AVPA Awards & Graduation 2026
Saturday, June 6, Robert Frost Auditorium, Culver City
AVPA Class of 2026
(lists of each School’s graduates below)
AVPA AWARDS
Recognize AVPA Foundation board members who are ending their term:
Dorothy Blue | Ana Cernov | Lorraine DeRosa | Melissa Jurentkuff | Cindy Knopf | Christy Manos | Steve Siegel | Shizuki Yamashita
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AVPA Founders Hall of Fame
Lee Margaret Hanson— Creative Director of Theatre
Holly Gable— Creative Director of Film
JD Sargent— Robert Frost Auditorium Technical Director
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Sony Pictures Entertainment Scholarships ($2,500 each)
Filmmaker Award - Charlotte Sasson
Founders Award - Leo Marcus
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Culver City Arts Foundation
Louise Coffey-Webb Scholarship ($2,500)
for a student pursuing a career in “behind-the-scenes” work
Blake Doane
Dr. Janet Cameron Hoult Scholarship ($2,500)
Annie Francuz
AVPA School Awards
SCHOOL OF VISUAL ART (SOVA)
College Level Class & Workshop Awards:
Excellence in Freshman Drawing - Natalie Lo
Excellence in Sophomore Drawing - Gibby Pottinger
Excellence in Junior Painting - Paige Maxson
Excellence in Senior Seminar - Blake Doane
Excellence in Digital Media - Hiro Moran
Excellence in Leadership - Jax Williamson
Excellence in Management - Helen Blaisdell
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General Awards:
“Artistic Growth” Award - Keira Tsai
“The All-Nighter Energy” Award - Nico Chesler
“Works Best Under Pressure” Award - Jax Williamson
“Most Likely to Turn a Doodle Into a Masterpiece” Award - Zoey Doss
“Most Dramatic Color Choices” Award - Lizzet Olivera
“Most Likely to Have Paint on Everything” Award - Camille Haskin
“Positive Studio Attitude” Award - Kaia Rodriguez
“Outstanding Artist of The Year” Award - Serena Fisch
“Most Improved Artist” Award - Noah Kim
SCHOOL OF DANCE
Outstanding Freshman - Ariel Azeroual
Outstanding Sophomore - Dasha Brezhnieva
Outstanding Juniors - Bree Yang & Karlyn Avila
Outstanding Senior - Alyssa Moss
Best Solo Choreography - Love (Saya Spector)
Best Small Group Choreography - Back on '74 (choreography by: Caitlin Lovett)
Dancers: Karlyn Avila, Stella McGibbon, Ilayalei Osburn-Davis, Sofía Alcázar Pastor, Khloe Walker
Best Large group choreography - Survivor (choreography by: Bree Yang & Dasha Brezhnieva)
Dancers: Karlyn Avila, Dasha Brezhnieva, Kissa Bryant, Anna Eppe, Lucia Escobedo, Amara Fierro, Hana Mitori, Alyssa Moss, Sofia Alcazar Pastor, Saya Spector, Mia Spector, Jaynie White, Bree Yang, Grace Yang
Best Solo Performance - Purple Rain (Grace Yang)
Best Duet Choreography and Performance - River
(choreography and performance by: India Lopez & Arianna Kelly)
Most Improved Dancer - Stella McGibbon
MVP of the Year - Grace Yang
SCHOOL OF FILM
Legally Blonde - Rookie of the Year - Devin Schlatter
Best Actor - Bek Barthelman
Little Miss Sunshine Award - Kaia Erven
The Social Network Award for Best Communicator - Julia Kirsten
Most Aura Filmmaker Award - Jake Bossin
Saved the Set Award - Bek Barthelman
Set Comedian - Stone Strickland
Most Out of the Box Filmmaker Award - Randy De Paz Calderon
THE Graduate Award - Charlotte Sasson
Woody & Buzz Award for Best Duo: Anna Eppe & Roxanna Barling and Caden Harvey & Christian Duncan
Most Likely to ACTUALLY Win an Academy Award - Una Finn
The Freaky Friday Award - Miami McRae
Magical Unicorn Award for Being the Most Fantastical Contributor to AVPA Film - Charlotte Sassoon
Ball of BlackWrap Award - presented by Charlotte & Greta - Mason Mizokami
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Rookie of the Year - Carter Lin & Arjun Thakur
Most Outstanding 9th Grade Student - Carter Lin & Arjun Thakur
Most Outstanding Sophomore in Music - Cadence Washington & Alondra Prieto
Most Outstanding Junior in Music - Jasper Garner
Most Outstanding Senior in Music - Leo Marcus
Most Outstanding Musician - Vocal - Cadence Washington
Most Outstanding Musician - Instrumental - Leo Marcus
Most Outstanding Member of AVPA Orchestra - Payton Lin
Most Outstanding Member of Jazz Ensemble - Pablo McMahon & Elliot Rosenberg
