STATE OF THE ART

Tobias Izenberg (CW, ‘23), Emma Kay (PM, ‘23), Emily Kim (CW, ‘24), and Jocelyn Wang (PM, ‘23) were featured in the Orange County Register article “Pictures of the Year” in December 2023. The picture, which was featured in February Favorites, showed the students’ celebration when they won against El Dorado High School at the Orange County Mock Trial Competition, hosted by the Constitutional Rights Foundation at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. To read the article, please visit https://bit.ly/4c2MEvy

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.

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.

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.

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.

Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) took second place in Pacific Symphony’s Opera Focus competition and was also presented with a California Legislature Assembly Resolution in recognition of her hardwork and success in vocal study/performance, academics, community service, and overall character.

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.

Cassady Lorentzen (PM, ‘29) qualified to be on the 2024-2025 Sailing National Team for the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) and will be representing the USA at the IODA North American Championships in Puerto Rico.

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.

Joel Carrasco (IM, ‘25) participated in the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus 2024 Emerging Artists competition. Joel was awarded Best Performance of a Contemporary Work for his rendition of “Funk the String” by Aleksey Igudesman.

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.

Kaitlyn Molletti (CW, ‘27) submitted a play to the Young Writers Project, an outreach program through the Theatre of NOTE in Los Angeles that works with high school students on developing and producing theatre pieces. Kaitlyn’s ten-minute play was chosen to be performed at the theatre.

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 following OCSA Advanced Placement Chemistry students collectively placed fourth out of 33 Orange County schools in the local section exam for the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad. The top four scorers will be honored at an awards dinner presented by the Orange County Section of the American Chemical Society. This local exam is the first stepping stone of many, with an opportunity to compete internationally.

Dane Bergman (IA, ‘24) - Top Scorer
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25)
James Conroy (CV, ‘25)
Natalie Hoffman (CW, ‘25)
Jessica Hong (CW, ‘24)
Hennah Kim (CW, ‘25)
Micah Lai (FTV, ‘25)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

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 following Classical Voice (CV) students performed selections from Gaetano Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment at the Soka Performing Arts Center. The concert was sponsored by the Parnassus Society and featured internationally-renowned tenor John Osborne, soprano Lynette Tapia, and bass Mattia Venni. Students were prepared by Dr. David Clemensen (Classical Voice Instructor), while Ryan Reithmeier (Classical Voice Conservatory Directory) sang the role of the Corporal. Alyssa Wills and William Reeder (Classical Voice Instructors) joined the ensemble.

Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25)
Lal Besir (CV, ‘25)
William Bolin (CV, ‘24)
Hope Bradley (CV, ‘26)
Henry Chung (CV, ‘26)
Henry Courtney (CV, ‘26)
Celine Curtis (CV, ‘26)
Matthew Henderson (CV, ‘25)
Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29)
Vincent Lu (CV, ‘26)
Michael Ma (CV, ‘27)
Alec Ortega-Fosado (CV, ‘26)
Ashton Ortega-Fosado (CV, ‘27)
Liam Posos (CV, ‘28)
Zaid Salazar (CV, ‘26)
Cian Sheridan (CV, ‘24)
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26)
Adam Suh (CV, ‘24)
Lavinia Watkins (CV, ‘26)
Jack Wilson (CV, ‘26)
Paxton Wong (CV, ‘25)
Maxwell Yen (CV, ‘24)
Jaden Yoo (CV, ‘25)
William Yu (CV, ‘26)

Jadon Wu (IM, ‘25) was the First Place winner of the Antelope Valley Symphony Concerto Competition. As a winner, he was invited to play piano in a concert with the Antelope Valley Symphonic Orchestra.

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.

