Tira Palmquist, Creative Writing Conservatory Instructor, had her play “The Body’s Midnight” featured in the 2025-2026 season of 100 Lives Rep in Portland and at the Boston Court Pasadena as a co-production with IAMA Theatre Company. “The Body’s Midnight” follows Anne and David as they embark on a road trip across America to see the birth of their first grandchild when their perfect plan gets derailed. Ms. Palmquist also took part in the Perlberg Festival of New Plays 2025, presented by Palm Beach Dramaworks. |
| The following OCSA students were honorees in the Writing category for the 2026 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.
National Gold Medalists Rhea Sreedhar (FTV, ‘28) - “Henna Hands” - BEST IN GRADE WRITING YuQiao Shao (CW, ‘29) - “Feed me to the Fire” Ashley Sunwoo (CW, ‘29) - “The Tongue Across The Sea”
National Silver Medalists Katelyn Chang (IM, ‘28) - “‘Good Grief’?” Jenna Hong (CW, ‘28) - “double roadkill” Chloe Je (CW, ‘28) - “Pill Bug Generations Report” Stella Kim (IM, ‘30) - “Gravity”
Gold American Voices Nominee Katelyn Chang (IM, ‘28) - “‘Good Grief’?”
Regional Gold Key Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) - “Ode to my deviated nasal septa, a Champu Kavya for my Mother” Jenna Hong (CW, ‘28) - “double roadkill” Chloe Je (CW, ‘28) - “Pill Bug Generations Report”, “Criticism to Her Gossip” Stella Kim (IM, ‘30) - “Metamorphosis”, “Gravity” Matthew Nguyen (CW, ‘27) - “SYSTEMS OF CHANGE” YuQiao Shao (CW, ‘29) - “The City of Hearts”, “Feed me to the Fire”, “Runaway” Audrey Shih (CW, ‘27) - “to break this mentality of a dying dove”, “the loving act of forgetting”, “art is revolution in our veins” Ashley Sunwoo (CW, ‘29) - “The Tongue Across The Sea” Rebecca Yang (CW, ‘27) - “Rebirth”, “3-Part Analysis on the Writing Process”, “how to make oolong tea”, “In war, no one is human”, “Google Search: How to Resurrect a Culture?”, “10 Things About My Culture”, “& Asphalt”, “Journey Towards You”
Regional Silver Key Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) - “Shifting Perspectives on Confederate Statues: The Need for More Representative Monuments” Kate Ha (CW, ‘28) - “Moments Stolen” Jaden Hong (CW, ‘29) - “The Miracle Tree” Jenna Hong (CW, ‘28) - “riverbend”, “on self destructing” Chloe Je (CW, ‘28) - “Garden View” Doyeon Kim (DM, ‘28) - “The Detrimental Reality of Luxury Perfume Advertising” Stella Kim (IM, ‘30) - “Nesting Between Flight”, “Silence” Matthew Nguyen (CW, ‘27) - “Spin Doctors and Sorcerors” Jamie Noh (AE, ‘30) - “One of These Days” YuQiao Shao (CW, ‘29) - “The House, Abandoned”, “strawberries”, “A Dissection on Sirens by Marilyn Chan, sponsored by the Aquarium of the Bay” Chloe Yang (CW, ‘27) - “breasts & eggs” Rebecca Yang (CW, ‘27) -”Chinese Ethnic Enclaves: First Generation Immigrants' Employment Assimilation”, “Slam of Man”, “parting thoughts”, “ordering at a restaurant”, “2nd grader discovers popularity”, “as the days shorten”, “Ordinary”, “relearning” You (Eddy) You (ACT, ‘29) - “The Wanderer”
Regional Honorable Mention Kexin Cai (IM, ‘28) - “On the Topic of Foxes and Fire”, “I Love You, I Hate You” Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) - “Reshaping Space Agreements for Mars Exploration: Political and Legal Necessities”, “Upon Waiting For My Mother to Put on Her Bathing Suit”, “Becoming Unsung”, “the legend of Tahlequah”, “I am the reincarnation of my brother”, “The Golden City, after Sarah Kay” Kate Ha (CW, ‘28) - “The Color Pink” Jaden Hong (CW, ‘29) - “A Bittersweet Laugh: Schadenfreude in an Age that Consumes Others Misfortune”, “Director's Proposal”, “Of Two Worlds” Jenna Hong (CW, ‘28) - “mother's love / thermosphere” Doyeon Kim (DM, ‘28) - “Stillness before Renewal” Stella Kim (IM, ‘30) - “Twice a Day”, “House”, "The Role of Social Media in Activism" Matthew Nguyen (CW, ‘27) - “are you a REAL american?” YuQiao Shao (CW, ‘29) - “The Teenage Smartphone Addiction”, “Me and the Piano” Aryan Sharma (CW, ‘27) - “Dropped Heirlooms” Audrey Shih (CW, ‘27) - “Songs of the Puyuma Women”, “What They Don't Tell You About Taking the SAT” Vera So (VA, ‘30) - “Night at the Fair” Rebecca Yang (CW, ‘27) - “Bursting the Bubble”, “How Poetry Heals”, “Quiet Defiance”, “girlhood”, “Cocooned”, “a love letter to my mom”, “Home is a skin, draped” |
| OCSA Dreamscape Yearbook earned the coveted Pacemaker Award for the 2025 yearbook “Restyle.” It was announced at the National High School Journalism Convention that OCSA’s Dreamscape yearbook was one of 19 yearbooks nationally, and one of only two in California, to win this prestigious award. The following students and faculty were a part of the award-winning Dreamscape team:
Editorial Board Logistics Editor: Sophia Chau (CW, ‘25) Communications & High School Coverage Editor: Elaine Lim (FTV, ‘25) Middle School Coverage Editor: Hailey Cho (BCD, ‘25) Projects, Social Media & Communications Editor: Hailey Perng (FTV, ‘26) Dreamscape Jr. Editor: Serafina Truong (CAH, ‘28) Copy Editor: Sophie Liu (CAH, ‘25) Visual Editor-in-Chief: Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25) Co-Design Editors: Ashley Shin (VA, ‘25), Emily Wen (VA, ‘26) Co-Photography Editors: Jesper Seet (FTV, ‘26), Emily Wen (VA, ‘26)
