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Bravo for these teens and businesses being recognized for excellence

February 24, 2025

Irvine student receives top honors from U.S. Figure Skating

Josephine Lee, a 16-year-old Irvine student athlete, was named to the 2025 Scholastic Honors Team and was recognized by U.S. Figure Skating at the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held Jan. 20-26 in Wichita, Kansas, as well as the 2025 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, to be held Feb. 26-Mar. 1 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Josephine Lee, a 16-year-old Irvine student athlete, skates at the 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
(Courtesy of Melanie Heaney / U.S. Figure Skating)

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Josephine Lee, a 16-year-old Irvine student athlete, skates at the 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
(Courtesy of Melanie Heaney / U.S. Figure Skating)

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Josephine, a junior at Connections Academy, was one of 10 student athletes selected to be part of this prestigious award program, which rewards top student athletes in the country who not only excel in their figure skating careers, but are also dedicated students and community leaders.

Out of 60 applications, only 10 are selected based on their competitive achievements, academics, and community involvement and service.

South OC teen appears in new movies

A 15-year-old South Orange County actress continues making her name in Hollywood.

Kayden Tokarski is best known for playing a young Julia Roberts in the TV series “Gaslit.” She is now starring in her second thriller of 2024, “Killer in the Woods,” which premiered via Lifetime Movies on Dec. 6. Previously, she starred in “My Professor’s Deadly Secret,” which premiered on the Lifetime Movie Network on Oct. 17.

On top of that, Kayden will play a mean girl in the upcoming sci-fi feature “Roswell Delirium,” directed by Richard Bakewell and starring Anthony Michael Hall, Dee Wallace, Reginald VelJohnson, Sam Jones and others. Variety recently featured the movie, which premiered Jan. 10 on Apple TV.

“Being part of these films and working with amazing directors and actors has been a dream come true, and I am looking forward to audiences really enjoying them,” she said.

Kayden has won more than 30 awards since she embarked on her acting journey in 2020. In July, she won a Young Artists Academy Award for her work in “Gaslit.”

The teen also sings and reached Junior Olympian status on the 1-meter diving board. Her dedication to community service is evident through her keynote speeches at the 33rd annual Walk Against Drugs in Mission Viejo and a Red Cross LA fundraiser as well as her participation in the Joyful Child Foundation’s “Be Brave” pilot and her work as an emcee for Breaking the Chains Foundation’s How to Love YourSelfie Youth Camp.

Irvine artist receives prestigious YoungArts award

Orange County School of the Arts student Ariana Kim of Irvine has been named a 2025 YoungArts winner with distinction in classical music, the highest honor of the organization.

Ariana has been recognized for the caliber of her artistic achievement and joins more than 800 of the most accomplished young visual, literary and performing artists from throughout the country. 2025 YoungArts award winners join a community of artists who are offered creative and professional development support throughout their careers.

As a winner with distinction, Ariana participated in National YoungArts Week, held Jan. 5-12 in Miami. During the week, participants had opportunities to share their own work, which was further evaluated for cash awards of up to $10,000; experience interdisciplinary classes and workshops; and receive mentorship from leading artists in their fields.

2025 winners with distinction had the chance to learn from notable artists such as ballerina Misty Copeland, dance artists Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Reiner, actress Lorna Courtney, multidisciplinary artist Brian Ellison, and national bestselling author and filmmaker Abigail Hing Wen.

Following National YoungArts Week, Ariana is eligible to be nominated to become a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of the highest honors given to high school seniors by the president of the United States. YoungArts, the sole nominating agency, nominates 60 artists to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, from which the 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts are selected.

This year, YoungArts award winners were selected from nearly 11,000 applications across 10 artistic disciplines – classical music, dance, design, film, jazz, photography, theater, visual arts, voice and writing. Each award winner will receive a monetary award of $250.

For the duration of her career, Ariana is eligible for exclusive creative and professional development support, microgrants and financial awards, as well as presentation opportunities in collaboration with major venues and cultural partners nationwide. She has become part of an intergenerational network of more than 22,000 past award winners.

As a YoungArts award winner, Ariana joins a group of accomplished artists such as Daniel Arsham, Jon Batiste, Terence Blanchard, Camille A. Brown, Timothée Chalamet, Viola Davis, Amanda Gorman, Denyce Graves, Judith Hill, Jennifer Koh, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Andrew Rannells, Desmond Richardson, Jean Shin, Hunter Schafer and Shaina Taub.

The YoungArts competition is open to artists 15-18 years old, or in grades 10-12.

– Submitted by YoungArts

California schools named state finalists in national STEM competition

Samsung named 300 public schools state finalists in the 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM competition, and nine schools in California were selected, including two in Orange County. Each state finalist will win a $2,500 technology prize pack for the school.

The Orange County finalists are Costa Mesa High School in Costa Mesa and Westminster High School in Westminster.

Following the state finalists announcement, the competition advances to its next phase, culminating in April with the selection of three national winners, each receiving a $100,000 prize package as part of a $2-plus million prize pool.

