ChiArts Virtual Commencement Program 2020

VIRTUAL COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY FOR THE CHICAGO HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS’ 8th CLASS OF GRADUATES

ChiArts class of

2020

JUNE 25, 2020 - LIVE BROADCAST 7:00 PM YOUTUBE & FACEBOOK

@CHIARTSHS #CHIARTSGRAD2020

STAFF & FACULTY ADMINISTRATION José Ochoa Executive & Artistic Director Teresa Milsap Principal Tina Boyer Brown Managing Director

for Arts Conservatories Abbey Cullen Assistant Principal Dwayne Jervier Human Resources Manager Johnny Merrifield Director of Development &

Marketing SUPPORT STAFF Drew Baxter Office Manager Priyanka Bhandari Payroll & Human

Resources Clerk Mark J. Bracken Production Manager &

Technical Director Michael Bruner Clinical Counselor Kyel Brooks Attendance Clerk Megan Burback Administrative Assistant Paul Cook Executive Assistant Bianca Corral Recruitment Coordinator Kim Flowers Staff Accountant Sarah Goodman Rental & Production Coordinator Cary James Case Manager Laura Marsh Admissions Manager Dr. Heather V McCowen Head of Engagement

& Alumni Relations Natasha Mraz Marketing & Communications

Manager Megan Sauve Development Manager Jo Marie Sison Development Assistant Kaitlyn Curta Tobin Academic Counselor

ACADEMIC FACULTY Integrated Arts Brenda Torres-Wakai English Department Meg Arbeiter, Dan Duffy, Dontay Graham, Andrew Van Herik, Filip Lewandowski, Dara Miller, Dr. Omar Tabbara Math Department Shifra Adler, Allison Filbin, Seamus Foley, Karoly Keefe, Andrew Paluck, Brittani Washington Science Department Stacy Apazeller, Jennifer Archis, Paul Dorney, John Jarosz, Josh Zambrano Social Studies Zainub Fiaz, Emily Maasen, Roman D. Marchenko, Rachel Maroulis, Joseph Wagner, Bethay Wassink World Language Guadalupe Leon, Chris Cashman, Dr. Leonard Hinds, Kevin Ramirez, Sandrine Vongy, Kaitlin Walts Computer Science Tsegaye Kleszczewski Physical Education, Health & Driver’s Education Oscar Muñoz, James Salazar, Drew Steger Specialized Services Dr. Sunni Ali, Cheryl Graff, Joslyn Holman, Cary James, Jennifer B. Larson, Katie Pollastrini, Anne Powers SECURITY TEAM Efrem Blue, Angela Brown, John Townsend

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ronald B. Grais, Chair - Shruti Jayaraman, Vice Chair - Warren Chapman, Secretary - Christine Gallagher, Treasurer Duffie A. Adelson - Dana Berkowitz - Erin Clifford - Steven Collens - Peter Doyle* - Elissa Hamid Efroymson Sondra Berman Epstein - Lori Gray Faversham - Carol Friedman - Sandra Guthman - Mirja Spooner Haffner Francia Harrington - John H. Hart - Betsy Holden - Tom Hurvis - Alan Jagiello - Samera Syeda Ludwig James W. Mabie - Kay Mabie - Gary Metzner - Sylvia Neil - Liza Pappas* - Jonathan Plotkin Cynthia Plouché - John Yonover - Neal S. Zucker *Parent Representative

STAFF & FACULTY CREATIVE WRITING CONSERVATORY Tina Boyer Brown, Department Head Kenyatta Rogers, Department Assistant & Instructor Instructors kwabena foli, Sophie Goalson, Bessana Kendig, Susanna Lang, Chris Lin Dao-Heng, David Mathews Cecilia Pinto, Jeremy T. Wilson, Rachel Wilson

Rebecca Faber, Matt Gold, Sarah Inendino, Alicia Poot Kelly, Jeff Kelly, Tyler Kivel, Jim Konsbruck, Erica Lessie, Tom Madeja, Taylor Mallory, Andrew Miller, Caryn Ott Hillman, Dr. Katherine Petersen, Patrick Rehker Martez Rucker, Devvora Papatheodorou Schreier, Emma Sepmeier, Akensya Seymour, Dr. Brooks Truly Ashley Wang, Brooke Zino