Team Leads Alyssa Abiera (ACT, ‘26) Ashlyn Chung (BCD, ‘27) Liora Dubery (ACT, ‘25) Iris Wang (CW, ‘25) Rachel Won (IM, ‘26) Charlotte Yoh (VA, ‘26)
Designers Pebbles Chun (DM, ‘26) Haylin Kim (VA, ‘26) Mary Hong (PD, ‘26) Peyton Park (CAH, ‘27) Bebel Thanaritiroj (BCD, ‘27) Ella Wang (VA, ‘26)
Photographers Audrey Chiou (BCD, ‘25) Christian Cho (VA, ‘26) Alex Helguero (IA, ‘25) Asher Kim (VA, ‘25) Avery Kim (CMD, ‘25) Elsie Kim (FTV, ‘27) Edison Romo (VA, ‘26) Jesper Seet (FTV, ‘26) Ellie Yoshino (BCD, ‘27)
Copywriters Sofia Flores (MT, ‘25) Chloe Lee (BCD, ‘26) Jiyu Lee (IM, ‘26) Jua Kim (CW, ‘27) Eleazar Reiner (CW, ‘26) Audrey Townsend (IA, ‘26) Katie Zhang (FTV, ‘26)
Adviser Courtney Harper |
Sol Yoon (VA, ‘27) was named the Northwest Regional Winner in the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum 2026 National High School Design Competition. In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, the competition challenged students to design in support of their community’s future. Inspired by the Zanja Madre’s visible water management, Sol designed a portable biofilter planter that captures pollutants before they reach sewers. |
| Below are the OCSA Classical Voice students who took high honors at the Opera Focus/Pacific Symphony High School competition in April 2026, earning six out of ten top prizes in the Laguna Niguel event.
Cadence Bleakley (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention Tiffany Carr (CV, ‘26) - First Place Henry Courtney (CV, ‘26) - Encouragement Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) - Second Place, Tie Jamie Ma (CV, ‘29) - Second Place, Tie Lavinia Watkins (CV, ‘26) - Third Place |
| OCSA’s Model United Nations (MUN) Team received multiple awards for their efforts at the MUN Conference at Laguna Beach High School. Below are the student participants and their respective honors:
Best Delegate Angela Song (IM, ‘27)
Outstanding Hanna Heger (CW, ‘26) Kaylee Lu (FTV, ‘28)
Commendation Bella Chen (CMD, ‘28) Alyssa Kim (FTV, ‘27) Catherine Kim (ACT, ‘27) Sofia Patel (IA, ‘29) Sophie Sukendro (IM, ‘26)
Research Nour-Eldin Elshahawi (FTV, ‘27) |
Katelyn Chang (IM, ‘28), Nour-Eldin Elshahawi (FTV, ‘27), and Jayden Kim (IM, '27) won third prize in the High School Western Division of the 2026 C-SPAN StudentCam documentary competition for their video titled, “The Key to a Healthy Democracy,” about how the legacy of the Declaration of Independence inspires youth community service, and how that service, in turn, strengthens our communities in a uniquely American way through civic engagement. Their video, a press release about their win, and a congratulatory video from Irvine Mayor Larry Agran can be found here. |
Ellie Kim (IM, ‘30) was accepted into the 2026 YOLA National Festival Symphony Orchestra conducted by Anna Handler, the current conductor for the Boston Symphony. She will be performing at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. |
Yuhan Dai (BR, ‘30) earned first runner-up in Teen Orange County 2025 and People’s Choice Award in the United States of America (USOA) Miss California. She went on to compete at the USOA Pageants National Finals held in Las Vegas where she achieved a Top 10 placement and was honored with the first-ever Teen All-American Cities 2026 title. Over the coming year, she will continue serving her community through volunteer work, with a focus on art-based healing and sharing traditional culture. Guided by the mission of the United States of America Pageants, she hopes to inspire confidence and self-expression in others by celebrating the unique qualities that make each individual who they are. |
Reina Lee (IA, ‘30) represented Team USA as a part of the U.S. Solo Ice Dance International Edward G. Picken Dance Classic. She was awarded a scholarship to support her training. |
OCSA Robotics Team 11211W wdym was crowned Tier 1 Award Tournament Champions at the 2026 San Diego Fourth Annual Last Chance Tournament Invitational. Team members include Ashwin Desai (PM, ‘26), Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26), Ally Halid (IA, ‘26), Peyton Hsu (AE, ‘27), Tiffani Hsu (PD, ‘26), Alex Hwang (IM, ‘27), Bright Li (CAH, ‘27), and Anthony Tatsuta (FTV, ‘27). |
| The OCSA ProStart Management Team of Kayleen Chae (CAH, ‘27), Alexis Lee (CAH, ‘28), and Jongyoon Lee (CAH, ‘28), coached by Culinary Arts & Hospitality Instructor Chef Kogila Pillay, earned first place at the California ProStart Cup and went on to place fourth nationally at the 2026 National ProStart Invitational (NPSI), a premier competition for high school students in restaurant management and culinary arts. The team competed against 48 state champions and impressed industry judges with their original restaurant concept, FunTastical. They showcased skills in menu design, recipe costing, marketing, and real-time problem solving. Kayleen, returning team member and captain, was the first in OCSA’s history to earn a spot on the national podium twice. Additionally, the following teams and solo competitors took part in the California ProStart Cup in Los Angeles in February 2026, prior to the National Invitational.
