SOCSA in the News

SOCSA has been featured by several media organizations, such as the L.A. Times, Orange County Register, Dana Point News and the Dana Point Times.If your media organization wishes to features SOCSA's amazing arts academy, please contact:
President: Alan Wickstrom
Phone: 949.842.0594
Fax: 949.496.0036
VP, Publicity: Mahyar Ghassemian
Phone: 949.338.2829
SOCSA PRESS RELEASES (PDF):

  • APRIL 2008: PRESS RELEASE ON THE WIZ, SOCSA's Amazing Spring Musical running April 24, 25 & 26 and May 1, 2 & 3. BUY TICKETS.

  • APRIL 2008: SHOWCASE 2008 PRESS RELEASE, SOCSA's year-end celebration of student achievement in performance and visual arts held at the Orange County Performing Arts Center's Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa on June 9, 2008 at 5:30pm.

  • APRIL 2008: SUPPORT ARTS EDUCATION AT DANA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL, Printable calendar of events to share with your friends.

  • FEBRUARY 2008: SOCSA STUDENT 2008 FACT SHEET. This fact sheet contains breif information about SOCSA, the SOCSA Academy's mission statement, 2008 SOCSA Student statistics, academic achievements & honors and history of SOCSA.

  • SEPTEMBER 2007: SOCSA WINS OUTSTANDING ARTS EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR. SOCSA's Ray Woods Wins 2007 "Outstanding Arts Educator" Award from Arts Orange County.

  • JUNE 2007: SOCSA SENIOR STUDENT AWARDS 2006-2007 SCHOOL YEAR and DANA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL 2006-2007 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS WON BY SOCSA STUDENTS. Congratulations to these outstanding 2006-07 SOCSA student!

    SOCSA PRINT NEWSLETTERS (PDF):
  • SPRING 2008
  • FALL 2007
  • FALL 2006

    THE FOLLOWING SOCSA ALUMNI NEWS WAS PROVIDED BY EILEEN JOHNSON, SOCSA ALUMNI PARENT:
    DATE: March 13, 2008

    "Just a quick update on one of SOCSA's alumni from 2005. Michelle Johnson, has just booked Galinda in the show Wicked at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre, in Chicago! She starts in April. "



    Below are a select few links to articles featuring South Orange County School of the Arts:

    APRIL 25, 2008: DANA POINT TIMES:
    Theater Project for DHHS Moving Forward: THE LATEST: A brand-new performing arts center at Dana Hills High School took a large step to becoming a reality on April 21 when the Capo Unified school board voted to accept $3 million from a state grant to help pay for the proposed $13 million project....

    APRIL 4, 2008: DANA POINT TIMES:
    ABOUT THE NEW PROPOSED
    PERFORMING ARTS COMPLEX AT DANA HILLS:

    The following news article ran in the Dana Point Times on Friday, April 4th... to learn more about the proposed new Performing Arts Complex at Dana Hills, read the following and attend SOCSA's next board meeting at 7:00pm on Monday, April 14, 2008, in the Choir Room at Dana Hills High School.


    SOURCE: DanaPointTimes.com

    MARCH 20, 2008: DANA POINT TIMES:
    Noises Off, a SOCSA production...

    SOCSA NEWS: FEB 26, 2008: WORLD FAMOUS ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR VISITS SOCSA
    Pacific Symphony Orchestra's Carl St. Clair visits SOCSA at Dana Hills High School...

    SOCSA NEWS: FEB 23, 2008: FRESHMAN WINS MONARCH BEACH SUNRISE ROTARY VOCAL COMPETITION
    This year's crop of 9 singers from Dana Hills High School's SOCSA program was a very talented bunch. At the direction of SOCSA's Artistic Director, Ray Woods, they competed with each other to move on to the YOUNG SINGER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION Semi Finals for Rotary District 5320 that will be at UCI CONCERT HALL on March 15, 2008, as rated by 3 judges. WATCH VIDEOS ONLINE OF THE WINNERS...

    DANA POINT TIMES FEATURES SOCSA FEB 22, 2008: DANA POINT TIMES & CAPISTRANO DISPATCH: SOCSA MAKES FRONT PAGE OF LOCAL PAPER
    South County's Got Talent! SOCSA at Dana Hills High School breeds tomorrow's television, Broadway and rock stars. READ MORE...

