Deepti Arasavel
Cypress High School

Deepti is a junior at Cypress High School and a passionate student of the arts. She has a deep interest in dance, singing, and animation, and enjoys creative storytelling through both visual and performance mediums. Deepti has participated in multiple school productions and dance showcases, and she is currently building her portfolio for college programs in character animation. Outside of school, she loves drawing, making short films, and learning new languages, and she often collaborates with friends on creative projects. Deepti hopes to use her skills to tell meaningful stories that celebrate friendship, passion, and self-expression, while inspiring others to explore their creativity.

Shivani Atluri
Orange County School of the Arts

Shivani is a first–year Young Curator and an artist with a passion for both 2D and 3D art. Her creative pursuits include oil painting, watercolor, and works in colored pencil. A notable achievement is her artwork Tea Time, created using pastel and colored pencil, which was displayed in the Anaheim Convention Center Gallery. Her goals for OCYC involve delving into the behind–the–scenes of curating and connecting with her peers through diverse perspectives of art. In her free time, she enjoys attending concerts with friends and listening to music whenever she gets the chance. In college, Shivani aspires to major in business and minor in visual arts, aiming to blend her professional and artistic interests as her journey continues.

Kimberly (Kimy) Chavez
Santiago High School

Born and raised in Garden Grove, Kimy is currently a senior at Santiago High School. As Kimy explores her passions, social advocacy has become incredibly important to her. As an intern for Yessenia Muñeton (Garden Grove City Council, District 5), Kimberly hopes to build strong connections with people and their dreams for a better community. 

 In her free time, Kimy enjoys drawing, experimenting with different art mediums, playing the guitar, and selling her art at the Punk Rock Market pop-up in Santa Ana. When she’s not in her creative zone, she manages Santiago’s Walking Softer Project, Club of Science, and working in her high school cafeteria. Some fun facts about Kimy are that she loves goth music, specifically Bauhaus and The Cure. Additionally, she aspires to major in political science and become a lawyer. Kimy could not be prouder of herself for being a part of the OCYC as she seeks to share her love for the arts and a message of belonging.

Lucia De La Cruz
Troy High School

Lucia is a first-generation Mexican and Salvadoran American student raised in Fullerton, California. She is an aspiring architect with a deep love and appreciation for storytelling and the arts. She is deeply passionate about exploring the intersection between creativity and structure, and how design, color, and emotion shape the way we perceive the world. Beyond visual arts, Lucia has a passion for art in the form of music and has been playing the clarinet for seven years. Through OCYC, she hopes to explore new ways to exhibit joy, identity, and storytelling through visual expression. She also hopes to meet and bond with others who share similar appreciation for the arts. When she’s not studying, Lucia loves to spend time listening to music, watching her favorite movies, or hangingout with friends and family.

Victor Do
Marina High School

Victor is a first-generation Vietnamese youth advocate and Young Curator at the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art. In the future, he plans to major in ethnic studies and government, with the goal of pursuing a career in law. Raised in the vibrant and resilient community of Little Saigon, he is passionate about ensuring that diversity is celebrated and authentically represented. Victor is a junior at Marina High School, where he founded The Liberation Project, an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) advocacy club, and serves as a board member for his Vietnamese Student Association.

He is the Executive Director of Love Through an Asian American Lens, a photovoice program for Orange County youth that culminates in an interactive gallery. Deeply committed to education and policy, Victor also serves as the National Director of Local Policy for Diversify Our Narrative, advancing K–12 ethnic studies curricula nationwide. In addition, he is the Orange County Regional Director for the California High School Democrats and a Youth Advisory Board Vice President for Congressman Derek Tran (CA-45).

 Victor is excited to join OCYC to explore how art can be used to elevate underrepresented voices and ensure they are meaningfully included within museum spaces.

Angelina Farias
Century High School

Angelina is a second-year Young Curator born and raised in Santa Ana, a city filled with diverse murals that have influenced her artistic motivations. Art has always played a prominent role in Angelina’s life thanks to her family and the culture of her city. Her continued participation as a Young Curator reflects not only her commitment to the arts but also a deep curiosity and love for the inner workings of museum spaces. She believes that these spaces are where creativity, curation, and collaboration perfectly intersect to help create something deeply meaningful. At the museum, she has contributed to exhibition development, research, and community engagement projects that connect diverse audiences with contemporary art.