Culinary Team - Third Place (out of 25 teams) Chey Paola Costa - Coach Cynthia Zhou (CAH, ‘26) - Captain Branden Rodas (CAH, ‘27) Serafina Truong (CAH, ‘28) Cameron Wright (CAH, ‘28) Ian Yoon (CAH, ‘27)
Solo Competitors (out of 19 competitors) Seungwoo Chris Hong (CAH, ‘29) Sung Jun Ryan Kye (CAH, ‘29) Joanna Shin (CAH, ‘29) - Third place Juliette Wang (CAH, ‘29) |
Ballet Folklórico Dance Conservatory Director Marlene Pena-Marin was recognized by the National Hispanic Business Women Association (NHBWA) as Educator of the Year. NHBWA is a non-profit organization with the purpose of empowering and encouraging female business owners to develop and increase their business by offering mutual support and networking. |
Eliana Joo (CW, ‘29) qualified for Congressional Debate and Sofia Patel (IA, ‘29) for Original Oratory at the 2026 National Speech & Debate Tournament in Richmond, Virginia. This is the largest academic competition in the US, where over 7,000 students from 1,500 schools gather to compete. |
John Oh (CV, ‘30) won first place in Classical Voice Division Section Four for ages 13-14 and Lindsay Nguyen (IM, ‘27) won first place in the Piano Division at the Music Arts Competition of Orange County (MACOC). As a result, they both earned a scholarship and the opportunity to perform in the Winners’ Concert at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum. |
Sophia Dusenbury (BCD, ‘31) placed first overall in the Teen Division in the Open Category at the Star Systems National Talent Competition. She performed “Away” in the Shooting Star Level for ages 13-15. Chance Stastny (CMD, ‘31) was also recognized as an outstanding soloist. |
David Zhang (BR, ‘27) and Daniel Zhang (BR, ‘27), alongside their dance partners Kaylee Tran and Kiyomi Tolliver (BR, ‘31), earned the titles of United States Youth Smooth Champion and Vice Champion at the 2026 United States Dance Nationals, an affiliate organization with the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the World Dance Sport Federation in Pittsburgh. |
Joseph Baek (IM, ‘26), Yihan Hu (IM, ‘26), Jeremy Lee (IM, ‘26), Shinbi Lee (CW, ‘26), and Liam Posos (CV, ‘26) represented OCSA at the first annual Chemistry Olympiad team competition at California State University, Fullerton. OCSA earned third place overall and Liam was awarded the top score out of 207 competitors. They will be honored at the American Chemical Society Awards Banquet in late May 2026 with a team plaque. |
Kayze Ryan (PD, ‘29) designed photocards and a poster for the movie “Iron Lung” and created an online store. |
Colette Porch (MT, ‘31) booked a series regular role on a new HBO Max pilot called, “How to Survive Without Me!” She will work alongside Kaley Cuoco, Joshua Jackson, Ray Romano, and Rita Wilson who will be playing her family in the show. |
| OCSA Classical Voice students participated in the 2026 Vo-Cal competition at California State University, Long Beach in May. The following students were recognized in their divisions.
Classical Division 2.1 Carter Meza (CV, ‘31) - Third Place
Classical Division 2.2 Alina Claire Park (CV, ‘30) - First Place Abigail Kim (CV, ‘31) - Honorable Mention
Classical Division 3.1 Samantha Shelly (CV, ‘29) - First Place Chelsea Yang (CV, ‘29) - Second Place
Classical Division 3TBB Jamie Ma (CV, ‘29) - First Place Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) - Second Place Oliver Stewart (CV, ‘29) - Third Place Brody Yun (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention
Classical 4.1 Lubaina Habib (CV, ‘28) - First Place Cadence Bleakley (CV, ‘28) - Second Place Julia Zhou (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention Vicky Huang (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention
Classical 4.2 Simran Goyal (CV, ‘28) - First Place Willow Wu (CV, ‘27) - Second Place Asmi Aggarwal (CV, ‘27) - Honorable Mention
Classical 4.3 Leila Woodward (CV, ‘27) - First Place Tiffany Carr (CV, ‘26) - Second Place Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘27) - Third Place Amber Bach (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention
Classical 4.4 Leah Navarro (CV, ‘26) - First Place Hope Bradley (CV, ‘26) - Second Place Lavinia Watkins (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention
Classical 4TBB Zaid Salazar (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention Sean Kang (CV, ‘27) - Honorable Mention
Musical Theatre 2.1 Carter Meza (CV, ‘31) - Second Place
Musical Theatre 2.2 Amber Bach (CV, ‘26) - Second Place
Commercial Music 3 Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) - Honorable Mention |
Visual Arts Conservatory and Elective Instructor, Nancy Alcala, was selected as the 2026 Hart Vision Regional Teacher of the Year for Southern California by the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA). She was recognized for this achievement at the CCSA Conference in Long Beach for her exemplary leadership and teaching in the classroom and impact on the OCSA community. |
The Global Mission Woodwinds and Brass (GMWB), a music volunteer organization founded by OCSA students with a passion for music, held a concert at the Orange County Rescue Mission and donated $1,000 along with goodie bags to support the community. The organization is led by Daniel Ahn (IM, ‘29), Leia Choi (PD, ‘30), Stella Kim (IM, ‘30), Jihu Lee (CW, ‘29), Jonathan Lee (IM, ‘30), Sihu Lee (IM, ‘31), and Jayden Lim (IM, ‘31). |
| OCSA's High School Thespians Troupe 6826 participated in the California State Thespian Festival at Pomona College, where they had the opportunity to take part in workshops, perform in the Theatre Thespian Competitions, and connected with fellow high school troupes from across Southern California. Pilar Rivera (VA, ‘26) received the Nick Robinson Fellowship Award and won a scholarship and mentorship opportunity from California Thespians. Below are the students who received a superior ranking and qualified for the International Thespian Festival in June 2026.
