beatrice Main (MT, ‘29) - Honorable Mention

Classical 4A (Lower HS - Low Voices); Song for Recital: “O del mio dolce ardor”
Henry Courtney (CV, ‘26) - 3rd Place
Charlton Tsai (CW, ‘24) - 2nd Place
Jack Wilson (CV, ‘25) - Honorable Mention
William Yu (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention

The following students earned recognition awards for their participation in the 2023 Student Evaluation Program (SEP) hosted by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) - Los Angeles. At the SEP Extravaganza Recital in January, First Place winners in their respective divisions each performed one song of a judge’s choice.

Musical Theatre 3A-1 (Lower HS - High Voices); Song for Recital: “Screw Loose”
Asmi Aggarwal (CV, ‘27) - Honorable Mention
Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘27) - 2nd Place
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (PM, ‘27) - 3rd Place
Leila Woodward (CV, ‘27) - 1st Place

Musical Theatre 4 (HS - Low Voices); Song for Recital: “Funny”
Henry Courtney (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention

Classical 3A-2 (Lower HS - High Voices); Song for Recital: “Bel piacere”
Amber Bach (CV, ‘26) - 3rd Place
Celine Curtis (CV, ‘26) - 1st Place
Leah Navarro (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26) - 2nd Place

Musical Theatre 3A-2 (Lower HS - High Voices); Song for Recital: “The Girl in 14G”
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26) - 1st Place

Classical 3B (Upper HS - High Voices); Song for Recital: “Tornami a vagheggiar”
Samara Kohne (CV, ‘24) - Honorable Mention
Chloe Ness (CV, ‘24) - 2nd Place
Viveka Saravana (CV, ‘24) - 1st Place

Classical 3B (Upper HS - Highest Scoring Junior); Song for Recital: “Mandoline (Debussy)”
Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) - 1st Place

Musical Theatre 3B (Upper HS - High Voices); Song for Recital: “Astonishing”
Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) - 3rd Place
Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25) - Honorable Mention
Chloe Ness (CV, ‘24) - 2nd Place

Bea Main (MT, ‘29) was cast in South Coast Repertory’s “A Christmas Carol” as Tiny Tim Cratchit. Performances took place in December 2023.

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.

Logan Bailey (MT, ‘29) and Ian Massimino (MT, ‘29) earned First Place at the Musical Theatre Competition of America 2024 in Anaheim for their vocal duet “You and Me (But Mostly Me)” from “The Book of Mormon.”

Logan Bailey (MT, ‘29) was casted as the voice for Arnold, based on Nickelodeon’s “Hey Arnold!” cartoon, in a Paramount+ Superbowl commercial. Logan was also casted as the voice of Pandy Paws in season nine of Dreamworks’ animated series “Gabby’s Dollhouse” on Netflix. The songs he sang in the series can be found on Spotify on the “Gabby’s Dollhouse” page. Logan’s voicework for Pandy Paws is also featured in the Neon Wild interactive stories available in the App Store.

West Mulholland (ACT, ‘23) attended the 2024 Sundance Film Festival for his role in the upcoming movie “Presence.” He starred alongside actors Lucy Liu, Julia Fox, Chris Sullivan, and more. The movie, directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by David Koepp, received a distribution contract from Neon in January.

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.

The following students participated in the Orange Coast College Fashion Show, celebrating Surf and Skate culture.

Mordecai Mehau (IA, ‘26)
Maggie Moland (ACT, ‘24)
Jules Schuld (CV, ‘24) - Winner, Rising Star category
Siena Stark (ACT, ‘24) - Winner, Rising Star category
Nicole Sun (VA, ‘24)

The following students attended the National History Day (NHD) Awards Ceremony. Five students advanced to State and were given the opportunity to compete in Sacramento with nearly 1,600 other talented students nationwide. Samantha Bailey (VA, ‘26) and Emily Yi (VA, ‘26) won the National Qualifier for their research, titled “Nauseating a Nation: How the Jungle Turned the Stomach of America Into Legislation,” and will represent California in the National Championships at the University of Maryland.

Advanced to Nationals
Samantha Bailey (VA, ‘26)
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26)

Advanced to State
Samantha Bailey (VA, ‘26)
Jamie Jung (CW, ‘24)
Aarav Putrevu (CAH, ‘26)
Julianne Wu (DM, ‘27)
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26)

Runner Ups
Harlo Cozzens (ACT, ‘25)
Harah Lee (VA, ‘26)

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 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 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

William Chung (PD, ‘26) competed at the 2024 Western Kendo Federation Spring Tournament, the Japanese martial art competition held at the Fullerton Community Center. He was awarded Second Place in the Individual 16-18 Year division and First Place in the Best Team A division.