Ryan Reithmeier (Classical Voice Conservatory Director) performed the baritone solos for Johannes Brahms’ Ein deutsches requiem with the Cathedral Singers at the St. John’s Concert Series on St. Patrick’s Day. The performance marks Dr. Reithmeier’s 10th year in residency at the concert series. As a baritone soloist, he has performed solos for numerous cantatas of J.S. Bach, the Durufle Requiem, and many others.

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)

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 Mekjian Family Culinary Arts & Hospitality (CAH) took part in the California Restaurant Foundation’s 2024 CA ProStart Cup presented by Wienerschnitzel – a culinary arts and restaurant entrepreneurship competition held at the Long Beach Convention Center. Listed below are the CAH students who participated in the events. Students from First to Fifth Place teams were awarded a variety of scholarships from colleges across the nation.

Culinary Team - 2nd Place, BJ’s Restaurants Culinary Cup
Cooked a three-course meal, featuring seared halibut with sea buckthorn berry sauce, five spice maple duck breast, and chocolate bliss with matcha custard and mango puree
Mia Horiguchi (CAH, ‘26)
Stella Mulholland (CAH, ‘26)
Jaren Tseng (CAH, ‘25)
Trinity Wiideman (CAH, ‘24) - Captain

Management Team - 1st Place, BJ’s Restaurants Management Cup
Conceptualized a college sports-themed restaurant, Teddy’s – serving breakfast all day
Emily Leo (CAH, ‘25)
Max Madsen (CAH, ‘26)
Tira Smith (CAH, ‘24) - Captain
Cynthia Zhou (CAH, ‘26)

Individual - Wienerschnitzel’s “Dress Your Dog” Hot Dog Topping Competition
Camila Acevedo (CAH, ‘27)
Declan Davey (CAH, ‘27)

Individual - Loaded Idaho Baked Potato Competition
Dani Park (CAH, ‘27)
Scarlett Schmitt (CAH, ‘27) - 2nd Place

ProStart Executive Mentor Program Winner
Received a one-year mentorship with a restaurant executive and a scholarship for Blanchard Institute’s Student Self Leadership Training
Jaren Tseng (CAH, ‘25)

Alexandria Cartagena (DM, ‘26) earned her 5th degree black belt in Taekwondo and was invited to teach at the National Taekwondo Academy in Aliso Viejo. Also known as a “5th Dan”, Alexandria’s level in the Korean martial art gave her the ability to mentor other black and brown belt students during the academic year.

Aryan Sharma (CW, ‘27) participated in the 69th Annual Orange County Science and Engineering Fair (OCSEF) hosted at Chapman University. Aryan took home first place in Category 1000 – Botany and was awarded the Dave Walkington Memorial Award for excellence in Botany, in addition to winning the RICOH award for next-generation technology innovation. He was also nominated to represent Orange County in the International Science & Engineering Fair, in which he was a finalist. Aryan spent five days networking and collaborating with other students who attended the event.

Zeen Zhou (IM, ‘29) was awarded a full-tuition merit scholarship for the 2024 Interlochen Center for the Arts Summer Arts Camp six-week string program. At the annual Summer Arts Camp students experience all the fun of summer camp – from cabin games and activities to enjoying the sun and exploring the great outdoors – all while practicing, performing, and making art.

Joules Recana (PM, ‘25) received the inaugural Beacon of Hope Award at the Radiant Health Center’s 38th Annual Gala. Proudly representing the LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent communities, Joules was honored with the award for exemplifying resilience and inclusivity.

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.

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.”

Adin Boyer (CV, ‘18) released his sophomore EP, “Regroup,'' available on all streaming platforms. This alternative collection is influenced by the sound of rock groups such as Coldplay, Kensington, and Keane, and the ambiences of groups like Hammock and Bear’s Den.

Cole Frederick (IM, ‘16), Matthew Jarnagin (FTV, ‘15), Matisse Pasillas (FTV, ‘15), Nicholas Stone (IM, ‘15), and Christopher Trimmer (IM, ‘12), also known as pop group Undecided Future, received rave reviews from Virgin Voyage Entertainment Director Jeremy Larochelle for their five Virgin Voyage cruise bookings since 2022. They will sail to Greece for the second time in June 2024 to perform their original songs and some covers.