Irene Cho (MT, ‘29) Colton Dorfman (MT, ‘29) Riley Gartland (MT, ‘29) Bella Gonzales (MT, ‘28) Gianna Gourley (MT, ‘27) Evani Gulati (MT, ‘26) Nathan Han (MT, ‘26) Shayla Knihtila (MT, ‘26) Ava Villacorta (MT, ‘27) |
| OCSA students from the Creative Writing and Hal Struck Musical Theatre Conservatories took part in the 16th Annual Creative Edge Lecture at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, presented by Arts Orange County. Autumn Francis (MT, ‘26), Nathan Han (MT, ‘26), Ella Jerge (MT, ‘26), and Michael Pavlov (MT, ‘26) performed the pre-show with their teacher Mr. Axl Avenido, sharing music inspired by the close creative connection between songwriting and poetry. After the performance, they had the opportunity to meet the 2025-2026 U.S. Poet Laureate, Arthur Sze.
Students from the Creative Writing Conservatory also attended the lecture, where Sze spoke directly about how young writers can develop their craft. Zara Daneva (CW, ‘26), Anika Desai (CW, ‘26), Diego Gonzales (CW, ‘27), and Audrey Shih (CW, ‘27) stayed afterward for lunch with him, where they continued the conversation alongside donors, including Sam Robertson, owner of Arvida Book Co. and organizer of the OC Book Festival. |
Warner Hosaflook (MT, ‘30) was selected as one of 10 students ages 13-17 in the US for the Microsoft AI Futures Youth Council. The program encourages teenagers to actively engage with Microsoft products and policies while providing a space for them to have a say on the future development of AI. |
Max Zazik (ACT, ‘29) performed as Peter in “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. The play is a faithful adaptation of the classic book about the adventures of four children who inadvertently wander from a wardrobe into the exciting land of Narnia. |
| OCSA’s DECA Chapter won multiple awards at the DECA State Career Development Conference (SCDC). A team of 36 OCSA students compete in a variety of role play activities, prepared events, and exams in the fields of business management, entrepreneurship, finance, hospitality, and marketing. Four students qualified to advance to the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Atlanta, Georgia with five more chosen as alternates.
ICDC Qualifiers Isla Heller (IA, ‘28) - Principles of Marketing Phineas Kim (FTV, ‘27) - Principles of Marketing Stella Mulholland (CAH, ‘26) and Rohan Soni (PM, ‘26) - Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making
ICDC Alternates Presley Herthel (BR, ‘26) - Community Awareness Project Paige Hines (CW, ‘26) and Isaac Margolis (CW, ‘26) - Financial Literacy Project Teresa Romano (AE, ‘27) - Integrated Marketing Campaign Aarzu Singh (ACT, ‘26) - Principles of Finance
Event Finalists Lauryn Bakh (CMD, ‘27) - Principles of Hospitality Yein Cho (CMD, ‘28) - Principles of Hospitality Luisa Gomez-Linnert (AE, ‘26) - Entrepreneurship Individual Series Samantha Lam (IA, ‘28) - Principles of Marketing Dani Park (IM, ‘29) - Principles of Hospitality Aarav Putrevu (CAH, ‘26) - Hotel & Lodging Management Series Teresa Romano (AE, ‘27) - Marketing Communications Series |
| The Ballroom Dance Conservatory Latin and Smooth Formation Teams traveled to US Dancesport Nationals in Provo, Utah in March 2026. Both teams received fifth place in the US in their divisions. The following Ballroom Dance Conservatory students were on one or both of these teams, and many students also received high placements nationally in their partnership divisions:
Nataly Adamcik (BR, ‘28) James Brown (BR, ‘27) Cali Cassidy (BR, ‘28) Kaylee Chin (BR, ‘30) Luca De Gregoris (BR, ‘29) Jack Hillebrecht (BR, ‘26), Amber Janio (BR, ‘28) Nina Le Coz (BR, ‘27) Donny LeDuc (BR, ‘27) Evan Lee (BR, ‘28) Austin Li (BR, ‘29) Liam Majerus (BR, ‘27) Samantha Okada-Lam (BR, ‘26) Christopher Perales Haro (BR, ‘28) Maddie Sieger (BR, ‘27) Jessica Sigala (BR, ‘27) Kiyomi Tolliver (BR, ‘29) Heather Torres-Cancino (BR, ‘26) Johanna Tsai (BR, ‘29) Jacob Wan (BR, ‘30) Felix Wang (BR, ‘27) James Williams (BR, ‘26) Alina Xu (BR, ‘30) Selina You (BR, ‘27) Cynthia Zhang (BR, ‘27) Daniel Zhang (BR, ‘27) David Zhang (BR, ‘27) |
Lili Ling (PD, ‘30), Liam Kim (PD, ‘30), and Aarav Sharma (BR, ‘31) competed as a team in the Harvard Crimson Global Quiz Bowl competition organized by Harvard University’s oldest official newspaper, The Harvard Crimson. Their team was named global champion in the Biology Category and invited to an award ceremony at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. |
Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) was recognized as a CS Music All-State Singer in 2026. Throughout the school year, he earned top placements in several classical voice competitions. He also received first place at the MTAC VOCE Finals and earned 2nd place in the Opera Focus competition. These experiences provided valuable opportunities for him to further develop his performance skills and expand his classical vocal repertoire. |
Mandy Hur (BCD, ‘28) won first place in California Dance Classics Senior Classical Division Solo in San Diego. She was also accepted into the San Francisco Ballet Summer Intensive for 2026. |
Io Foxlin (ACT, ‘31) and Elle Ruderman (ACT, ‘30) appeared in LEGO Friends digital content, including a “Taste Buddies” cooking segment and a “Rhythm Bands” music video-style segment. |
OCSA alum Joanne Javien Coudriet (MT, ‘99) starred in the production of “Here Lies Love” with the Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre from February to April 2026. The show is a groundbreaking musical about former First Lady of the Philippines, Imela Marcos, and her family’s rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution. |
Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26) recently completed his seventh marathon, finishing with a sub-four-hour time. With this race, he also achieved double legacy status for the OC Marathon. |
Ashley Kim (CW, ‘28) and Joshua Noh (CW, ‘28) earned third place runner-up in the Senior Group Website Category at the National History Day California State Competition. |
Derrick Senliang Zhang (BR, ‘29) was selected as an invited pianist to perform at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, for The Royal Gala 2026, in recognition of outstanding performance and extraordinary artistry in classical piano. |
| Several OCSA students participated in the 2026 Concordia Music Competition in January and February at Concordia University in Irvine. First prize winners were awarded a trophy, scholarship, and consideration to perform at Carnegie Hall in the summer. Below are the students who participated:
London Chou (IM, ‘29) - First Prize, Soloist On Cello Ka-on Kim (CV, ‘31) - First Prize, Classical Voice, Age 12 Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) - First Prize, Classical Voice |
| OCSA Ambassador Jazz Orchestra (AJO) was awarded second place in the Essentially Ellington finals in New York City. AJO was also awarded for Outstanding Rhythm Section, Outstanding Brass Section, and multiple individual soloist awards listed below:
Ella Fitzgerald Outstanding Soloist Award Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26)
The Snooky Young Award (Outstanding Lead Trumpet) Pedro Fregoso (IM, ‘27)
Outstanding Piano Emmet Althoen (IM, ‘28)
Outstanding Doubler, Banjo & Guitar Oliver Shiwota (IM, ‘27)
Outstanding Trombone Jonah Jiang (IM, ‘28) Owen Ramos (IM, ‘27) |
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| The following OCSA students were honorees in the Art category for the 2026 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.