Grant Conroy (CV, ‘25) and Quinn Conroy (MT, ‘27) created an organization called “Diabetes High” to promote awareness of Type 1 Diabetes among middle and high school students. They worked with numerous school districts to get #SeeTheSigns posters in 127 school health offices. The #SeeTheSigns posters point out early warning signs for Type 1 Diabetes and have the potential to reach hundreds of school nurses and over 135,000 students. Grant and Quinn also arranged for the posters to be translated into Mandarin, Vietnamese, Korean and Portuguese to reach a broader audience in the diverse school system and the global audience of the organization BeyondType1. Through "Diabetes High," they started the OCSA Diabetes Awareness Club and have set up an online portal for students from around the country to start their own diabetes awareness clubs at their schools. The OCSA club participates in the Support Breakthrough T1D Walk and has raised over $9,000 for diabetes research and programs.

Sasha Tolkachev (MT, ‘27) starred as Agatha Trunchbull in “Matilda Jr.” at Tustin’s Top Hat 8 Reparatory (TH8R). The all-teen cast, ages 12-18, performed multiple shows at TH8R.

Noah Granados (ACT, ‘23), Jordan Held (FTV, ‘23), and Caleb Malis (IA, ‘23) were honored by The American Pavilion’s 2024 Emerging Filmmaker Showcase for their work on “Ovaryacting.” The film was selected and announced at the Cannes-hosted The American Pavilion showcase and screened at the American Library in Paris.

The following OCSA Taekwondo students successfully tested to higher level belts in April. Spearheaded by 8th degree black beIt Stephen Amsler (Elective Teacher), it was the largest graduation to date of OCSA students.

3rd Degree Black Belt
Chili Sloop (VA, ‘24)
Luke Stark (FTV, ‘24)

2nd Degree Black Belt
Jenna Ho (VA, ‘26)
John Kuli (ACT, ‘26)
Nikun Liu (CV, ‘26)
Eleazar Reiner (CW, ‘26)
Luke Sakurai (IM, ‘26)

1st Degree Black Belt
Milan Albert-Holty (CW, ‘25)
Roman Elson (ACT, ‘26)
Grace Fleischmann (VA, ‘25)
Jaya Gandhi (CW, ‘25)
Tristan Gude (ACT, ‘26)
Carissa Hahn (IM, ‘27)
Yein Han (CW, ‘25)
Ksena Eve Jenkins (IA, ‘26)
Micah Kay (PD, ‘26)
Brendan Knox (PM, ‘25)
Ruby Lau (CW, ‘27)
Alana Liang (CV, ‘26)
Emma Nevell (PM, ‘27)
Erica Park (FTV, ‘27)
Nino Raimondo (IA, ‘27)
Cole Schulein (CAH, ‘25)
Thomas Song (IM, ‘25)
Dylan Spence (VA, ‘26)
Amina Straughn (VA, ‘27)

The following OCSA students placed or received honorable mentions in their respective categories at the 2024 VO-CAL live competition at California State University, Long Beach.

Classical - Ages 12-13; “L’ho perduta”
Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) - Second Place
Samantha Shelly (CV, ‘29) - First Place

Classical - Age 14 (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Treble); “The Little Horses”
Simran Goyal (CV, ‘28) - Second Place
Lubaina Habib (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention
Olivia Song (CV, ‘28) - First Place

Classical - Ages 14-15 (Tenor, Baritone, Bass); “Amarilli, mia bella”
Liam Posos (CV, ‘28) - Third Place
Zachary Yoshimura (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention

Classical - Age 15 (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Treble); “The Year’s at the Spring”
Juliette Eitel (CV, ‘27)

Classical - Age 16 (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Treble); “Se Florindo e fedele”
Celine Curtis (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26) - Second Place

Classical - Ages 16-18 (Tenor, Baritone, Bass); “Vecchia zimarra”
William Bolin (CV, ‘24) - First Place
Henry Courney (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention

Classical - Ages 17-18 (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor); “Batti, batti”
Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) - Second Place
Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25) - Third Place
Eliza Tait (CV, ‘25) - Honorable Mention

Commercial Music - Ages 14-15; “Easy on Me”
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (PM, ‘27) - First Place
Leyla Ton (PM, ‘28) - Second Place

Musical Theatre - Age 13; “Out There”
Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) - Second Place
Kristin Mamangun (MT, ‘29) - Third Place
Enzo Passalacqua (MT, ‘28) - First Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 14-15 (Group 1); “Santa Fe”
Anya Mulay (MT, ‘28) - Second Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 14-15 (Group 2); “Screw Loose”
Asmi Aggarwal (CV, ‘27) - Honorable Mention
Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘27) - Second Place
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (PM, ‘27) - Third Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 14-15 (Group 3); “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”
Amber Bach (CV, ‘26) - Third Place
Juliette Eitel (CV, ‘27) - Second Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 16-18 (Group 2); “I Don’t Need a Roof”
Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) - Third Place
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention

Musical Theatre - Ages 16-18 (Group 3); “Be a Lion”
Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25) - Second Place
Eliza Tait (CV, ‘25) - Honorable Mention

OCSA’s Junior Thespian Troupe 6826 participated in the Junior Thespian Festival hosted on OCSA’s campus. All participating middle school students received Superior Thespy awards, while also receiving two Judge’s Choice Awards and one First Place title as a group. Listed below are OCSA students who won an award.

