Our community has plenty to celebrate as Ocean City High School prepares to send 23 talented student artists to the New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival, taking place June 1-3 at Middlesex College in Edison.
Leading the charge are five film students who spent two months writing, planning, filming, and editing their five-minute short film titled "Seen." The drama earned them an invitation to the state festival after impressing judges at the Cumberland and Cape May County Teen Arts Festival in April.
The filmmaking team includes Olivia Constantino, Elizabeth Coffey, Moran Williams, Isabella Baron, and Kobe Pyle. Most of their production work took place during school hours, demonstrating how our schools are providing real-world creative opportunities within the regular curriculum.
This marks the second consecutive year that students from the OCHS honors film production class have qualified for the state festival—a testament to the growing strength of our local arts programs.
"Making a short film that is considered among the best at the County Arts Festival and moves on to the State Festival is a great accomplishment for the students," said Dean Michalski, OCHS TV and film teacher. "From the beginning of the year, we stated this as one of our course goals. Seeing the students create their own ideas, execute their plans and work toward a common goal is a very rewarding experience."
Beyond the recognition, Michalski emphasized the practical skills students gained through the process. "The students had to work through the stages of film production, meet deadlines and learn how to work with others," he explained. "It is a real-world experience that they will carry with them as they enter the workforce or pursue a career in film production."
The film team represents just a portion of OCHS's artistic talent heading to the state festival. Twelve students will showcase 2D visual arts pieces, including Callie Lenko's "Golden Silence," Gabriella Kaskish's "Deconstructed Self Portrait," Reese Hemberger's "Pieces," Kate Cruickshank's "Les Yeux Sans Visage," Isabella Sanchez-Olguin's "Cliffside," Dusk Lamb's "Album Cover," Sienna Audino's "Fangs," Kailyn Neilsen's "Eye," Aidan Pollock's "Maliketh," Hailey Camacho's "Teddy Bear," Isabella Miller's "Jellyfish Etching," and Julia Colangelo's "Peacock."
Two students will represent OCHS in 3D visual arts: Manny Morales and Hannah Dolinsky, both with textured mug creations.
Four student writers will share their work in the creative writing and poetry category: Morgan Dougan with "The Difference Between Coffee and Tea/The Bell Jar," Evelyn Stetch with "A Tantalizing Sequence," Rachel Kelley with "Inner Tides," and Evan Kettler with "To Fly."
"We are very excited and proud that our talented students are being recognized for their creativity," said Superintendent of Schools Christian Angelillo. "We congratulate them and look forward to seeing their pieces featured at the New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival."
The diverse representation across multiple artistic disciplines reflects the breadth and depth of creative education happening right here in Ocean City. As these 23 students prepare to showcase their talents on the state stage next week, they carry with them the pride and support of our entire community.