DANCE CONSERVATORY Greer A. Reed, Department Head Tracey Franklin, Department Assistant & Instructor Instructors & Accompanists Maan Almodovar, Tosha Alston, Barry Bennett, Levizadik Buckins, Zineb Chraibi, Colin DeJong, Brandon DiCriscio, Maliwan Diemer, Imani English, Robert Garrett, Robin Gayle, Danny Howard, Lisa Kreuger, Kyle Kunkler, JoAnna Lee, Domé Lorusso, Mike Przygoda, Amanda Saucedo, Nicole Scatchell, Ted Seymour, Anna Shuba, Paul Sottnik, Dereque Withers, Terri Woodall, Megan Wright, Teanna Zarro

THEATRE CONSERVATORY Annie Calhoun, Department Head Scott Westerman, Department Assistant & Instructor Instructors Tosha Alston, David Blixt, Brandon DiCriscio, Jason Ellis, Ricky Harris, Christian Helem, Risha Hill, Matt Mitchell, Christopher Richard, Kathy Scambiatterra Nicole Scatchell, Rachel Slavick, Jason Sperling Jessica Dean Turner, AJ Wester

MUSIC CONSERVATORY Betsy Ko, Department Head Alicia Poot Kelly, Department Assistant & Instructor Natalie Chami, Vocal Chair & Instructor Anthony Bruno, Jazz Coordinator & Instructor Instructors Rubén P. Alvarez, Melissa Arning, Justin Callis, Oliver Camacho, Chris Cashman, Bill Chin, Thomas Clippert, Dr. Elliot Eerniss, Jason Ellis,

VISUAL ARTS CONSERVATORY Whitney Bradshaw, Department Head Chris Lin Dao-Heng, Department Assistant & Instructor Instructors Melina Ausikaitis, Kayce Bayer, Jeanne Donegan, Megan Greene, Megan Kalmes, Kera MacKenzie, Devin Mawdsley, Devin Mays, Dave Musgrave, David Nasca, Alison Rigell, Travis Rothe, Moises Salazar, Nick Wylie

SPECIAL THANK YOU ChiArts would like to thank the ChiArts 2020 Board of Directors, and the ChiArts Parent Support Organization (PSO) for their amazing support this year.

Thank you to Oscar Muñoz, ChiArts Facutly for the production photography featured on conservatory graduate pages.

Thank you to Picture Day Photography for supplying 2020 yearbook photos.

PROGRAM OF EVENTS VIRTUAL PROCESSION Administration, Faculty DIRECTOR’S ADDRESS José Ochoa, Executive & Artistic Director ACADEMIC RECOGNITION Teresa Milsap, Principal SALUTATORIAN ADDRESS VALEDICTORIAN ADDRESS SEAL OF BILITERACY RECOGNITION DIPLOMA CONFERRAL Annie Calhoun, Theatre Conservatory Whitney Bradshaw, Visual Arts Conservatory Tina Boyer Brown, Creative Writing Conservatory Greer A. Reed, Dance Conservatory Betsy Ko, Music Conservatory CONSERVATORY AWARDS PRINCIPAL’S ADDRESS Teresa Milsap CLOSING WORDS Teresa Milsap **2020 COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS WILL BE PLACED THROUGHOUT CEREMONY

commencement speakers Sandra Cisneros Sandra Cisneros is a poet, short story writer, novelist, essayist, performer, and artist whose work explores the lives of the working-class. Her numerous awards include NEA fellowships in both poetry and fiction, the Texas Medal of the Arts, a MacArthur Fellowship, several honorary doctorates and national and international book awards, including Chicago’s Fifth Star Award, the PEN Center USA Literary Award, the Fairfax Prize, and the National Medal of the Arts awarded to her by President Obama in 2016. Most recently, she received the Ford Foundation’s Art of Change Fellowship, was recognized among The Frederick Douglass 200, and won the PEN/Nabokov Award for international literature. Her classic, coming-of-age novel, The House on Mango Street, has sold over six million copies, has been translated into over twenty languages, and is required reading in elementary, high school, and universities across the nation.