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a national competition designed to empower students in grades 6-12 to unleash the power of STEM to create innovative solutions addressing critical issues in their local communities. The competition engages Gen Z and Gen Alpha students in active, hands-on learning that can be applied to real-world problems, making STEM more tangible and showcasing its value both inside and outside the classroom.

The 300 state finalists were chosen from thousands of U.S. entries, with 60% from Title 1 schools, showcasing STEM education’s broad appeal. This year’s entries highlight common student concerns nationwide: the climate crisis, mental health and wellness, and school safety.

Sixty percent of the students’ STEM solutions use emerging technologies like AI, 3D printing and robotics to drive meaningful community change.

– Submitted by Sharon Oh

Orange County hotel employees recognized as Hotel All Stars

The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA) honored 144 remarkable individuals at its new and improved Hotel All Stars awards luncheon. Among the honorees were hotel employees from Orange County.

Hotel All Stars, an evolution of the association’s long-running Stars of the Industry Awards, builds upon past traditions by recognizing all top nominees for their exceptional contributions. This new, inclusive format celebrates a distinguished class of professionals who consistently perform at the highest level.

Awardees from diverse categories showcased their exceptional contributions, from maintaining top-notch facilities to creating unforgettable guest experiences.

The Orange County employees are Jesse Hebner, chief engineer at Pasea Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach; Nic Hockman, general manager at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa in Anaheim; Barbara Reyes, chef concierge at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa in Anaheim; Katie Pool, director of events and catering at Balboa Bay Resort & Club in Newport Beach; Eric Smith, bell attendant at The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel in Huntington Beach; Jigna Patel, breakfast supervisor at Homewood Suites Anaheim Main Gate in Garden Grove; Melissa Rodgers, lead barista at Balboa Bay Resort & Club in Newport Beach; Fabrizio Khalona, director of member experience at Balboa Bay Resort & Club in Newport Beach; Julio Flores, engineer at Tiller House A Tribute Portfolio Hotel by Marriott in Laguna Hills; and Sierra Smith, VIP guest services senior guest experience manager at The Hotels of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.

Irvine students take part in San Bernardino Forestry Challenge

Students from Cambridge Virtual Academy in Anaheim participated in the 2024 San Bernardino Forestry Challenge, among 102 high school students from 13 schools in Southern California.

One of the highlights for the students was the opportunity to learn about mixed conifer-oak woodland forest restoration. Students collected data at the Big Horn Camp area to determine species composition and recommended areas of the property to replicate this forest community.

Teams of students also completed a field test to assess their technical forestry knowledge and data collecting skills.

“It was my first time here,” said Bara’ah Musa-Alzabin, a freshman at Cambridge Virtual Academy. “Honestly, this experience taught me a lot. I highly recommend the Forestry Challenge to anyone who wants to reconnect with nature or to anyone wanting to experience great teamwork.”

– Submitted by Diane Dealey Neill, Founder and Coordinator, Forestry Challenge

University High School Irvine team wins regional chess championship

Chess players at University High School Irvine came out victorious at a regional tournament. The second annual San Diego Regional High School Team Chess Championship saw a surge in participation, drawing teams from across Southern California and even Arizona.

Building upon the success of the inaugural event last May, the tournament expanded beyond San Diego County, attracting a diverse field of 18 high schools, ranging from experienced competitors such as University High School and Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego to newcomers from across the region.

The opening round saw University High School face off against Canyon Crest Academy. Top board matches, including FM Sihan Tao (University) versus David Liu (Canyon Crest) and Warren Zhang (San Marino High) versus NM Vedant Maheshwari (Westview High), were streamed live.

After five rounds of intense competition, University High School emerged victorious with an undefeated record of 5 out of 5 team score.

Canyon Crest Academy secured a strong second place with 4 out of 5 team matches won, followed by Del Norte High School in San Diego with 3.5 out of 5 and San Marino High School with 3 out of 5. Westview High School in San Diego placed fifth on team tiebreaks also with 3 out of 5 points.

The University High School Irvine team has been awarded a perpetual golden cup championship trophy as the first-place winners. This prestigious trophy will return to San Diego each year for the subsequent High School Team Championships.

The event not only provided a platform for talented young players to showcase their skills but also cultivated a strong sense of sportsmanship, camaraderie and leadership among all participants.

– Submitted by Irina Nizmutdinova, SDCC Board Member, SCCF Board Member

The Bravo! section highlights achievements of our residents and groups. Send news of achievements for consideration to [email protected].

Bravo for these teens and businesses being recognized for excellence Orange County Register

News Details

Bravo for these teens and businesses being recognized for excellence

Irvine student receives top honors from U.S. Figure Skating

South OC teen appears in new movies

Irvine artist receives prestigious YoungArts award

California schools named state finalists in national STEM competition

Orange County hotel employees recognized as Hotel All Stars

Irvine students take part in San Bernardino Forestry Challenge

University High School Irvine team wins regional chess championship

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