More information on their group can be found on undecidedfuture.com.

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.

Sebastian Nunez (CV, ‘24) advanced to the rank of Eagle Scout with Boy Scouts of America Troop 1776. Eagle Scout is the highest rank in Boy Scouts and is awarded to those who exemplify leadership within their troop and unit. Sebastian currently serves as a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster and is in the process of becoming an Assistant Scoutmaster.

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

Sydney Noelle Haik (PM, ‘24) earned the Performing Arts: Music Scholarship from the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). This scholarship is dedicated to those interested in pursuing studies in the performing arts. Sydney was one of three students awarded for their five-minute video performance.

Elena Huang (CV, ‘28) was named first prize winner of the 2023 New York Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition for piano. Winners had the opportunity to be a part of the Winners’ Concert at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in March and July 2024.

The following students were announced as winners in their respective categories for the 20th Annual SoCalPhil Young Artists Competition. First Place winners were invited to perform in select SoCalPhil concerts in Spring 2024.

Cadence Bleakley (CV, ‘28) - Third Place (Protégé Vocal)
William Bolin (CV, ‘24) - Second Place (Artiste Vocal)
Irene Choung (IM, ‘24) - Second Place (Artiste Instrumental)
Celine Curtis (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention (Artiste Vocal)
Estella Keyoung (CV, ‘25) - First Place (Artiste Vocal)
Seojin Park (IM, ‘28) - Second Place (Protégé Piano)
Alyssa Snow (IM, ‘25) - First Place (Artiste Piano)
Eliza Tait (CV, ‘25) - First Place (Artiste Vocal)
Sterling Tran (IM, ‘27) - Third Place (Artiste Piano)
Natalie Xu (IM, ‘29) - First Place (Protégé Instrumental)

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

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

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.

Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25) who plays the tenor saxophone, was chosen to perform with the Herbie Hancock Institute’s National Peer-to-Peer Sextet. The sextet is composed of six of the most gifted high school musicians around the country. They had the honor of performing at the Herbie Hancock International Piano Competition in New York City alongside former winner of the Institute’s International Jazz Vocal Competition Lisa Henry and renowned jazz educator JB Dyas.

Avery Mizrahi (IA, ‘24) was a recipient of the Gold Congressional Award, which recognizes youth leaders who complete 400 volunteer hours, 200 personal development hours, and 200 physical fitness hours. This award recognizes Avery’s many achievements, which include being President of the Southern California Youth Neuroscience Association (SCYNA) and other community service organizations, her scientific research, language learning, and preparation for her 2023 dance tour across Europe.

Allie Molin (IM, ‘25) was recognized as one of six young female musicians selected for the Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo 2024. The ensemble traveled to Boston in January and participated in a series of activities and performances at Berklee College of Music. They will also be performing at the 67th Monterey Jazz Festival in September. Allie was also selected for the 2024 All-State ensembles for both Jazz and Symphony Orchestra, under the California Band Directors Association (CBDA).

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)

Cole Fredrick (PM, ‘16), Matt Jarnagin (FTV, ‘15), Matisse Pasillas (FTV, ‘15), Nick Stone (PM, ‘15), and Chris Trimmer (IM, ‘12) performed on a Virgin Voyage cruise with their band Undecided Future. Undecided Future is an urban pop band with influences from Earth, Wind & Fire, Justin Timberlake, and Bruno Mars, among others. On Virgin Voyage, they have visited Spain, Italy, France, Ibiza, and many other locations throughout 2023.