National Gold Medalists Jiatong Li (DM, ‘29) - “The Shadow Can’t Erase By Time”
National Silver Medalists Rosey Chen (DM, ‘28) - “At First Light” Elodie Fu (VA, ‘28) - “Wise” Alyssa Kim (FTV, ‘27) - “Do You See Me” Chloe Koo (VA, ‘28) - “The ShoreArc Residence” Nathan Sung (IM, ‘29) - “Living the False Self: Narcissistic Control and Reactive Abuse in The Truman Show” Kyle Yoon (DM, ‘28) - “CROC CUP”
Regional Gold Key Katelyn Chang (IM, ‘28) - “The Grill Master” Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) - “Red Memory, Open Skin”, “The Sound of One Heart” Rosey Chen (DM, ‘28) - “Where Time Rests”, “At First Light” Sissi Chen (VA, ‘27) - “Burned Out” Elodie Fu (VA, ‘28) - “Reverie”, “Bioluminescence”, “Wise”, “Plastic Flora”, “Itching under my Skin” Reyna Jeon (VA, ‘28) - “The Last Embrace”, “The Mirror Treatment” Alyssa Kim (FTV, ‘27) - “Touchland Commercial", “Do You See Me”, “Silent Strength” Ziah Kim (VA, ‘27) - “Featherline” Jiatong Li (DM, ‘29) - “The Shadow Can’t Erase By Time” Ella Wang (VA, ‘26) - “The Real Self”, “Unboxed Memory”, “Windowsill of Memories” Kyle Yoon (DM, ‘28) - “Pieta”
Regional Silver Key Katelyn Chang (IM, ‘28) - “First Steps Into the Sun” Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) - “The Cycle of Endless Existence” Rosey Chen (DM, ‘28) - “Dream of Formosa” Nari Chin (VA, ‘27) - “Wailing Metamorphosis", “Dip of Courage” Elodie Fu (VA, ‘28) - “Beauty In Mess” Alyssa Kim (FTV, ‘27) - “Itamae" Ziah Kim (VA, ‘27) - “Woven Reconnection” Edda Lee (PD, ‘28) - “Bloom Stage Events” Ariel Liang (VA, ‘27) - “Take Me Outdoors” Ziru Niu (FTV, ‘28) - “The Way Home” Bolai Yan (VA, ‘27) - “Self-portrait” Emily Yoo (DM, ‘29) - “Perception”, “Phantom”
Regional Honorable Mention Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27) - “Swallowed by Silence”, “A Dance Done on Burning Kites” Nari Chin (VA, ‘27) - “Pincer Play” Elodie Fu (VA, ‘28) - “Heart Cocoon”, “Who Should We Trust?”, “Where All Beginnings Return” Chloe Heller (DM, ‘27) - “Fallen Truth” Alyssa Kim (FTV, ‘27) - “In Revolt" Ziah Kim (VA, ‘27) - “Obscura”, “Legacy in His Arms”, “Origin”, “Pareidolia”, “In the Stillness” Angie Lee (BR, ‘30) - “Cat of The Night” Ziru Niu (FTV, ‘28) - “Student Custodians” Ella Wang (VA, ‘26) - “Time is Ticking”, “Wherever I Am”, “On the Edge of Tomorrow”, "Metamorphosis”, “Worth the Wait”’ YanJun (Ashley) Wang (VA, ‘26) - “Refractions” Janelle Wong (VA, ‘29) - “Rebirth” |
Ka-on Kim (CV, ‘31) performed as Ham in the LA Opera production of “Noye’s Fludde” (“Noah’s Flood") based on medieval mystery plays. This was a LA Opera Community Theatre collaboration that brings together professionals and amateurs, including children’s choirs and orchestras. |
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27), Helena Donato-Sapp (CW, ‘27), and Samantha Wu (CW, ‘27) were celebrated by State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and the California Department of Education (CDE) for their published works. They were honored in a special ceremony at the CDE headquarters in Sacramento to recognize the power of writing to promote literacy and student voice. They are three of just 11 students in grades 5-12 selected to read excerpts from their published stories. |
| The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, and semi-finalists for the 2026 Artist of the Year. The program highlighted over 900 talented students from across the county, 56 of whom were OCSA students. Click here to read more about the selection of Artist of the Year Winner for Vocal Music Lexi Shehab. ARTIST OF THE YEAR WINNER:
Vocal Music Lexi Shehab (PM, ‘27)
FINALIST:
Film/TV Anvi Dayal (FTV, ‘26)
SEMI-FINALISTS:
Dance Arabella Kim (BCD, ‘27) Cynthia Zhang (BR, ‘27)
Film/TV Jacob Avila (FTV, ‘26) Anvi Dayal (FTV, ‘26) Hailey Poole (FTV, ‘26)
Fine Arts Ella Wang (VA, ‘26)
Instrumental Music Kayla Kim (IM, ‘27) Isabella Ko (IM, ‘26) Rachel Won (IM, ‘26)
Media Arts Alex Cartagena (DM, ‘26) Evelyn Nguyen (DM, ‘27)