In addition to her writing, Cisneros has fostered the careers of many aspiring and emerging writers through two non-profits she founded: the Macondo Foundation, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2020, and the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Foundation, which ran for fifteen years. She is also the organizer of Los MacArturos, Latino MacArthur fellows who are community activists. Her literary papers are preserved in Texas at the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University.

Sandra Cisneros is a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico and earns her living by her pen. She currently lives in San Miguel de Allende.

Darrell Grand Moultrie Darrell Grand Moultrie, Harlem born and raised, has carved out an impressive career that seamlessly weaves his choreographic talents through multiple genres. A graduate of PS 144, Boys & Girls Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts, LaGuardia High School of Music and Arts, and The Juilliard School, Mr. Moultrie is a proud recipient of the 2007 Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship Award.

He has created works for Ailey II, Juilliard Dance Ensemble, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Atlanta Ballet, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, BalletMet Columbus, BalletX, Cincinnati Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Nashville Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Richmond Ballet, Smuin Ballet, and NBA Ballet in Japan.

The versatility of Mr. Moultrie’s talent has led him to collaborate with hoofers Savion Glover and Marshall Davis Jr., and composer Louis York. Theatrical credits include: Invisible Thread (Second Stage Theater); Kill Move Paradise (National Black Theatre); Sugar in Our Wounds (Manhattan Theatre Club); Witness Uganda (American Repertory Theater); and Evita and Pride and Prejudice (Kansas City Repertory Theater). International credits include the opera El Público at Teatro Real in Madrid and contributing choreographer to Beyoncé’s Mrs. Carter Show world tour.

Anthony McGill Clarinetist Anthony McGill is one of classical music’s most recognizable and brilliantly multifaceted figures. He serves as the principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic — that orchestra’s first AfricanAmerican principal player — and maintains a dynamic international solo and chamber music career.

Hailed for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character” (The New York Times), as well as for his “exquisite combination of technical refinement and expressive radiance” (The Baltimore Sun), McGill also serves as an ardent advocate for helping music education reach underserved communities and for addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in classical music. He was honored to take part in the inauguration of President Barack Obama, premiering a piece written for the occasion by John Williams and performing alongside violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianist Gabriela Montero. McGill appears regularly as a soloist with top orchestras around North America including the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, Baltimore Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Kansas City Symphony. As a chamber musician, McGill is a favorite collaborator of the Brentano, Daedalus, Guarneri, JACK, Miró, Pacifica, Shanghai, Takacs, and Tokyo Quartets, as well as Emanuel Ax, Inon Barnatan, Gloria Chien, Yefim Bronfman, Gil Shaham, Midori, Mitsuko Uchida, and Lang Lang.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, McGill previously served as the principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera and associate principal clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. In-demand as a teacher, he serves on the faculty of the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, and Bard College’s Conservatory of Music. He also serves as the Artistic Advisor for the Music Advancement Program at the Juilliard School, on the Board of Directors for both the League of American Orchestra and the Harmony Program, and the advisory council for the InterSchool Orchestras of New York.

Billy Porter Billy Porter is a Tony, Grammy, and Emmy award-winning actor, singer, director, composer and playwright.

In 2019, he received the Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his starring role in FX’s hit series Pose. Porter made history by becoming the first openly gay man of color to win the category. He won the 2013 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his groundbreaking performance as “Lola” in Kinky Boots. Other Broadway acting credits include Miss Saigon, Five Guys Named Moe, Grease, Smokey Joe’s Café, the 20th Anniversary Broadway concert of Dreamgirls and the highly-acclaimed Shuffle Along. Porter’s other film and television credits include The Humbling, The Broken Hearts Club, Intern, Noel, Shake Rattle & Roll, Another World, Twisted, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, The Big C, The Oprah Winfrey Show, A Very Rosie Christmas, and The Tonight Show among others. As a recording artist, Porter’s newest album, The Soul of Richard Rodgers, was released on Sony Masterworks. His solo albums include his first CD, Untitled, on A&M records and his sophomore album, At the Corner of Broadway + Soul - LIVE. Additionally, Billy’s Back on Broadway was released in 2014. Featuring ten classics made famous on the Great White Way that focus on inspiration, empowerment and hope, the album’s title (and cover art) is a nod to Sammy Davis, Jr.’s recording Sammy’s Back on Broadway.