Most Outstanding Member of Jazz Combos - Leo Marcus & Elliot Rosenberg
Most Outstanding Member of Vocal Ensemble - Sarah Tell
Outstanding Media Music Student - Miles Pitts
Outstanding Composition & Arranging Student - Cadence Washington
Most Improved Media Music Student - Mariko Ash
Most Outstanding Member of Marching and Concert Band - Leo Marcus & Indie Carbo
Most Outstanding Music Ensemble - Orchestra
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Music Student of the Year - Most Valuable Contribution to the Music Program
Leo Marcus | Vivian Menthe | Pablo McMahon | Indie Carbo | Elliot Rosenberg
SCHOOL OF THEATRE
Live Events Theatre
Excellence in Props - Lulu Zwarych
Excellence in Costumes - Serena Fisch
Excellence in Set Design - Anaya Goldstein & Geddy Palmer
Excellence in Lighting Design - Naomi Ostrick & Cody Hoffman
Excellence in Sound Crew - Ethan Vonderhaar
Excellence in Hair & Makeup - Mica Zattelino
Excellence in Front of House - Cassie Stensland, Dylan Rodriguez & Maia Goldman
Outstanding ASM - Lupita Cruz
Outstanding Stage Management - Ruby Brandenburg
Best Crew Member - Milo Clearway Haas
Outstanding Student Director - Cecilia Loo-Miller
Live Events Theatre Rookie of the year - Milo Clearway Haas, Lev Milavski & Olivia Sills
Technical Theatre DTASC All Star - Serena Fisch
The Allen Award - Cecilia Loo-Miller
Live Events Theatre MVP - Ruby Brandenburg
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Theatre Performance
Best Lead Actor in the Fall Play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” - Emerson Jurentkuff & Ryan Vermette
Best Supporting Actor in the Fall Play - Blake Doane
Best Lead Actress in the Fall Play - Ella Kendall & Iris Harmon
Best Supporting Actress in the Fall Play - Veronica St. Angelo
“No Small Parts” Award for the Fall Play - Zoe Smith
Best Lead Actor in a Musical - Blake Doane
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical - Ben Flenner
Best Lead Actress in a Musical - Catherine Laborde
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical - Sachi Reiss
Best Ensemble member in a Musical - Royale Lewis
Theatre Performance Rookie of the Year - Bruce Marin, Royale Lewis, Madison Vermette
Performance DTASC All Star - Charlotte Hamill
Improv All Star - Zoe Fey
BVTC’s Triple Threat - Soledad Kirk
The Allen Award - Cassie Kay-Smith
Theatre Performance MVP - Annie Francuz
Excellence in Leadership - Ella Kendall, Ryan Vermette & Ruby Brandenburg
AVPA CLASS OF 2026
School of Dance
Class of 2026
Names below in alphabetical order
Nariah Chavez | Amilia James | India Lopez | Alyssa Moss | Khloe Walker | Grace Yang
School of Film
Class of 2026
Names below in alphabetical order
Silas Adzentoivich | Roxanna Barling | Ashlyn Castillo |Randy DePaz-Calderon | Aurora Drummond | Anna Eppe | Ulises Garcia Hernandez | Aaron Gonzalez-Ortega | Isla Keough | Greta Larson | Clem Lombardo | Arin Marshall | Miami McRae | Sophia Sanginitto | Charlotte Sasson | Adelyn Shiflett | Natalie Shim | Juliet Siegel | Stone Strickland | Jax Tarvyd | Brandon Yang
School of Music
Class of 202
6
Names below in alphabetical order
Silas Adzentoivich | Indie Carbo | Ari Cosato | Nathaniel Herrera | Hannah Kawasaki | Ethan Knopf | Monica Lee | Payton Lin | Leo Marcus | Pablo McMahon | Vivian Menthe | George Montgomery | Naoki Ono-Lemire | Rachel Palacios | Elliot Rosenberg | Dominic Sanchez | Jacob Sondik
School of Theatre
(Theatre Performance & Live Events)
Class of 2026
Names below in alphabetical order
Theatre Performance
Annabelle Andreone | Blake Doane | Annie Francuz | Maia Goldman | Chloe Griffith | Charlotte Hamill | Emerson Jurentkuff | Ella Kendall | Catherine Laborde | Oryan Maximo | Ryan Vermette
Live Events
Manny Asa Dorian | Eliana Blanco | Ruby Brandenburg | Sienna Burris | Ethan Vonderhaar | Lulu Zwarych
School of Visual Art Class of 2024
Arielle Agzarian | Charles Berg | Helen Blaisdell | Blake Doane | Cinta Effendy | Matthew Gonzalez Ortega | Camille Haskin | Aya Hernandez | Felix Hummel | Alec Leon | India Lipsky | Leah MacMenamin | Hiro Moran | Samanta Pandey | Analyssa Reyes | Sabine Rios | Josephine Smith | Cameron Trux | Cecille Tuccillo | Jax Williamson | Zara Zaman | Sofia Zendejas
