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Twelve students from throughout Contra Costa County were
honored on June 4 as gifted and talented artists selected to
participate in an intensive pre-professional training program at the
California State Summer School for the Arts in Valencia. Honors were
bestowed upon the students during a public ceremony, arranged by the
Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County, in the chambers of
the Board of Supervisors. All attending students gave a brief
presentation of their work. The event was followed by a reception.
Listed by arts
discipline, the Contra Costa County students, each of whom received
bronze medallions engraved with the California state seal and
citations, are:
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Creative Writing: Natasha Arora, Walnut Creek,
Northgate High; Amanda Landis, Richmond, St. Mary's High; Dominique
Mouton, Richmond, El Cerrito High; Ivy Phan, El Cerrito, El Cerrito
High; and Bryan Doherty, Martinez, College Park High.
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Theatre: Brooke Bundy, Orinda, Miramonte High; Clarence
Lewis IV, Antioch, San Francisco School of the Arts; and Summer
Johnson, Concord, Clayton Valley High.
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Dance: Breana Connor, El Cerrito, Oakland School of the Arts.
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Animation: Christine Danner, Alamo, Monte Vista High.
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Music Instrumental: Gabriella McElligott, Richmond, San Francisco School of the Arts.
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Visual Arts: Justine Highsmith, Clayton, Clayton Valley High.
Contra Costa County Supervisors Mark DeSaulnier (District IV),
Federal Glover (Chair, District V), and Millie Greenberg (District III)
presented the awards to the students at the ceremony.
In connection with the event, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
declared June 4 as California Arts Scholars Day and commented that,
California Summer School for the Arts challenges talented young artists
to pursue their dreams and reach their full potential. These students
will take California's arts and entertainment to new heights in the
years ahead.
The Contra Costa honorees are among 520 students selected from
1,500 applicants for the California State Summer School for the Arts.
This is the 18th year of the program, which runs from July 10 to August
7, in which 7,500 students have participated. Students receive rigorous
training to enhance their skills in performing and visual arts,
creative writing, and animation.
Funding for the program is provided by a grant from Union Bank
of California, which was represented by Heather Simeao, manager of the
bank's branch in Martinez. This is the second year the bank has made
the program possible.
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