Coronado School of the Arts

Awards and Recognition

• Jim and Bette Sherman Fine Arts Scholarship Award: Juniper Clark
• Nominated in Best Actor Category for the Broadway San Diego Awards: Randy Castillo and Quinn King
• 2024 Coronado Promenade Concerts Scholarship CoSA Recipients: Emeli Armenta, Randy Castillo, Olivia Chaves, Quinn King and Isabella Pruter
• 2024 Corcoran Scholarship at the Corcoran School of Art at George Washington University for $24,000.00 per year recipient: Kate Bell

• 2022-23
• First Place in CoSA MTD English Speaking Union Shakespeare Competition Winners: Randy Castillo and Isabella Pruter
•  2023 CoSA Musical Theatre and Drama Student receives the first ever Coronado Promenade Concert Scholarship: Sydney Zuckerman
• Coronado School of the Arts for All of San Diego Winner of Best of Coronado Island 2022 Award for Live Theatre
• Achieved the very rare 'perfect' score on the Advanced Placement Exam Drawing: Ethan Lam

• 2021-22
• Jimmy (National High School Musical Theater) Awards, Best Performance by an Actress: Kendall Becerra
• Broadway SD Awards, Best Actress: Kendall Becerra
• Broadway SD Awards, Semi Finalist for Best Actor: Nick Toscano
• Region One Arts Empower Ovation Awards, Youth Artist Transformation Award: Austin Lim
• Region One Arts Empower Ovation Awards, Artful Visionary: Karrie Jackson, CoSA Visual Art Department Chair

• 2020-21
• CoSA earns Arts Schools Network Exemplary School Designation 2020-25 

• 2019-20
• iVIE Awards, Student Film Festival: Lucy Greenberg, Joshua Dana, Micah Arnott
• STARdance Youth Film Festival: Jackson Geary & Joshua Dana, Gabe Porath & Joe Williamson
• CINE Teen Film Festival finalists: Lucy Greenberg, Sofia Cohen, Jackson Geary and Joshua Dana

• 2018-19
• CIFF, Coronado International Film Festival - accepted submission Vegetative State, Animation by David Norris Roa and Tulasi Napolitani
• Chula Vista Film Festival - First Place Lacey Bauer, Second Place - Melanie Tulagan
• Rotary Speech Contest Winners Cole Mullins and Olivia Troyer
• Official Proclamation by the SD County Board of Supervisors - Lucy Greenberg and Tulasi Napolitani
• SD County office of Emergency services Tsunami Preparedness Contest - First Place: Lucy Greenberg and Tulasi Napolitani

• 2017-18
• The Broadway SD Awards - Spencer Lynn, finalist for Best Actor for his role in The Mystery of Edwin Drood
• The Broadway SD Awards - Felicity Bryant - Winner for Best Actress (going on to Jimmy Awards in NYC)
• Improv Team - Best High School Team at National Comedy Theatre annual competition
• iVIE Awards - Zack Martin, Nathan Goff, Grant Gustin and Slater Aiello - First Place in the High School "Cross Curricular" category
• Rotary Speech Contest - Olivia Blore, musical theatre, places 1st.

• 2016-17
• Kim Strassburger, Musical Theatre & Drama faculty, winner of two San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Awards for Outstanding Direction of a Musical for "Sunday in the Park with George," ion theatre, and for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female for "The Normal Heart," ion theatre.
• NYA - National Youth Arts Awards - 7 Awards and 14 Nominations! (Complete list below). Three films were nominated in NYA's first-ever film judging.
• Awards:
  Outstanding Production: Cabaret
  Lead Actress in a Musical: Angela Ahern as Emcee in Cabaret
  Lead Actress in a Musical: Madison Hansmeyer as Sally Bowles in Cabaret
  Supporting Actress in a Musical: Hannah Bosworth as Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret 
  Choreography: Gina Sorensen for Cabaret
  Youth Orchestra:  Peter and the Starcatcher
  Student Film: Amanda Ursitti for Don’t Forget Me
   
  Nominations:
  Lead Actor in a Musical: Josh Concepcion as Cliff Bradshaw in Cabaret
  Lead Actress in a Musical: Nicole Sollazzo as Sandy in Grease
  Supporting Actress in a Musical: Mikaela Glancy as Frenchy in Grease
  Supporting Actress in a Musical: Alana Schick as Rizzo in Grease
  Featured Actress in a Musical: Alana Schick as Fraulein Kost in Cabaret
  Ensemble: Cabaret
  Lighting Design: Curtis Mueller for Cabaret
  Set Design: CoSA Technical Theatre for Cabaret
  Set Design: Matt Scott & James “Mike” McCullough for Peter and the Starcatcher
  Musical Direction: JD Dumas for Cabaret 
  Direction: Barbara Wolf for Cabaret
  Student Film: Slater Aiello, Nathan Goff, Grant Gustin, Malcolm Young for Natemare
  Student Film: Sophia Berlin and Ivan Velasco for All in Your Head
  Student Film: Ivan Velasco for Dark Times

