STATE OF THE ART

The following members of the OCSA Debate Team placed at the High School Public Debate Program Bi-Coastal Championships.

Team Awards:
4th Overall - Melanie Huq (CW, ‘21), Melanie Kallah (IA, ‘21), and Isabel Lyons (IA, ‘22)

Individual Speaker Awards:
1st Place - Melanie Kallah (IA, ‘21), Debate Team President
6th Place - Melanie Huq (CW, ‘21)
8th Place - Isabel Lyons (IA, ‘22)
12th Place - Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘23)

Best Overall School:
3rd Place - Orange County School of the Arts

Sidney Muntean (CW, ‘22) was accepted into the Summer Workshop for Young Writers at the Kelly Writers House through the University of Pennsylvania.

Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) was one of only 15 oboists chosen from an international applicant pool to participate in the 2021 Juilliard Summer Winds program.

Bridget Phillips (MT, ‘22) and Jacki Vellandi (ACT, ‘22), both members of OCSA Thespian Troupe 6826, were selected to receive the highest award for playwriting by the International Thespian Society for their respective plays, Oakland and Reverie. They will work virtually with an experienced director and professional playwright to workshop their plays, which will be presented as staged readings during the International Thespian Festival in June.

Ava Tello (ACT, ‘24) was accepted into the UCLA Camera Acting Summer Institute, a virtual two-week, UC credit-bearing, intensive program that encompasses voice, scene study, storytelling, and on-camera acting training classes.

Sisters Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23) and Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25) were awarded first place in the national RoundPier Student Playwriting Contest for their screenplay, titled Soft Landing.

Alyssa Abiera (ACT, ‘26) was cast as the voice of Young Li Na in the upcoming Sony Pictures Animation film "Wish Dragon", which will be released on Netflix.

Cat Bui (CW, ‘22) was accepted into the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio Summer High School Writing Program.

The following students, as a part of the Orange County-based and internationally renowned All-American Boys Chorus, were selected to compete in the upcoming season of America's Got Talent.

Zaid Salazar (CV, ‘26)
Colin Savage (CV, ‘27)
Reid Winners (CV, ‘26)
Garrett Wirth (CV, ‘25)
Paxton Wong (CV, ‘25)
William Yu (CV, ‘26)

The following students received Gold or Silver National Awards in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Gold National Awards:
Joyce Lee (VA, ‘21) - Drawing & Illustration, Nature's Unification
London San Luis (DM, ‘23) - Painting, Ocularity
Amy Wang (VA, ‘23) - Painting, Pajamas
Ally Wong (CW, ‘23) - Poetry, Springrolls

Silver National Awards:
Joyce Hong (VA, ‘22) - Drawing & Illustration, Recurrection
Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22) - Painting, Complexities of Skin UnderTones (Sequel)
Ashley Thornton (CW, ‘23) - Poetry, Catallena
Suofei Wang (VA, ‘21) - Drawing & Illustration, Tea Set
Ally Wong (CW, ‘23) - Poetry, On Lunar New Year; Short Story, Gutted
Kevin Yang (VA, ‘24) - Drawing & Illustration, The Upside Down World

Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22), Catherine Johnston (CV, ‘21), and Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21) performed in The Music Center’s 33rd Annual Spotlight Grand Finale, a virtual presentation featuring the 14 Spotlight Finalists and hosted by Josh Groban. Out of a pool of more than 1,500 applicants, Emmy advanced to become the Grand Prize Finalist in the Dance category, while Catherine and Ava advanced to become Grand Prize Finalists in the Classical Voice category.

To view the virtual performance, please visit https://bit.ly/3uFnRHM

Jim Kolb, who retired last year after serving as OCSA’s Commercial Dance Director for more than 30 years, received the 2020 Teacher of the Year Award from the Arts Schools Network. As director, Mr. Kolb reshaped the Commercial Dance Conservatory to include a well-rounded curriculum with instruction in all aspects of the industry, including tap, lyrical, hip hop, musical theatre, and other styles.

Matthew Morrison (MT, '97) was cast in an upcoming production of Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical on NBC that will be performed and filmed at the Troubadour Theatre in London.

To read more about this production, please visit https://bit.ly/3hWGXGm

Maya Alvarez-Coyne (CMD, '21) received the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Mia Soumbasakis (CW, '22) had an article published in the New Santa Ana, titled “Who is protecting the people in Santa Ana from toxins in our water and soil?”

