June 27 Vallejo/Vacaville Arts and Entertainment Source: Faces and Places

Vacaville Youth Makes Carnegie Hall Debut

Aria Mehta, 14, made her debut performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City on May 18. Mehta, a soprano, was handpicked from hundreds of students across the country to be featured as one of only eight soloists featured at Carnegie Hall.

A Vacaville resident and student at Will C. Wood High School, Aria was also a Senior Division Premier Ensemble member of the San Francisco chapter of the National Children’s Chorus (NCC) for the 2023-2024 season. As part of that choir, she dedicated over five hours every week attending ensemble training and musicianship classes, frequently commuting to San Francisco for rehearsals. The final concert of the year in the famous and beautiful Carnegie Hall marked the culmination of a year of musical growth and voice development for Mehta.

Following the Carnegie Hall performance last month, and after only one year with NCC’s Senior Division, Aria was promoted to Scholars, NCC’s most technically-skilled vocal group, with an emphasis on college-prep training, with its singers having received many years of experience at the Senior Division level (or equivalent).

Additionally, Mehta received a special invitation to join the private studio of NCC’s Associate Artistic Director and Chief Programming Officer, Dr. Pamela Blackstone. “I was so impressed with Aria’s work this past season. As we began working together in our one on one private coaching sessions, I was able to begin accessing the strongest parts of her voice through advanced vocal techniques. It was truly sensational,” said Dr. Blackstone.

The National Children’s Chorus provides unparalleled training to more than 1,000 students, comprising 32 choirs based in the chapter cities of Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Austin, Dallas, Boston and Chicago.

Solano County Office of Education Receives Four Awards for Excellence in Communications

Four submissions to the National School Public Relation Association’s Publications and Digital Media Excellence Awards and Golden Achievement Award programs were met “with high praise,” Jennifer Leonard, assistant superintendent of communications and community engagement for SCOE, said in a press statement.

She said the SCOE entries competed against more than 2,200 entries in the awards programs.

“We are thrilled to be recognized for our community engagement and digital communication efforts,” said Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson. “Our educators continuously aim to enhance student outcomes by growing a supportive network that extends beyond the classroom, and we know when communities are actively involved, students benefit from enriched learning experiences and increased access to resources and opportunities.”

NSPRA’s Golden Achievement Awards celebrate “strategic work in all aspects of school public relations, communication, marketing, and community engagement,” Leonard noted in the prepared statement.

SCOE received national recognition for its vibrant “Dreams, Gratitudes & Wishes” community art showcase that traveled to various events and locations “promoting connections between community members and a collective sense of belonging,” she added.

SCOE also received three awards in NSPRA’s Publications and Digital Media Excellence program: an Award of Excellence in the Magazine category for the latest edition of the SCOE Spotlight magazine; an Award of Excellence in the Photo category for “Fostering Connection: A Tribute to Paraeducators”; and an Award of Merit for the photo submission “Making Magic Happen.”

In NSPRA’s recognition program, experienced, award-winning professionals serve as judges, evaluating entries for overall excellence and quality, said Leonard.

SCOE provides leadership, support, and fiscal oversight for charter schools and Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield-Suisun, Travis, Vacaville, and Vallejo unified school districts, which serve some 60,000 students.

Local Solano Residents Named to RIT Dean’s List

Madison LeRoy of Vacaville and Logan Upchurch of Fairfield were named to the Dean’s List at Rochester Institute of Technology for the spring semester of the 2023-2024 academic year. These students are full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students with a GPA greater than or equal to 3.400, who do not have any grades of “Incomplete”, “D” or “F” and have registered for, and completed, at least 12 credit hours.

LeRoy just graduated with a BS in ASL-English interpretation and Upchurch is currently in the cybersecurity program.