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

Rohan Soni (PM, ‘26) was a finalist in the 2023 Dragon Kim Fellowship Program competition for co-producing a documentary film titled “Dear Me.” The film focuses on chronic illness and mental wellness, which was inspired by his co-producer’s brother’s struggle with kidney disease. In addition, Rohan developed a mobile app that strives to create positivity through the art of journaling. Watch Rohan speak about it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6eFd4UQoXk > https://bit.ly/4a6Wdcw

Lucy Hunter (FTV, ‘26) was featured in a Daily Pilot article about her directorial debut, “You Should Be Dead,” a YouTube horror series that focuses on teens coping with loss and grief. The series is very personal to Lucy as it was inspired by the loss of her own father. Lucy started writing the show at the age of 12 and shared that the scripting has now been completed, which will amount to 44 episodes across four seasons. Two episodes are currently available to view on YouTube. To read the Daily Pilot article, please visit: https://bit.ly/4ac5RL5

Ryan Reithmeier, Director of the Classical Voice Conservatory, performed as a baritone in “American Cabaret: A Continent of Color,” at the Pacific Opera Project (POP) HQ in Highland Park last October. Mr. Reithmeier performed alongside pianist David Clemensen in this recital as a part of POP’s Inaugural Artist Series. The event explored diverse cultures and languages through rare 20th century American songs.

Summer Brennan (PM, ‘25) released a single, “Lost in LA,” on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms. Inspired by her relationships, insecurities, and self-discovery, the lyrics of this song are very personal and relatable.

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

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.

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.

Bryce Leng (CV, ‘24) took part in the 2023 West Coast Parkour Championships. He was a member of the Firestorm Freerunning team and competed against 550 contestants from five different countries within his competition category. After going through several rounds of competition, Bryce advanced to the finals for the Speed and Freestyle categories. Bryce was also featured in an Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) Teen Council video that promotes the benefits of utilizing public transportation. To watch the video, please visit: https://bit.ly/3TfU0W6

Christian Lopez (CAH, ‘23) won the Aaron Sanchez Scholarship through the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. The opportunity includes full tuition to a Culinary Certificate Program at New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI), as well as an internship with paid housing, food and travel stipends, and mentorship from Chef Aaron Sanchez and other star chefs.

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)

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

The following students and their art were featured this summer in the Junior Art Exhibit at the 2023 Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. The festival displays a variety of art exhibits, with categories such as 2D Art, 3D Art, and Film & Animation.

David Du (FTV, ‘24): “Life of a Mayfly”
Jordan Held (FTV, ‘23): “Ovaryacting”
Emily Wen (VA, ‘26): “Go Bananas”
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24): “Don’t Be Koi”
Charlotte Yoh (VA, ‘26): “The Dragonfly”
Cindy Zhang (VA, ‘24): “Self Portrait”

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.

Lauren Gee (VA, ‘27) was granted a summer internship with the Singapore Wildcat Action Group as an illustrator. She worked on several different campaigns creating flyers and posters that support the group’s mission to protect endangered species, restore rainforests, and much more.

The following student musicians, as part of the OCSA’s Ambassador Jazz Orchestra (AJO), had the opportunity to work and perform with the Juilliard Jazz sextet and their director Aaron Flagg. They were also able to sit with Aaron Flagg for a Q&A session.

Emmet Althoen (IM, ‘28)
Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25)
Mateo Tomas Cruz (IM, ‘24)
James Dechary (IM, ‘24)
Nicholas Doan (IM, ‘24)
Pedro Fregoso (IM, ‘27)
Grace Gillen (IM, ‘25)
Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26)
Kilan Lam (IM, ‘29)
Danny Lee (IM, ‘24)
Allison Molin (IM, ‘25)
Darren Qiu (IM, ‘24)
Owen Ramos (IM, ‘27)
Ian Shin (IM, ‘24)
Katherine Shinogi (IM, ‘25)
Oliver Shiwota (IM, ‘27)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)
Luke Toner (IM, ‘24)
Emily Vu (IM, ‘24)
Kaylie Wise (IM, ‘24)