 Angelina’s involvement in OCYC has fueled her passion for pursuing a future career as an artist and museum curator. She is excited to gain further insight into curatorial practice and build connections with like-minded artists and curators. As an artist herself, Angelina believes she can offer an introspective approach to her work with her fellow curators throughout the program. At school, Angelina has helped organize different events and volunteered to help face paint at community events.

Yagmur (Beyza) Gunaydin
Portola High School

Beyza is a Turkish American artist from Portola High School in Irvine and a first-year Young Curator. They grew up in Istanbul, Türkiye, and later moved to the United States in 2017. Beyza has had a passion for the arts since childhood and utilizes many mediums, from acrylic paint, watercolor, and markers to digital apps like Procreate. Beyza is interested in art in all forms, including the processes of creating and displaying, and strives to gain knowledge in curatorial practice through OCYC. 

Beyza believes that art is not only a powerful tool for expressing the intimate feelings of society, but also a process meant to be shared within communities. They are heavily involved in her school’s National Arts Honors Society and Visual Arts Board’s leadership team. With a passion for enriching the art community in her school and city, Beyza also participates in Color4Community, a peer-created group in which Beyza and two friends reach out to English-language learningprograms in local elementary schools to bring diverse students together through collaborative activities like exhibition-making and mural creation. 

Belen Gutierrez
Orange High School

Belen is a student known for her resilience, patience, and willingness to push herself beyond her comfort zone. Born in Santa Ana and proudly Mexican, she attends Orange High School. Belen has strong interests in healthcare and art, enjoys drawing, plays musical instruments, and has played basketball. She is understanding, friendly, and always happy to start conversations. In school, she participates in choir and yearbook and is working toward her medical assistant certificate. Belen hopes to gain more experience working with the public and continue developing strong collaboration skills for her future in healthcare.

Helen Han
University High School

Helen, a senior at University High School, is a multidisciplinary artist from Orange County, California. As a returning Young Curator, she is incredibly excitedto collaborate and grow with this year’s cohort.

 Since she was little, Helen has loved working with her hands. From DIY crafts to filmmaking, she finds immense joy in creating. Through film, she seeks to capture the small moments in life—ones that sometimes go unnoticed—as she believes that they make our lives all the more vibrant. Her favorite aspect of film is production design, as it allows her to work with her hands and bring creative worlds to life. She aspires to attend film school, where she hopes to learn more about the ins and outs of filmmaking. Currently, Helen serves as Documentarian for University High School’s Drama Club and the Lead Videographer for Orange County Student Sections. In these positions, she seeks to capture raw, genuine emotions and moments through film and photography. 

Helen is eager to seek out new experiences and build meaningful connections with the people around her. You will often find Helen jamming out to music(specifically Noah Kahan and Hozier), watching the latest movies, and taking walks around her neighborhood. She also enjoys traveling to new places, long roadtrips, and reading books.

Madeline (Maddie) Horwitz
Woodbridge High School

Maddie is a second-year Young Curator and a senior at Woodbridge High School. She has been creating art for as long as she can remember and continues to explore both digital and traditional media. Outside of the museum, Maddie curates digitally, exploring storytelling through art and design. She has studied photography, graphic design, and branding. Maddie spends much of her free time visiting museums, drawing inspiration from the artists and spaces she encounters. She values uplifting diverse voices and creating exhibitions that challenge people to think in new ways. Through her experience in OCYC, Maddie discovered her passion for curation and hopes to pursue a career in the museum field, using art as a way to inspire and connect communities.

Damien Lemus
Lorin Griset Academy

Damien is a senior at Lorin Griset Academy and first-year Young Curator with a passion for learning and exploring new things. He enjoys a special bond with his cat Eazy, who was named after the rapper Eazy-E. Although Damien did not have much experience with art before joining OCYC, he is eager to learn more. When looking at art, he is interested in looking beyond the surface and discovering deeper meanings. Outside of school, Damien loves going out and spending time in nature. He is a simple, down-to-earth person who sees the importance of curiosity and openness in his life.