Rohan Ganesan (ACT, ‘28)
Finn Pauley-Rodriguez (ACT, ‘28)
Daniel Peters (ACT, ‘28)
Kayleigh Thompson (ACT, ‘29)
Macy Wong (IA, ‘29)

The following OCSA students placed or received honorable mentions in their respective categories at the 2024 VO-CAL live competition at California State University, Long Beach.

Commercial Music - Ages 14-15; “Easy on Me”
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (PM, ‘27) - First Place
Leyla Ton (PM, ‘28) - Second Place

Musical Theatre - Age 13; “Out There”
Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) - Second Place
Kristin Mamangun (MT, ‘29) - Third Place
Enzo Passalacqua (MT, ‘28) - First Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 14-15 (Group 1); “Santa Fe”
Anya Mulay (MT, ‘28) - Second Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 14-15 (Group 2); “Screw Loose”
Asmi Aggarwal (CV, ‘27) - Honorable Mention
Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘27) - Second Place
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (PM, ‘27) - Third Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 14-15 (Group 3); “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”
Amber Bach (CV, ‘26) - Third Place
Juliette Eitel (CV, ‘27) - Second Place

Musical Theatre - Ages 16-18 (Group 2); “I Don’t Need a Roof”
Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) - Third Place
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention

Musical Theatre - Ages 16-18 (Group 3); “Be a Lion”
Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25) - Second Place
Eliza Tait (CV, ‘25) - Honorable Mention

Bella Lloyd (MT, ‘25) was selected as one of eight State Thespian Officers (STO) for California. STO is one of the highest honors for a California Thespian student. She not only represents OCSA’s Thespian Troupe 6826, she also represents the state of California as a student board member.

OCSA’s Junior Thespian Troupe 6826 attended the California State Thespian Festival in Upland, where they participated in workshops, staged readings, group numbers, and the Thespy awards. The following students received awards, along with multiple superior ratings and scholarships.

Malia Chisick (MT, ‘25) - Second Place, Musical Theatre Duet
Samantha Divis (MT, ‘25) - Second Place, Musical Theatre Duet
Daniel Grossgold (IA, ‘24) - First Place, Musical Theatre Duet
Bella Lloyd (MT, ‘25) - First Place, Musical Theatre Duet
Chloe Ness (CV, ‘24) - Judge’s Choice, Musical Theatre Solo
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25) - First Place, Playwriting

Zabethah Bagnol (PD, ‘26) was awarded both academic and achievement scholarships from Savannah College of Art and Design. Zabethah was recognized for her work with the Eco Fashion Club, which promotes awareness of the violence fashion perpetuates against our environment and humanity, as well as for her recycled dictionary dress displayed at the Bowers Museum and original work DiscriminAsian, which advocates for education regarding the prevention of violence against Asians.

Miley Jane Gavarrete (MT, ‘26) was cast as Midge Mahoney at the Yorba Linda Spotlight Theater Company’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” The comedy-musical focuses on six adolescents navigating the pressures of both the titular competition and their teenage years.

Ava Villacorta (MT, ‘27) performed in the LA Opera’s run of Giacomo Puccini’s “Turandot” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Downtown Los Angeles. Puccini’s Turandot contains imagined, outdated, and inaccurate representations of Asian culture; however, LA Opera worked in consultation with the Asian Opera Alliance, who offered input on how to present the work with greater consciousness, care, and context, while maintaining fidelity to the original opera.

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)

Katie Cruz (MT, ‘23) was offered her first professional contract from La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts for their production of “The Little Mermaid.” Katie performed as Arista in the ensemble cast.

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 Honors Chemistry students earned Fifth Place among all Orange County schools for their combined scores in the First-Year American Chemical Society (ACS) competition. They received a team plaque at the ACS banquet.

Marcello Bui (ACT, ‘26)
Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26) – Top Scorer
Lila Olson (IA, ‘26)
Rohan Soni (PM, ‘26)
Gloria Xiong (IA, ‘26)
Charlotte Yoh (VA, ‘26)
Lauren Young (VA, ‘26)

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)