• 2015-16
• The Ben Vereen Awards - "Catch Me If You Can" nominated for "Best High School Musical"
• The Ben Vereen Awards - Ben Shapiro, Matt Morris and Jake Wascher each nominated for "Best Actor in a High School Musical" for their portrayal of Frank Abagnale Jr., Frank Abagnale Sr., and Carl Hanratty respectively in "Catch Me If You Can."
• National Youth Arts (3 Awards and 10 Nominations)   
• Awards:
• Lead Actor in a Musical: Christian Duarte as Bat Boy in Bat Boy
• Lead Actress in a Musical: Annabell Walker as Meredith in Bat Boy
• Supporting Actor in a Musical: Spencer Lynn as Ned in Bat Boy

• Nominations:
• Outstanding Production: Bat Boy
• Lead Actress in a Musical: Annie Buckley as Shelley in Bat Boy
• Supporting Actor in a Musical: Ben Shapiro as Rick in Bat Boy
• Supporting Actor in a Musical: Jake Wascher as Bud in Bat Boy
• Supporting Actress in a Musical: Alana Schick as Lorraine in Bat Boy
• Supporting Actress in a Musical: Juliette Young as Reverend Hightower in Bat Boy
• Ensemble: Bat Boy
• Ensemble: A Piece of My Heart
• Youth Orchestra: Bat Boy
• Direction: Barbara Wolf for Bat Boy

• 2014-15
• The Ben Vereen Awards - Caroline Carlson nominated for "Best Actress in a High School Musical" for her role as Roxie in CHICAGO.
• Improv Team - 2nd place at National Comedy Theatre Championships
• National Youth Arts 
  Awards:
  Lead Actress in a Musical: Sophia Johnson as Velma Kelly in Chicago
  Supporting Actress in a Musical: Aly Brady as Jenny Hill in Big Fish: The Musical
  Supporting Actress in a Musical: Jaelyn Henry-Reyes as The Witch in Big Fish: The Musical
  Ensemble: Big Fish: The Musical
  Choreography: Tiffany Bagg and Gina Bolles Sorensen for Chicago

• Nominations:
• Outstanding Production: Big Fish: The Musical
• Lead Actress in a Musical: Sophia Johnson as Sandra Bloom in Big Fish: The Musical
• Costume Design: Beth Connelly for Big Fish: The Musical
• Musical Direction: Shane Simmons for Chicago

• Aubrey Award - Lead Actress in a Drama - Danielle Bongiovanni as Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet"
• San Diego County Fair Awards in DigArts:
• First Place - Nick Kinzel for 3-D Animation: "Halo Emulation"
• First Place - Galen Steinhoff for 2-D Animation: "Corrina"
• First Place - Phil Sedberry for 2-D Animation: "The Basilisk of Warsaw"
• First Place - Emily Epstein for 2-D Animation: "Bunny"
• First Place - Austin Linthicum for Infographic
• First Place - Bryanna Fabyonic for Infographic
• First Place -Christian Malong for Infographic
• Second Place - Emille Roy for 2-D Animation: "Three Billy Goats Gruff"
• Second Place - Kate Nichols for 2-D Animation: "Spring Fever"
• Best in Class - Madeline Humphrey: "Goldilocks"
• Best in Class - Nayana Peterhans for Infographic

• 2013-14
• Ben Vereen Award for "Best High School Musical" for "Legally Blonde: The Musical" - read more about this prestigious award here.

• Young Arts National Finalist, Samantha Littleford, Musical Theatre and Drama senior
• National Youth Arts - Kate Jamison,"Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical" ("The Pirates of Penzance")
• National Youth Arts - Abbey Workman, "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical" ("The Pirates of Penzance")
• National Youth Arts - Cast of "The Pirates of Penzance" nominated in two categories: "Outstanding Ensemble" and "Outstanding Production"
• 29th Annual Shakespeare Competition, Ben Shaffer (MTD senior), First place - San Diego County
• MTD Faculty Kim Strassburger, 2014 Directors Lab at the Lincoln Center in NYC
• Distinguished ROP Student Award for San Diego County - Abbey Workman, MTD senior
• Creative Leaders Scholarship Visual Arts Merit Award - Natalie Thompson, Visual Arts senior
• USC Trustee Scholar (Full Tuition Award) - Shana Douglass, Technical Theatre senior
• Improv Team takes 1st Place, then goes on to beat the professionals at the National Comedy Theater Championships
• Nine awards at the 2014 San Diego County Fair! Emi Epstein, Angella Dawley, Bryanna Fabyonic: BEST IN CLASS - Group Project/Coronado Safety Brochure; Shannon Ruef: BEST IN CLASS - CD Cover Design; Bryanna Fabyonic: BEST IN CLASS - Poster Design; Austin Linthicum: 1st Place - CD Cover Design; Anthony Dugan-Pinkston: 1st Place - Poster Design; Bryanna Fabyonic: 1st Place - Infographic Poster; Daniela Margolis: 1st Place - Infographic Poster; Bryanna Fabyonic: 1st Place - Infographic Poster; Ian Ware: Best of Show - Animated Doritos commercial.

