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  • Meg Roh, 16, of Dana Point will have completed 1460...

    Meg Roh, 16, of Dana Point will have completed 1460 (4 years) continuous days of surfing. Roh is photographed at San Onofre State Beach the week before.

  • Sahar Khashayar of Laguna Niguel created a wildfire warning system...

    Sahar Khashayar of Laguna Niguel created a wildfire warning system and was featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

  • Noah Crouse, 12, Rancho Santa Margarita performs magic tricks to...

    Noah Crouse, 12, Rancho Santa Margarita performs magic tricks to raise money for diaster victim in Ghana through his organization, "Magical Missions."

  • Emmanuel Gutierrez, 16, of Santa Ana is interning at Wesierski...

    Emmanuel Gutierrez, 16, of Santa Ana is interning at Wesierski and Zurek a law firm in Irvine.

  • Olivia Nguyen, 9, is one of OC Family's 2015 Whiz...

    Olivia Nguyen, 9, is one of OC Family's 2015 Whiz Kids. She recently earned the Guinness World Record for completely most aerials in a row.

  • Lesley Garcia, 16, of Orange created the "Smart Phone Solution,"...

    Lesley Garcia, 16, of Orange created the "Smart Phone Solution," a charging dock for a smart phone.

  • Class is in session. Class Kitchen owners Austin January, 17,...

    Class is in session. Class Kitchen owners Austin January, 17, general manager, left, and Noah Rosen, 17, executive chef, are ready to serve you at their Costa Mesa popup restaurant serving modern American cuisine. Though this dynamic duo are not old enough to drink alcohol yet, don't let that fool you, they've got culinary chops.

  • Artist of the Year, Lex Ishimoto, 17, of Irvine attends...

    Artist of the Year, Lex Ishimoto, 17, of Irvine attends West Coast School of the Arts and is one of the top male dancers in Orange County.

  • Kiersten Rummell, 17, singer/songwriter, plays one of her original music...

    Kiersten Rummell, 17, singer/songwriter, plays one of her original music at her home in Yorba Linda. "For me, singing, playing, and writing is not an escape - it's home," said Kiersten Rummell.

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Jenelyn Russo

For our annual issue featuring Orange County kids doing amazing things, we sought standouts in a variety of fields. With so many impressive locals, it wasn’t hard to find candidates, it was only difficult to narrow them down to 10. This year’s list features a world record breaker, pop-up restaurateurs, a dancer who’s already performed in a major production of “Billy Elliot,” an entrepreneur, a scientist who was featured on “The Tonight Show,” and more. Here are some of O.C.’s finest.

Meg Roh

Age: 17

City: Dana Point

School: San Juan Hills High School
in San Juan Capistrano

Grade: 11 

Why she’s a whiz kid: Surfed 1,500 consecutive days (and counting…) 

Meg Roh didn’t set out to surf 1,500 consecutive days. The milestone sort of snuck up on her. “I started by surfing every day [beginning June 1, 2011] in preparation for a surf contest,” Meg says. 

“Then I surfed all that summer and was close to 100 days, so I wanted to achieve that. Then I figured I’d surf for one year, and it just kept going. No day ever seemed right for me to stop.”

She hit the 1,500-day mark on July 9, a little more than four years after she began. But her love for surfing began much earlier, when Meg was about 5 years old and learned to surf from her parents, to whom she is thankful for inspiring and encouraging her.

Spending every day of the last few years in the water, mostly at San Onofre, has led to more than just the accomplishment itself. The female sports clothing brand, Roxy, caught wind of Meg’s streak and now sponsors the surfer. 

The surfing streak also earned her a spot on the wall during an exhibit at the Surfing Heritage Foundation in San Clemente featuring inspirational female surfers.

  Meg also was featured in an action sports documentary called “The Search for Freedom,” which features professional skateboarder Tony Hawk and professional surfer Kelly Slater, among other action sports stars.

“I loved getting to meet all of those people,” Meg says. “They are so inspiring.”

Meg is drawing a crowd with a fan base who has followed her on her journey. She maintained the surfing streak alongside keeping up with school and encountering sickness along the way. 

Despite the hard days, surfing is always fun for Meg.

“It’s never a bad day being in the water,” Meg says. “Being out there is calming and relaxing to me.”

Her college plans include somewhere with a campus near the beach, naturally, and studying to become a teacher.

Will she continue to surf every day? The streak may come to an end soon, as Meg is considering taking some time off this winter to head to the mountains and give snowboarding a try. 

But she will always find her way back to the waves, where the 17-year-old has already learned a lifetime full of lessons. “This whole thing has taught me that each day is different,” Meg says, “and that getting to improve my skills and do what I love every day is cool.”


Austin January & Noah Rosen

Ages: 17

City: Huntington Beach (Austin)
and Laguna Beach (Noah)

School: Orange County School
of the Arts in Santa Ana

Grade: 12 

Why they are whiz kids: Opened a pop-up restaurant called CLASS Kitchen staffed and run by high school students

It was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up. When senior Orange County School of the Arts culinary student Noah Rosen was given the chance to sublease a restaurant space (Waffleholic in Costa Mesa), he came up with the idea of a pop-up restaurant and teamed up with his OCSA classmate, Austin January, to make it happen.

“It took months of planning,” says Noah. “It wasn’t us thinking, ‘What do we need?’ It was more like, ‘How do we do this?’”

With no previous experience, the two culinary students started from square one to determine what they needed to open a restaurant. Guided by their mentors, who include instructors and local chefs, they began to piece together key components — from the menu to the staffing to the finances — and everything in between.