    DEC 2007: LAURA'S HOUSE:
    SOCSA STUDENTS RAISE MONEY & AWARENESS FOR LAURA?S HOUSE
    Sharing the Magic this Holiday Season!! 2007 SOCSA?s Care to Make a Difference Gift Giving Project

    Nov 8, 2007: ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER:
    Broadway comes to town
    The South Orange County School of the Arts presented Broadway Night on Nov. 1 and 2, a medley of Broadway classics from shows such as "Rent," "Chicago," and "The Producers." Funny numbers like "Anything You Can Do," and "When You Got It, Flaunt It," had the sold out audience laughing out loud, complemented by more emotional numbers such as "As Long as He Needs Me."

    OCT 25, 2007: ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER:
    CAPPIES REVIEW: The Haunting of Hill House
    "SOCSA Dana Hills mastered the art of suspense and expressed this in their production of 'The Haunting of Hill House.' It was the perfect Halloween preview that left the audience screaming even after the actors left the stage."

    OCT 10, 2007: DANA POINT NEWS:
    Artistic Director Ray woods accepted the Outstanding Arts Educator award for the SOCSA Academy. READ MORE...

    SEPT 21, 2007: CUSD SUPERINTENDENT'S WEEKLY UPDATE NEWSLETTER:
    SOCSA Musicians play for Opera Pacific reception:
    Dana Hills High School's South Orange County School of the Arts (SOCSA) string quartet, featuring Kayvon Sesar, violin; Yasmin Manners, violin; Rhea Hosanny, Viola; and Michelle Lee, cello, played at the Irvine Bowl during Opera Pacific's reception on Saturday night. This talented quartet also performed at the reception for Interim Superintendent Woodrow Carter on Monday afternoon.

    JUN 18, 2007: ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER:
    Congratulations to the most successful class in DHHS history
    "(SOCSA's) music program produced many accomplished musicians, one of whom is now playing in the LA Philharmonic. SOCSA produced a hand full of professional actors including two currently acting on Broadway."

    JUN 1, 2007: Congratulations to these outstanding 2006-07 SOCSA student!
    SOCSA SENIOR STUDENT AWARDS 2006-2007 SCHOOL YEAR
    and
    DANA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL 2006-2007 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

    Visit the SOCSA online calendar for complete event information for 2007-08


    Donate to SOCSA


    Even though we operate through a publicly funded school, the SOCSA Academy still runs a large amount of privately funded programs and events. One of the main purposes of the SOCSA Foundation is to raise the capital needed to underwrite many pertinent expenditures that such an indepth arts program can incur.

    We are always pleased to accept donations from corporations, foundations, governmental grant programs and private parties. To request information on donating to SOCSA, including specific areas you may wish to fund and tax information, please call (949) 240-1994. We greatly appreciate any help that you can offer!

    To learn more about the SOCSA program, please watch our brief video produced during the 2006/2007 school year by clicking on the PLAY button below:
    Currently, there are three methods of donating funds to the SOCSA Foundation:

    You can make an online credit card donation through Paypal (you don't need a Paypal account):



    You can fill out our Donor Form and submit it with your donation via US Mail.

    You can contact your participating employer and utilize our Matching Gift Program.

    SOCSA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Federal ID No. 33-0810174

    FOUNDATION CORPORATE SPONSORS
    Without the support of local and national sponsors, the SOCSA Academy would not be as strong as it is today... we say THANK YOU to these many generous supporters:

    Since 2001: The First American Financial Corporation Foundation

    Since 2003: The Allergan Foundation

    Since 2004: The City of Laguna Niguel, The Irvine Company, The Professional Resources, Renato?s, Union Bank of California Foundation, The UPS Store, Warner Brothers

    Since 2005: All-American Mini Storage, Bechtel Corporation, Boand Family Foundation, The Coffee Importers, Countrywide Loans Home Loans, Frome Foundation, Marion Knott-Montapert, Moiso Living Trust, SOKA, Taylor Woodrow Homes

    Since 2006: Fidelity Title, Fieldstone Communities, First American Title, Friess Construction, Gary and Company, JB Jeweler, Pacific Mercantile Bank, The Frome Family Foundation, Watt Family

    Since 2007: The Frome Family Foundation , The City of Dana Point, The City of Laguna Niguel, The Plotkin Foundation, Fidelity National Title, Diane Harkey, First American Title, Friess Construction, FM Electric, Pacific Mercantile Bank, BuildingOnline, The Brig Restaurant, Aquatic Technologies, The Allergan Foundation, Dana Point Fine Arts, Edison International, Lexus Mission Viejo, Gary and Cheryl Williams Family, Coffee Importers, Costco, Albertsons, First American Corporation, Patrick & Suzanne Tidalgo , The Richter Family, Michael J. Tile and Stone, Tom Wilson and The Uplinger Family.