Catherine Li
Portola High School

Catherine is a senior from Portola High School and a Young Curator at the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art. As an aspiring historian-illustrator, Catherine explores the intersection of contemporary life and history through her art. Catherine is also an avid community builder. This year, she serves as the co-editor-in-chief of her school newspaper, The Portola Pilot, as well as the president and founder of the National Arts Honor Society, where she works to connect students of all artistic disciplines. You can usually find her reading French history, listening to worldbeat music, and life drawing with good friends. Catherine is passionate about the Reign of Terror, ‘70s shoujo, and Dante’s fourth stanza in Il Fiore.

Nicholas (Nick) Lopez
Corona Del Mar High School

Nick is a senior at Corona Del Mar High School in Newport Beach. He is a multipotentialite, a gold star bronze medal winner, and a first–year Young Curator. He grew up with a deep appreciation for the arts and will enthuse over just about anything. As an artist, he works mainly with ink, oil paints, and charcoal, and also enjoys writing on his typewriter. He hopes to use his time at OCYC to enrich his soul in the spirit of creation, as he is, philosophically, a romantic stoic. He’s almost always singing (out loud or in his head) and is a multi-talented musician. His favorite subjects include quantum physics, punk music, and cowboys. He believes that, in life, there are too many words to say and too little time to say them.

Betsy Meza-Bibiano
Middle College High School

Betsy is a Young Curator and artist from Middle College High School whose practice explores the boundaries between art and history. Since her first museum visit, her creativity has grown, and she has developed a strong interest in oil paintings. In her art, Betsy works towards creating experimental experiences that connect communities through visual storytelling. 

In OCYC, Betsy looks forward to collaborating with other young creatives and developing an exhibition that speaks to others. She aspires to study architecture or a related design field, as she is interested in how spatial design influences the way people engage with art and culture. Betsy spends her free time playing violin, hiking, or on the tennis court.

Valeska Morales
Century High School

Valeska, a senior at Century High School, is in her second year as a Young Curator at the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art. Valeska’s first year in the program unfolded as a risk-taking journey full of curiosity and self-exploration. Initially, she was unsure if she could share her thoughts and creativity in a new atmosphere, but she came to learn the importance of embracing and valuing her own ideas and opinions. 

In her spare time, Valeska finds joy in being outdoors, spending time with loved ones, shopping, and satisfying her sweet tooth. She also loves to read and hasrecently taken up sewing as a new hobby. When boredom strikes, she listens to her favorite music between the snips and rustle of fabric. Despite art not being her chosen career path, her creativity continues to shine through, and she will continue applying her creativity to all aspects of life. 

 Valeska’s unique name reflects her individuality, and as she moves into her second and final year in the Young Curators program, she is excited for new learning opportunities that will contribute to her personal journey.

Philip Park
Northwood High School

Philip is a senior at Northwood High School and a Young Curator at the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art. He also serves as a teaching assistant for his AP Art History class, where he helps facilitate discussion and supports peers in developing visual analysis skills. He has a strong academic interest in linguistics, especially the ways endangered languages maintain cultural knowledge. His preservation work includes collaborations with the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe and Hallim High School in Jeju Island. Outside of academics, Philip enjoys jazz music, especially the work of Chet Baker and Miles Davis.

Chloe Shellhammer
Huntington Beach High School

Chloe is a junior at Huntington Beach High School with a strong passion for both the medical field and the arts. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine to make a positive impact on people’s lives while continuing to explore her creative side through art. Chloe enjoys hiking and reading, both of which help her stay curious and inspired. She is also an active participant in Model United Nations, where she has developed a love for public speaking and engaging with others. Chloe believes that art is a powerful tool for enhancing communication and helping children to express themselves. Through OCYC, she hopes to combine her interests in creativity, public speaking, and community involvement, learning new skills by collaborating with peers who share her passions.

Rachel Sung
Orange County School of the Arts

Rachel is a senior at the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) in the Integrated Arts Conservatory and is back for her second year as a Young Curator. She is passionate about visual arts and art history, and her dream is to pursue a career in museum curation. She is the co-editor-in-chief for her conservatory’s arts magazine, Bonfire, and the director and curator for the Integrated Arts Visual Arts Showcase. She is also a long-term intern at the Fullerton Museum Center. Rachel loves learning about different cultures and believes that art tells powerful stories of diverse human experiences.