Porter is also a graduate of The Professional Program in Screenwriting at UCLA and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater Carnegie Mellon University’s School Of Drama, where he has directed productions of Company and Letters From ‘Nam. Additionally, Porter has received an honorary doctorate from Washington & Jefferson College as well as Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

PRESENTING THE

theatre GRADUATES

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020 Angelina Victoria Angulo*B Eva Beals Sarah Bonds Elon Brown Adrian Covarrubias Antowine Dotson Angel Escalera Kamryn Few Niyahmarie Frias Blake Griffin Arya HalbleibB *National Honor Society Scholar

Luke King Charles Kranz Imani Lasenby Jalen Melton Karly Moranwest Nicole Nicolalde^ Bernadette Ntandja Lisa Palmer Harmony Palmore Mikaila Publes^ Diego Ramos Seal of Biliteracy Recipient

B

Ewan Rasmussen Daniela Reyes*B Daimere Robins Kendall Robinson* Aliah Robinson Leah Sample Caleb Smith Joanna Starr Poulos* Myles Tanzer Baron Walker

Spanish Honors Society

^

PRESENTING THE

visual artsGRADUATES

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020 Julian Alarcon Ari Antos Aidan Bell* Hailey Blair* Monee Bridge* Cecilia Budzyn* DeAndrea Carr Conrad Edmonds Luis Eguiguren Sol Fuller

Victor Luis Garcia* Zoe Gomez Emily Guczal Clare Haffner* Jenna Lozano* Daisha Malone* Alex Mazariegos Francesco Rita* Saulo Romero Imani Saucedo

Ana Schafman Carolina Solis Sadie Soria Harry SotoB James Uphues* Nayla Vasquez*^ Angelica Villagomez Jesus Villanueva Bella Wolfe

PRESENTING THE

creative writing GRADUATES

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020 Luisa Bloom* Abigail Facundo Claudia Rose Gonzalez Caitlin Hubert* Taylor Jenkins Gillian Koptik* Torger Lind Vianey Perez

*National Honor Society Scholar

Itzel Rivera*^ Kaylee Rodriguez Taila Ross Emily Sanchez Vianca Soria Elizabeth Vazquez* Lydia Wilbon*

Seal of Biliteracy Recipient

B

Spanish Honors Society

^

PRESENTING THE

dance GRADUATES

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020 Sasha Babbington Taneya Ball Anaiya Burks* Sebastian Candanedo Keenan Coleman JaNiah Cooper Alizey Diaz Minylan Echols *National Honor Society Scholar

Sophie Elmblad* Sonia FloreyB Rabihah Gaither Andrea Garcia Riqui Hernandez Jerry Luna Alicia Matos Katelynn Montemayor* Seal of Biliteracy Recipient

B

Jayda Perry Genesis Rivera Emilie Sandoval Sabrina Sirdich Jakiya Taylor Deshawn Townsend Morgin Washington*

Spanish Honors Society

^

PRESENTING THE

music GRADUATES

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020 Jaaziel Abdon Sidney Amaya Evangelina Avila*^ Jaden Berkman J’Niya Blunt Jordan Booth Simon Burke-Kaiser Abbie CastroB Soloman Chrystal Nora Deely* Aileen Duran*^ Eros Farfan Aliayanna Francois

Kevin Ganious Charlie Greene Alisha Greenidge Lauren Griffin Arione Harris Nicole Henderson Elizabeth Herrera*^B Yamina Martin Elisha McIntosh* Olivia Moreno^ Najah Muhammad Alina Muniz Julianna Nevarez

Ruby Parker Anahi Paz McKenna Perry Raul Pulido Javier Quintana Jacob Revels Brooklynn Scott Jackie-lynn Sinvil Michael Tabb Arlo Wohlgenant Jonathan Zamora

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