Theater ChloeLux Phan (ACT, ‘26)
Vocal Music Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘27) Nava Tate (MT, ‘27)
NOMINEES:
Dance Jimena Alcocer (BF, ‘26) Hailey Kim (CMD, ‘26) Nina Le Coz (BR, ‘27) Logan Macy (CMD, ‘27) Liam Majerus (BR, ‘27) Anthony Terricciano (BCD, ‘26) Devin Vo (IA, ‘26) James Williams (BR, ‘26)
Film/TV Rhys Braunstein (FTV, ‘26) Luka Stantic (FTV, ‘26)]
Fine Arts Cal Colayco (VA, ‘27) Braydon Faletra (VA, ‘27) Valerie Gil (VA, ‘26) Nayda Kim (VA, ‘27) Akira Kircher (VA, ‘26) Xinyu (Ariel) Liang (VA, ‘27) Viviana Izavala Perez (VA, ‘26) Kevin Yuan Zhang (IA ,’26)
Instrumental Music Trent Chickering (PM, ‘26) Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26) Jiyu Lee (IM, ‘26)
Media Arts Emy Bellehumeur (DM, ‘26) Emma Jinghao Chen (DM, ‘27) Bowie Forghani (DM, ‘26) Gwyneth Hatch (DM, ‘26) Elle Hitomi (DM, ‘27) Hannah Koo (DM, ‘26) Peyton L Lucett (DM, ‘27) Audrey Smith (DM, ‘27)
Theater Mary Hong (PD, ‘26) Sophie Kim (ACT, ‘26) Sofia Malone (ACT, ‘27) Sophia Okerlund (ACT, ‘26) Grayson Rabinovich (ACT, ‘26) Chloe Reyes (IA, ‘27) Sophia Vernon (MT, ‘26)
Vocal Music Henry Courtney (CV, ‘26) Dione Santacruz Riva Palacio (PM, ‘26) Leila Woodward (CV, ‘27) Willow Wu (CV, ‘27) |
Nevada Jose (ACT, ‘31) attended the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah in January 2026. Nevada starred alongside Rob Lowe, Will Brill, and Gillian Jacobs in “The Musical,” a comedy about a middle school music teacher and the power of spite. |
Jeeho Park (IM, ‘29), Skyler Tran (IM, ‘28), and Julian Yoon (IM, ‘28), won first prize at the 71st Friends of Chamber Music Young Musicians Competition in Vancouver, Canada in March 2026. Also known as Trio Élégiaque, the team has performed at a variety of venues, including the Nixon Library, Irvine Valley College, Cerritos College, Vancouver Academy of Music, churches, and retirement homes. |
Camden Ness (IA, ‘31) competed in the Rainbow, Spotlight, and Act 1 Talent competitions with his Tap team, Hip Hop team, and Company team from The Music Room, an arts enrichment program. Camden also competed a hip hop solo this year and received numerous awards including Double Platinum ranking and fifth place overall division winner for his solo at Rainbow, as well as Diamond ranking and third place overall division winner for his solo at Spotlight. |
Gracie Park (IM, ‘28), Kaiden Surti (IM, ‘28), Natalie Xu (CW, ‘29), and Julian Yoon (IM, ‘28) were accepted into Carnegie Hall's National Youth Orchestra 2 (NYO2). The orchestra will first meet in New York for an intensive two-week training residency. Conductor Mei-Ann Chen will lead NYO2 at their Carnegie Hall concert in July 2026, followed by a tour of the Dominican Republic featuring guest soloist Tessa Lark. |
The OCSA Robotics Team, 11211X, competed in the VEX robotics high school championship in St. Louis. Over 800 high school teams from around the world competed. The OCSA team won 11 of their 12 matches to finish fourth out of 84 teams in the Engineering Division, the best showing of any Orange County high school team at the world championships. The members of 11211X are Shining Chen (CW, ‘26), Andrew Cho (CW, ‘29), Daniel Chung (IM, ‘29), Paul Seo (DM, ‘26), and Teresa Zhu (CV, ‘29). |
Conlan Goodemote (PD, ‘26), Matilda Haselhuhn (CV, ‘30), Bright Li (CAH, ‘27), and Andre Vasquez Flores (IA, ‘27), served as key members of Code Orange Robotics Team 3476 during a historic 2026 season. The team swept the LA and Orange County CA District Events, including the Southern California State Championship title. Their run ended at the 2026 First World Championship in Houston, ranking them 10th in California and 62nd worldwide out of 3,724 teams. |
| Listed below are OCSA students who received honors in the The Music Center’s 2026 Spotlight Awards. Spotlight is a nationally recognized competition, scholarship, and artistic development program for Southern California high school students.
