Alumnus

My name is Dee Davis and I am a sophomore studying Molecular Environmental Biology at UC Berkeley. After graduation, I hope to continue onto graduate school and attain a degree in Wildlife Veterinary Medicine to aid in conservation and rehabilitation efforts worldwide. I am grateful everyday for the dedication, hard work, and collaborative skills that I learned in my years in the Youth Symphony. Over the seven years I was involved with the symphony as first a musician on stage to a brass mentor helping at weekly rehearsals, Mr. Fritz helped me develop leadership skills that continue to aid in my confidence and success.

I’m Elijah Avila, I am 22 years old and played violin in the youth orchestra when I was younger! I am currently attending the Bob Cole Conservatory of music at Cal State Long Beach, double majoring in Violin performance and Music Education. I hope to teach music in the future!

My name is Emily Isaac, and I'm happy to say I got to participate in the Fritz' Youth Orchestra during its very first year. I went on to earn a degree in Intercultural Studies and Spanish at Biola University. Graduating in 2019, I returned to California’s Central Valley where I now work in the financial services industry. One day I plan to pursue service work or a teaching position abroad so I can spend time immersing myself in the amazing cultures of others around the globe.

Hello! My name is Jan. Currently, I am a rising fourth year at University of California, Santa Barbara, and I just moved into my new place in Isla Vista (the college town by UCSB). It's so beautiful!! It gets loud because I live on the party street, but my balcony overlooks the ocean! My plan for now is to see if I can finish my sociology degree in 2 years. I might add a minor in applied psychology as well. I would like to be a therapist or some sort of mental health counselor. I want to help people and make the world a better place, and as long as I'm healthy and comfortable, I don't care too much about making a ton of money. This summer will consist of summer classes, finding a job, making friends, exploring and trying new things. I'm happy with my studies and optimistic about my future.

My name is Charvi Reddy. I was principal trombone in the Youth Symphony for 3 years from 2016 to 2019. Afterward, I moved on to play for the College of the Sequoias Symphony Orchestra for 4 years, and the Kings Symphony for 2 seasons. I am a Human Biology & Society major at UCLA, and I hope to eventually become a public health attorney. I also play handbells and the harmonium!

Name: Ying Yan Where you are now? I am currently a 2nd-year undergraduate student at UCLA! At the university, I study microbiology and work part-time as a peer counselor in the Academic Advancement Program. In my spare time, I volunteer with the Saving Hearts Foundation at UCLA to help with local EKG heart-screenings, and I volunteer with the Central Valley Project to help mentor high school students from the Central Valley! What college did you attend/are attending? UCLA What are you studying? Molecular, cellular, and developmental biology & Spanish language and culture Career goals? My career goal is still pretty broad and subject to change, but, at the moment, I plan on attending medical school and working in the field of pediatrics.

My name is Leiana Petlewski, and I am graduating from Pacific University of Oregon in May 2021 as a double major in Applied Theatre and Dance. I have also been a part of the university's music department all four years, where I took lessons, performed as a soloist for Concert Hours and adjudications, and performed with the Pacific Cello Ensemble and Pacific Symphonic Orchestra. Throughout the last four years, I have strived to find the intersections of different art forms and taken great joy in combining dance, theatre, and music together. This included choreographing ballet and contemporary pieces to be performed with the orchestra and playing cello live for the performance of my dance thesis. After graduation, I will be moving closer to Portland to pursue a career in theatre and dance performance, while aiming to continue finding new and innovative ways to blend the arts together and make them more accessible for everyone. Photo Credit: Robert Bourland

Quinton is a trumpet performance major at Indiana University. He is graduating this year and is pursuing a masters degree. He wants to be a professional musician.

I'm Tyler Wolfe. I played violin in the Sequoia Youth Orchestras throughout middle and high school, and was fortunate enough to be concertmaster in both groups. I am currently majoring in Business Management at Lehigh Carbon Community College. I hope my future career, whatever it may be, will involve music in some capacity.

My name is Mia Giannandrea, and I played the cello in youth orchestra for three years before joining the COS Symphony for two years. I am attending Cal Lutheran University majoring in Mathematics and Business Administration. I currently am open to a few different career paths. One of my hobbies is dance, and I danced in high school folkloric class. Dancing comes naturally to me thanks to my years performing and feeling the beat of the music.