To read her article, please visit https://bit.ly/3yDLBiJ

Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21) won first place in the Schmidt Vocal Competition in Tennessee and received a $2,500 cash award and a $4,000 scholarship to Vanderbilt University.

Sonali Dhanidina (IA, '25) and Ashley Hodge (IA, '23) contributed to the Young People of the Pandemic anthology, which features authors ages 10-21 from all across the U.S. and is available on Amazon.

Tawnie “Kiyoné" Shorter (MT, '21) wrote and recorded her first single, “Sugar Honey Iced Tea.” Her song was featured on an EP by SAVIYN, titled Voyage.01, that was produced by multi-platinum producer Jae Chong. The EP can be found on all music platforms worldwide. Tawnie was also selected to write demo songs for an up-and-coming artist in Asia and to record music for national fitness videos.

Luna Zamora (CV, '24) performed at the Adventist Health White Memorial virtual gala, which honored all frontline workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Devin Weaver (ACT, '26) was cast in a recurring role on the hit television series American Housewife and filmed multiple episodes. Devin also booked and filmed a role in a U.S. Census commercial.

Hannah Cho (IM, '25) won first place in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Junior Performance competition at both the California state level and Southwest division level. She was selected to advance to the MTNA National competition as a representative of the Southwest division. She also won first place in the American Protégé International Woodwinds and Brass Competition and is scheduled to perform at the winner's solo recital at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

Clara Son (CW, '23) received high commendations in the John Locke Institute Essay Competition for 2020.

Christine Choi, Special Services Administrative Assistant and conservatory instructor, received the Arts in Special Education Award as part of the 2021 Orange County Music and Arts Awards, which recognizes outstanding arts educators in the county whose leadership has impacted their school, district, and community. The Arts in Special Education Award honors an educator who delivers exceptional arts instruction to students with disabilities and fosters inclusion in their school community.

OCSA teachers Sarah Gonzalez, Mathieu Girardet, and Kimberly Cantley were also nominated for this award.

Orange County School of the Arts was one of only 33 schools in the state to receive the California Exemplary Arts Education Award from the California Department of Education for 2021. The California Exemplary Arts Education Award celebrates schools that have made a successful effort to engage students in the arts through exposure to a variety of disciplines.

Daniel Grossgold (IA, ‘24) was named a 2021 Expressions Challenge Finalist through Expressions by Walgreens, which encourages high school students to express themselves creatively through media projects.

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

Artist of the Year Winners:
Nolan Hieu Trifunovic (FTV, ‘21) - Film and Animation
Catherine Johnston (CV, ‘21) - Vocal Music
Ariyah Brown (ACT, ‘22) - Theater
Brian Lin (IM, ‘21) - Instrumental Music (Alto Sax)

U.S. News & World Report released their 2021 national rankings for best high schools, and Orange County School of the Arts was named the 38th best high school in the State of California and the 273rd best high school nationwide. Of the Orange County schools represented on the list, OCSA ranks 3rd in the county.

To view their website, please visit https://bit.ly/2SMHqQZ

Anna Antongiorgi (CCD, ‘15) released a book of poems titled refinding the rules of gravity through Finishing Line Press.

Tisha Custodio (ACT, ‘19) was featured in an article by the Orange County Register about her recent casting in a lead role of the Disney+ original series Big Shot.

To read the article, please visit https://bit.ly/2QihXhs

Alyssa Kardos (ACT, ‘17) was selected to be a 2021 Fulbright Scholar and was featured in an article by Georgetown University’s School of Nursing & Health Studies. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program sends American scholars and professionals abroad to lecture or conduct research for up to one year. After graduating from Georgetown University this year, Alyssa will be teaching English in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

To view the article, please visit https://bit.ly/3uNC4TS

Matthew Anderson (IM, ‘23) was selected as a 2021 Performing Arts Scholarship winner by the Friends of Cypress Cultural Arts organization. He was awarded a $450 scholarship for the performance of Scherzo Fantastique by Alfred Reed on bass clarinet.

Olivia Le (IA, ‘25) won the Poetry Division in the OC Fair Imaginology Competition.

Sarah Anderson (MT, ‘22) and Zach Hoffman (ACT, ‘22) performed in an outdoor production of "Be More Chill" with Braver Players Musical Theater Foundation.

Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) became the grand prize winner of the Mount San Antonio College Solo Competition. She also won first place in the Middle School Division of the competition.

Emilia Djordjevic (IM, ‘23) opened her own online store via Spreadshirt to sell her designs.

Sisters Ayiah Soufi (IA, ‘26) and Ellie Soufi (PM) were featured on the cover of the April 2021 issue of ALL EYES Magazine with an eight-page spread. ALL EYES Magazine is an international digital and print magazine that showcases young talent from all over the world.

Meghan Barton (MT, ‘23) was awarded the Undergraduate Scholarship from the California State Thespian Society to attend Broadway Artists Alliance Summer Intensive. She also received the highest rank of “Superior” for her performance of the "Meadowlark" solo from The Baker's Wife.

Mia Soumbasakis (CW, ‘22) was honored as a 2021 Outstanding Volunteer by the OneOC Spirit of Volunteerism Awards for her service work with Lion’s Heart Teen Volunteers and Leaders.

Michele Lu (PM, ‘21) was selected as a semifinalist in the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts competition and will advance to the final round. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars will ultimately choose 20 students to be recognized for their academic and artistic accomplishments, leadership, community outreach, and overall creativity.

Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23) was accepted into Harvard University's Summer Pre-College Program.

Gianna Pedregon (IM, ‘21) wrote an article for Strings magazine titled “Creative Freedom: How Jazz and the 5-string Violin have Unlocked a World of Infinite Musical Possibility.”

To read the full article, please visit https://bit.ly/3hzfudZ

Hailey Riley (MT, ‘25) earned first place in Floor and Vault and became the All-Around Regional Champion for Level Seven (Senior B) in the USA Gymnastics Region 1 Finals competition.

Mikayla Fleming (CCD, ‘24) was accepted to three summer intensives: Alonzo King Lines Ballet Summer Intensive, University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) Contemporary Program with a special invitation to the Professional Program, and Boston Ballet Summer Intensive.

Samara Kohne (CV, ‘24) was accepted into the Colorado Vocal Institute for this summer.

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

Kiana Keli`i (IM, ‘21) was one of 10 nominees selected from the South Region as a finalist for the California Scholarship Federation Seymour Memorial Award. She was then honored as the South Region winner for her dedication to service, academics, and raising awareness of the cultural diversity of Pacific Islanders.

The following students were recognized as Grand Prize Finalists in The Music Center’s 33rd Annual Spotlight Program out of more than 1,500 applicants. Spotlight is a nationally acclaimed arts training and scholarship program for teens that awards more than $100,000 in cash scholarships annually. The students were selected among only 14 Grand Prize Finalists who will perform in a virtual grand finale event and receive a $5,000 scholarship.

Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22) - Dance
Catherine Johnston (CV, ‘21) - Classical Voice
Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21) - Classical Voice

The Orange County Register announced the semifinalists for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Computer-Assisted Visual Arts:
Computer Drawing and Painting
Eden Haymond (DM, ‘21)
Ashley Yang (VA, ‘22)

Dance:
Commercial Dance
Danielle Silver (CMD, ‘22)
Dawson Charles Walker (CMD, ‘21)
Concert Dance
Corah Abbott (CCD, ‘21)
World and Cultural Dance
Maya Elizabeth Alvarez-Coyne (CMD, ‘21)
Rodrigo Blanco (BF, ‘21)
Lucas McCollum-VanHoosear (BR, ‘22)

Film and Animation:
Directing and Editing
Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21)
Johann Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21)
Nolan Frech (FTV, ‘21)

Handcrafted Visual Arts:
Hand Drawing and Painting
Joyce Lee (VA, ‘21)
Mixed Media
Junzhu Zhang (VA, ‘21)
Sculpting and Metalwork
Juhyun Park (VA, ‘21)

Instrumental Music:
Jazz
Gianna Pedregon (IM, ‘21) - Violin
Piano and Strings
Hannah Noh (IM, ‘21) - Piano

Theater:
Acting
Mia Kaplan (MT, ‘21)
Musical Theater Performance
Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21)
Madison E. Osment (MT, ‘21)
Charlee Rubino (MT, ‘21)

Vocal Music:
Classical Voice
Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21)
Commercial Voice
Michele Lu (PM, ‘21)