Finalist Emmet Althoen (IM, ‘28) - Contemporary Instrumental
Honorable Mention Aaron Chang (CMD, ‘26) - Dance
Semifinalists Ashmin Desai (PM, ‘26) - Contemporary Instrumental Richie Granese (CMD, ‘26) - Dance Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘28) - Classical Voice Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26) - Contemporary Instrumental Arabella Kim (BCD, ‘27) - Ballet Logan Macy (CMD, ‘27) - Dance Brandon Pham (PM, ‘28) - Contemporary Instrumental ChloeLux Phan (ACT, ‘26) - Acting Lexi Shehab (PM, ‘26) - Non-Classical Voice Kenny Song (IM, ‘27) - Classical Instrumental Olivia Song (CV, ‘28) - Classical Voice Lavinia Watkins (CV, ‘26) - Classical Voice
Merit Awards Jonathan Archer (CMD, ‘27) - Dance Hannah Kaye (CV, ‘27) - Classical Voice Jintian Ma (CV, ‘29) - Classical Voice |
OCSA Speech and Debate Club competed at the National Online Forensics Speech and Debate Competition. Ashley Jung (IM, ‘31) was awarded bronze in Middle School Storytelling and Vivian Lee (ACT, ‘31) was awarded gold in Middle School Interpretation at the 2026 Diamond Invitational Awards Ceremony. |
Armaan Diwan (IM, ‘27) and his Caelum quartet were semifinalists at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition at The University of Notre Dame, Indiana. This is the largest chamber music competition in the world over three-days. This year, Armaan and his quartet were selected in the top seven out of 146 groups in the Junior Wind Division for musicians ages 18 and under. |
Cecilia Xi Cheng (VA, ‘28) received first place for her artwork “Layers of Identity” in the 2026 Congressional Art Competition for California’s 40th District. As a part of this honor, she was awarded a $500 scholarship, invited to visit the White House, and will have her artwork exhibited in the U.S. Capitol for an entire year. The award ceremony was hosted at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum by CEO of Arts Orange County Patrick Brien and Congresswoman Young Kim. |
Pia Odhrani (FTV, ‘29) was awarded honorable mention in the second annual Pacific High Tide Film Festival at the Aquarium of the Pacific. This festival encourages students in grade 9-12 to explore science and conservation through creative visual storytelling. Pia’s piece raised awareness about the seafood industry and our ocean. |
Natasha Pasternak, Director of the Popular Music Conservatory, was announced as a quarterfinalist for the 2027 Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum. She is one of 202 music teachers from 177 cities and 36 states to be considered for this prestigious award. Over 2,100 initial nominations were submitted. The semifinalists will be announced in September. |
Aiden Ham (CW, ‘29) was selected to exhibit his work at “The Preview Art Fair” in South Korea, which featured over 300 artists and 48 galleries from around the world. Aiden presented his piece “The Perspective of Machines,” which explores how people and technology interact and support each other in everyday life. |
Musical Theatre Instructor Preston Butler III, starred as Walter Lee Younger in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s production of “A Raisin in the Sun”. |
Officer Bryan Mercado, OCSA’s School Resource Officer (SRO), was awarded the 2025 Auto Theft Recovery Officer of the Year award for the Santa Ana Police Department. He was recognized in a special ceremony held in Tustin. |
Xien Zheng (IM, ‘29) won gold in Junior Female -44kg Taekwondo Sparring Division in the U.S. Open Taekwondo Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada. In a single-elimination format where athletes must win two out of three rounds in order to advance, Xien faced a total of four competitors in the Taekwondo ring to win the division. |
Rachel Yoonha Ham (CW, ‘28) was accepted and awarded scholarships to the following globally respected and competitive programs – the Vogue Summer School and The New York Times Pre-College Program. In July 2026, Rachel will be in New York studying news journalism and fashion communication. She will also have the opportunity to meet and connect with aspiring journalists and industry professionals. |
As the founder of the Highlight International Art Center Foundation, Brian Yan (VA, ‘27) has hosted the "Highlight International Art Festival" for two consecutive years and has received commendation from Congressman Dave Min and Irvine City Councilmember Melinda Liu. |
Joel Lee (CV, ‘29) won second place in the Cecilia International Music Competition in Japan. This was the highest award given for the entire competition as no one was awarded first. |
Leila Gorospe (FTV, ‘29), Danielle Lee (VA, ‘29), Pia Odhrani (FTV, ‘29), and Zivie Ye (IA ‘29) organized and hosted a Family Art Night at a local shelter for underserved children. Families could make a flower craft to encourage creativity, fine motor skills, and healthy child development. This event was a collaboration between OCSA Ready to Grow and Children’s Literacy Club. They also donated items collected through the Care & Create Drive at OCSA, providing additional resources and support for the families at the shelter. |
| OCSA's Middle School Thespian Troupe 6826 participated in the 2026 Junior Thespian Festival, held on the OCSA campus, where they had the opportunity to take part in workshops, perform in the Theatre Thespian Competitions, and connect with their fellow middle school thespians. Below are the students who received a superior ranking and qualified for the International Thespian Festival in June 2026.
