Twenty one PYLUSD high school students selected as 2019 OC Register Artist of the Year nominees

On Sunday, March 10, the Orange County Register, in partnership with the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE), announced the 2019 Artist of the Year nominees. In total, the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) had 21 students nominated in the six categories of Dance, Film/Animation, Instrumental Music, Vocal Music, Theater, and 2D Visual Arts. The nominees are as follows:

DANCE (2)
– Sydney Serrano, El Dorado High School
– Ava Asher Kough, Yorba Linda High School

FILM/ANIMATION (4)
– Joe Siroonian, El Dorado High School
– Joeli Schwartz, El Dorado High School
– Andrew Martinez, Yorba Linda High School
– Yifei (Mary) Liu, Yorba Linda High School

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC (3)
– Lia Mimun, El Dorado High School
– Maxximus Gomes, El Dorado High School
– Andrew Caballero, Yorba Linda High School

VOCAL MUSIC (2)
– Kelly Kudlik, El Dorado High School + Parkview School
– Sophia Scarsi, El Dorado High School

THEATER (9)
– Cory R. Wright, El Dorado High School
– Julia Chau, El Dorado High School
– Hannah Oertwig, El Dorado High School
– Jessica Lyn Spruiell, Valencia High School
– Anabela Maria Da Silva Nguyen, Valencia High School
– Nicole Ashley Steward, Yorba Linda High School
– Cooper Summers, Yorba Linda High School
– Elyse Bell, Yorba Linda High School
– Claire Marshall, Yorba Linda High School

2D VISUAL ARTS (1)
– Fiona Hsu, Yorba Linda High School

This year, a total of 507 students were nominated by teachers and private instructors from 88 Orange County high schools and arts organizations as the county’s standout arts students. Following these initial nominations, a panel of arts educators will choose semi-finalists in each discipline to move on to a round of in-person interviews. According to the OC Register, the semi-finalists will be announced on Sundays beginning March 31. The top Artist of the Year for each discipline will then be announced on April 21.

Congratulations to all PYLUSD students nominated and we wish you the best of luck in advancing to the semi-finalist round. To see the full list of Orange County nominees, please follow the link below.

Meet the 2019 nominees for Orange County’s high school Artist of the Year