• 2012-13
• CoSA awarded National Arts Music Education Merit Award
• Kim Strassburger (Musical Theatre and Drama) and Gina Sorensen (Classical and Contemporary Dance) awarded National Teacher Artists Fellowships, to study in England and New York City, respectively.
• CoSA Improv team wins National Comedy Theatre High School League Invitational Improv Show in San Diego
• 28th Annual Shakespeare Competition, 1st Place (San Diego), Chrissy Taylor
• 2013 Globe Honors and The Road to the Jimmy Awards - Mitch Connelly and Samantha Littleford (Outstanding Achievement in Spoken Theatre)

• National Youth Arts Awards
• Outstanding Production: Into the Woods
• Lead Actress in a Musical: Kristen Sabesky as Baker's Wife in Into the Woods
• Supporting Actor in a Musical: Mitch Connelly as Cosmo Brown in Singin'in the Rain
• Supporting Actress in a Musical: Victoria Celano as Cinderella in Into the Woods
• Supporting Actress in a Musical: Chrissy Taylor as Witch in Into the Woods
• Ensemble: Into the Woods
• Set Design: Cara Tougas for Into the Woods

• National Youth Arts Nominations
• Lead Actor in a Musical: Mitch Connelly as Baker in Into the Woods
• Supporting Actress in a Musical: Kate Jamison as Little Red Ridinghood in Into the Woods
• Featured Actor in a Musical: Kyle Donahue as Wolf in Into the Woods
• Featured Actress in a Musical: Abbey Workman as Jack's Mother in Into the Woods
• Youth Choreography - Dance Production: Ines Cruz for "Night Streets" in Tapestry
• 

• 2011-12
• California Arts Council Artists in Schools grant through the CoSA Foundation
• National Youth Arts Awards
• “Outstanding Production” for Thoroughly Modern Millie
• “Outstanding Ensemble” for Thoroughly Modern Millie
• Lead Actress in a Musical, Kristen Sabesky, Thoroughly Modern Millie
• Supporting Actress in a Musical, Miki Holmes, Thoroughly Modern Millie
• “Set Design” for Metamorphoses (Matt Scott)
• Supporting Actor in a Play, Chase Fischer in Metamorphoses 
• Individual Dance Performance, Caroline Courtney as Peter Pan, Flight to Neverland
• Young Arts Awards
• Elise Napier, Finalist in Spoken Word
• Cierra Bartelt, Honorable Mention in Music Theatre
• Katleen Dugas, Honorable Mention in Music Theatre
• Old Globe Honors
• Chase Fischer, Outstanding Achievement for Leading Actor in a High School Musical
• Chad Mata, Outstanding Achievement in Technical Theatre
• 6th Annual Red Rock Film Festival, one of five finalist in Young Filmmakers Competition, Simone Villamichel-Borel and Maya Barba for "A Trip to the Market: The Story of the Kayayo"
• San Diego County Fair
• Best of Show: Short Documentary, Simone Villamichel-Borel
• Best of Class: 2D Animation, Enrique Guinea
• Best of Class: Stop Motion Animation, Ian Ware and Isaiah Glasoe

• 2010-11
• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grant Recipient
• National Youth Theatre Award for Best Ensemble for Hello, Dolly! (Also nominated for Best Production and Best Direction, Dr. Barbara Wolf)
• Michael Silberblatt, Musical Theatre and Drama senior, awarded Presidential Scholar in the Arts and Young Arts Silver Medal in Spoken Word in Theatre
• Maya and Simonne:  “Trip to the Market: The Story of the Cayayo”, directed by CoSA graduates, Maya and Simonne was one of five finalists in the Young Filmmakers category at the 6th annual Red Rock International Film Festival. The festival, which took place in Zion Canyon, Utah and Nevada from November 8-17, 2012 was established “to encourage the production of media in both the independent and professional market that portray the human race in a positive light, and to applaud original works that redefine media through innovation, creativity and sensitivity that both enlightens and educates audiences from around the world.”

• 2009-10
• CoSA wins the only Golden Bell Award for Performing and Visual Arts in California, California School Boards Association (CSBA)
• San Diego Educational Theatre Association’s Bravissimo Award for “Distinguished Theatre Program,” CoSA’s Musical Theatre & Drama program
• San Diego Educational Theatre Association’s Bravissimo Award for “Theatre Rookie of the Year,” Kim Strassburger, CoSA’s Musical Theatre & Drama program