Nala Lee (MT, ‘31) Nancy Lee (MT, ‘31) Amelia Wittkop (ACT, ‘30) |
Liam Boobar (CMD, ‘29) and Natalie Fry (CMD, ‘29) competed at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) in Los Angeles. YAGP is the world’s largest dance family and student ballet scholarship audition, designed to develop world-class dancers from all backgrounds. Liam placed third in the Junior Contemporary Dance Category. He and Natalie also placed in the top six in the Pas de Deux Division. |
Cristina Warner (IA, ‘29) won second place at the Aerial Arts Society SoCal’s Pacific Southwest Regionals competition in the Level 4 Youth Category. This is for all advanced aerial performers across all apparatuses. Watch Cristina’s performance here. |
OCSA alum Susan Egan (MT, ‘88) received the 2026 Disney Legends Award at the semi-annual D23 event. Those honored with the Disney Legends Award represent an extraordinary lineup of visionaries and talent who have made an impact across Disney entertainment. Egan is being recognized for her work as the voice of Megara in the animated feature “Hercules,” originating the role of Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” on Broadway, and much more. |
Logan Bailey (MT, ‘29) continues to voice Pandy Paws in Season 13 of “Gabby’s Dollhouse” on Netflix. In episode five, “Living in the Meow,” he is featured in a vocal musical solo. |
Savannah Mosley (MT, ‘29) performed with the Antioch Choir at the 2026 City of Long Beach Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, where she sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” She also performed at the Antioch Church of Long Beach Black History Program, where she led the choir in “Stand Up” and sang a solo in “We Win.” |
Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26) and Lake Muther (IM, ‘26) were accepted to Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz summer program, for saxophone and trumpet respectively. Miri and Lake began a two-week residency at Purchase College, SUNY, where they worked with NYO Jazz Artistic Director Sean Jones and an all-star faculty. After the residency, NYO Jazz performed at Carnegie Hall before embarking on an international tour to Asia. In addition, Kenny Song (IM, ‘27) will make his second appearance in the NYO Orchestra where he will also do a residency and tour. |
Shannon Imaoka (IM, ‘28) participated in the 2026 U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) and placed among the top 20 competitors in the country. He has been invited to the Study Camp hosted by the American Chemical Society this summer to train and compete for a spot on Team USA at the International Chemistry Olympiad taking place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in July 2026. |
Armaan Diwan (IM, ‘27) and Aryan Sharma (CW, ‘27) took home first place in the California Charter Schools Conference Pitch Competition at the Long Beach Convention Center. They pitched their business venture, Ankura Solution, which they developed over 10 months. They also received $1,500 to further their venture. |
Savanna Cezus (MT, ‘29) and Jameson Hollar (MT, ‘28) were part of the student ensemble in Musical Theatre West’s fall performance of “Hello Dolly!” They had a great time performing and learning alongside professional actors. They will also appear in the summer production of “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.” |
Iz Le (PM, ‘26), who goes by the artist name of Iris Le, released their debut single "Oops!" on all streaming platforms. Savannah Tweedt (PM, ‘24) recorded and produced the song, and Sarah Nguyen (PM/CAH, ‘25), Khiley Tsangaris (PM, ‘26), and Malice Weis (PM, ‘27) also played on the track. |
Callie Rizk (AE, ‘30) accumulated more than 275 hours of philanthropic service across organizations including Someone Cares Soup Kitchen, where she recently assembled and donated over 250 sandwiches and snack bags for individuals experiencing homelessness in just three months. She has also volunteered time for Second Harvest Food Bank, Robyne’s Nest, the Orangewood Foundation, Share Ourselves, the American Red Cross, Susan G. Komen, and her former elementary school, where she designed and executed hair and makeup looks for musical productions. Her commitment was recognized with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition in 2025 and the Gold Award from the Newport Beach Youth Service Honor in 2026, each awarded for surpassing 100 hours of community service in a single year. |
| Multiple OCSA students were selected as finalists for the Dragon Kim Fellowship Program. These finalists worked within a team to create projects that seek to change their corner of the world for the better. DKF-9, The Phoenix, consisted of 119 Dragon Fellows leading 58 projects across California, Nevada, and Arizona that addressed the needs of their communities throughout the summer of 2025. The following students were selected:
Asmi Aggarwal (CV, ‘27) - “Morality Matters” Jakob Alefosio (MT, ‘26), Mason Ignacio (ACT, ‘26), Ethan Trinh (ACT, ‘26) - “Meant 2 Be Scene” Claire Bae (PD, ‘26), Amelia Kim (FTV, ‘27) - “Visionaries of the Future” Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27), Robin Kim (CMD, ‘27) - “The Lit League” Issac Chun (IM, ‘25), Victoria Chun (IM, ‘26), J.T. Kim - “Melody Meals” Lubaina Habib (CV, ‘28), Aleena Khan (IA, ‘28) - “Note by Note” Grant Herman (ACT, ‘27), Kaylee Tran - “Write Your Fight” Arah Lee (AE, ‘28), Raina Kim, Nathan Lee - “Techties” Sofia May (IA, ‘26), Bella Silva (IA, ‘26) - “Pages for the Sol” Matthew Nguyen (CW, ‘27) - “Movie Magic” |
In May 2026, Pilar Rivera (VA, ‘26) was honored by the Girl Scouts of Orange County with the Outstanding Senior Award for her exemplary achievements, leadership, and active involvement within Girl Scouting and her local community. |
Helena Donato-Sapp (CW, ‘27) was invited to give the graduation commencement address to the 2026 graduation class of Heritage University in Toppenish, Washington. She is the youngest university commencement speaker in the history of the United States at the age of 16. Her address covered the gift and power of resistance to the 249 graduates and a crowd of over 3,000 people. She also presented at the American Educational Research Association, the most important conference in the field of education, about her co-authored piece “The Weight We Carry: A Teenager Addresses a Violent and Unsupportive Ninth Grade School Year.” She received the Dr. Robert Garcia Youth Grand Marshal Award in the Long Beach Pride Parade. Watch Helena’s commencement address here. |
OCSA’s Mock Trial Team placed second out of 12 teams at the University of California, San Diego Triton Invitational over Spring Break. Several of the students on the team were ranked in the tournament including Samantha Wu (CW, ‘27) for best attorney overall, Reya Shah (ACT, ‘29) for best witness overall, and Jolie Benoit (ACT, ‘28) for ranked witness. |
Paul Seo (DM, ‘26) was named a 2026 National Merit Scholarship winner to Vanderbilt University. To qualify as one of the 2,500 students selected, Paul scored among the top one percent on the Preliminary SAT and National Merit Scholarship qualifying test in California before being evaluated on various academic accomplishments. Click here to read more about Paul’s selection. |
Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) was selected as a 2026 National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) Exceptional Charter School in Special Education. This distinction is the highest level of recognition granted to charter schools that meet rigorous professional criteria and have demonstrated exceptional dedication, commitment, and achievement in the field of special education. OCSA was given this honor for the ninth consecutive year. |
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