The Orange County Register announced the finalists for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Vocal Music - Commercial Voice
Ye Ji Kim (PM ‘21)

Vocal Music - Classical Voice
Catherine Johnston (CV ‘21)

Dance - Concert Dance
Corah Abbott (CCD, ‘21)

Dance - World/Cultural Dance
Maya Elizabeth Alvarez-Coyne (CMD, ‘21)

Handcrafted Visual Arts - Mixed Media
Junzhu Zhang (VA, ‘21)

Handcrafted Visual Arts - Sculpting and metalwork
Juhyun Park (VA, ‘21)

Film and Animation - Directing and Editing
Noah Frech (FTV, ‘21)

Instrumental Music - Winds and Percussion
Brian Lin (alto sax) (IM, ‘21)

Theatre - Acting
Ariyah Brown (ACT, ‘22)

Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23) became the Orange County Poetry Out Loud Champion and was featured in an article by the Los Angeles Times Daily Pilot.

To view the article, please visit https://lat.ms/3w04Noz

Vice President of Development Cathy Michaels was named a 2021 Woman of Distinction by Senator Tom Umberg and the 34th California Senate District. This award honors outstanding women who exemplify ethical leadership and a commitment to making a positive impact in the community.

Lauren Lim Jackson (CMD, ‘03), Interim Director of the Musical Theatre Conservatory, was featured in an article by Orange Coast Magazine that highlights her wellness classes at the Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

To view the article, please visit https://bit.ly/3nXsnzn

Joy Baik (VA, ‘19) provided the illustrations for the children's book In All of Your Days Have You Seen the Ways an Animal Plays an Instrument?, which was written by an OCSA alumni parent. The duo is working on a second book to be released this fall.

Tisha Custodio (ACT, ‘19) was cast in a lead role in the upcoming Disney+ original series Big Shot.

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 Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Award. This program highlights talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts. 750 students representing 78 Orange County high schools were nominated, and 50 of them are from OCSA! Each of these students have proven their abilities in their areas of expertise. Here are the nominations for Theater:

Acting:
Ariyah Brown (ACT, ‘21)
Sophia Del Rey (ACT, ‘21)
Justin Joung (MT, ‘21)
Mia Kaplan (MT, ‘21)
Taite Morrison (IA, ‘22)

Musical Theater Performance:
Madison E. Osment (MT, ‘21)
Charlee Rubino (MT, ‘21)
Arielle Leeah Schmid (MT, ‘21)

Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) won 3rd place in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) National performance competition, after previously winning at the State and Southwest division levels. She will be receiving a $300 award from the MTNA Foundation fund.

Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) earned 3rd place at the 66th Annual Orange County Science and Engineering Fair (OCSEF) for his research paper titled "Analyzing TCGA Data to Identify Gene Mutations Linked with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Asians."

The OCSA Science Olympiad High School Team (Division C) competed in the Orange County Regional competition and placed in 14 of the 29 events. The team earned 6th place out of almost 40 schools and will advance to the Southern California State Science Olympiad competition. Team member Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) placed in all of his events.

1st Place
Codebusters: Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22), Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23), and Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)

2nd Place
Digital Structures: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) and Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22)
Amazing Mechatronics: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) and Isabelle Tran (VA, ‘22)

3rd Place
Chiropterology: Kacy Chung (VA, ‘23) and Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23)
Circuit Lab: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) and Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)
Experimental and Data Analysis: Katherine Given (ACT ‘24), Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23), and Samantha Su (VA, ‘21),
Fermi Questions: Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) and Haley Shimabukuro (IM, ‘24)
Helicopters: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) and Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23)
Game On: Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24) and Em Wei-Ten (PM, ‘23)
Geologic Mapping: Aleks Cornforth (CMD, ‘21) and Erica Yang (IA, ‘21)

4th Place
Algorithms and Heuristics: Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) and Em Wei-Ten (PM, ‘23)
Dynamic Planet: Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24) and Jiin Yun (IM, ‘24)
Gravity Vehicle: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) and Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)
Ornithology: Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23) and Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23)

Other Competitors
Amy Lee (IM, ‘23), Grant Li (CW, ‘23), Sara Shimabukuro (IM, ‘21), and Allison Wong (CW, ‘23)

Holly Calderon (MT, ‘24) was accepted into the Boston Conservatory at Berklee Musical Theater Acting Intensive for Summer 2021.