Awards
Awards and Recognition
CoSA offers an exceptional arts education program. Since its founding in 1996, it has earned many awards and recognitions, including state and national awards for excellence. Since 2000, CoSA has served as a model school and Demonstration Site for the California Department of Education’s Specialized Secondary Program. It also served as a model program and Demonstration Site for the California Department of Education’s “Tech Prep” and Career Technical Education programs in 2010. A partial list of awards given to CoSA and CoSA students and faculty follows:
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 Actressin 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
2013-2014
- 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, "Outstandig 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.
2012-2013
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
2011-2012
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 Nusical, 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, onorable 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 - 2011
- 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
2009 -2010
- 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