Austin and Noah raised more than $11,000 through an online Kickstarter campaign. They went through rigorous tastings and pricing of their modern American four-course prix fixe menu, which included items such as sous vide salmon and maple bread pudding, to determine the best way to prepare each dish within the limitations of a café kitchen space.

Although not associated with the school, students from OCSA’s conservatories filled roles needed for the project, including servers, entertainment and kitchen staff. And for six weekends this summer, CLASS kitchen hosted 60 to 80 dining guests each night.

“Our lack of experience was our biggest challenge,” Austin says. “None of us had ever worked in a restaurant before, but we figured out what worked, what didn’t work and how we could improve the experience for our customers.”

The restaurant was well received, and financially, Austin and Noah state that they did “better than break even,” showing a slight profit. For these two who have had lifelong dreams of becoming professional chefs, the experience proved invaluable.

“We learned what we still need to learn, and how critical the business side of things is in keeping a restaurant sustainable,” Noah says. 

Now back in school, the seniors are looking into colleges that offer culinary/hospitality business degrees so they can continue the learning process. But for now, they believe they have a system in place that will allow CLASS kitchen to possibly pop up again for a weekend or two in the future. 

“As far as we know, there hasn’t been anything done like this before, where the whole thing was run by students,” Noah says. “We put out a really good product, and we’re proud of it.” 


Lex Ishimoto

Age: 17

City: Irvine

School: Orange County School
of the Arts in Santa Ana

Grade: 12

Why he’s a whiz kid: One of the top emerging dancers in Orange County

When Lex Ishimoto was younger, he used to watch his sister take dance classes. He couldn’t wait to get out there and give it a try for himself.

At the age of 7, he got his chance and began training in hip-hop and ballet at West Coast School of the Arts in Costa Mesa. By the age of 12, he was playing the shared title role in the first national tour in the U.S. of the musical “Billy Elliot,” a role he continued through the second national tour.

Now, in addition to ballet and hip-hop, Lex’s love for dance crosses several genres, including tap, jazz and contemporary. His passion for all styles of dance has fueled his desire to be known as versatile.

“Dance is definitely what I breathe,” Lex says. “Staying skilled in all genres has helped me craft my art.”

That versatility earned him the title of senior grand prix winner for a ballet piece he performed at this year’s Youth American Grand Prix regional round held in Los Angeles.

Additionally, Lex was named a grand finalist in the non-classical dance category for a contemporary piece he performed at the Music Center Spotlight Awards held this past spring at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The event recognizes outstanding Southern California high school students in the performing arts and is an experience that ranks high on Lex’s list of favorites. 

“It was one of the greatest performances I’ve ever done,” says Lex. “So many people outside of dance got to see it too.” 

After spending most of his summer attending Boston Ballet’s Summer Dance Program, Lex heads into his senior year undecided as to where his dancing career will take him after graduation.

“It’s still a mystery,” Lex says. “My final destination is still unknown.”

Until then, he has plans this coming year that include dancing with The PULSE On Tour, JUMP Dance Convention, 24 Seven Dance Convention and NUVO Dance Convention. 

His commitment to honing his skills and maintaining his versatility remains front and center for Lex as he is driven by his motivational phrase, “Stay legendary.”

“I definitely want to impact the world,” says Lex. “I want to be one of those people that once they know who you are, they never forget you.” 

Noah Crouse

Age: 12

City: Rancho Santa Margarita

School: Homeschooled

Grade: 7

Why he’s a whiz kid: Through a charity he started called Magical Missions, Noah performs magic tricks to raise money for people in need

In 2010, while listening to his grandmother explain the effects of a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that had just hit Haiti, Noah Crouse had a heavy heart.

“She was telling me about all the people who were hurt and the kids who were separated from their parents,” says Noah, who was 7 at the time. “I really felt for them, so I wanted to help.”

His help for the victims came in the form of magic, something that Noah had enjoyed learning and performing. So he set up his act in front of Henry’s Market in Rancho Santa Margarita and did magic tricks for shoppers who passed by. His donations that day, plus a match from the store manager, raised $500 for the victims in Haiti.

When a tsunami caused by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake devastated Japan in 2011, Noah raised $1,500 for those affected. That same year, Noah formed Magical Missions, which his mother, Natalie, says they are working to set up as an official nonprofit.

Either in response to a disaster or in outreach to the poor, you can find Noah out in Orange County a few times a month, with help from his brothers and friends, performing magic tricks to raise money for those in need.

“I usually pick a place where people are hanging out and want to have fun, like Rancho Santa Margarita Lake,” says Noah of his performance locations. “People love it.”

Having raised more than $11,000 to date, Noah currently donates the raised funds through Saddleback Church or Compass-21, a Christian-based organization that works to raise the standards of living in underserved areas of the world. Inspired by his grandfather who serves on the Compass-21 board, Noah specifically designates his donated funds toward the building of schools and wells in rural Ghana.

Natalie Crouse says that watching her son selflessly serve others has taught their family what it takes to work toward a common goal. “It teaches a lot about compassion,” she says. “Kids don’t have that trepidation. They show us that if you want to do something, go do it.”

In the future, Noah has visions of starting a church, with Magical Missions as a part of how he continues to serve. But ultimately, he will go where God leads him.

“It’s definitely helped grow my relationship with God,” Noah says. “I’ve learned a lot about myself and how much I love to minister to others.”

Ollivia Nguyen

Age: 9

City: Orange

School: Anaheim Hills Elementary

Grade: 5

Why she’s a whiz kid: Completed 42 consecutive aerials (handless cartwheels), breaking the current world record

Ollivia Nguyen will tell you that she is inspired by the phrase, “You can do anything you put your mind to.” 

So it wasn’t too surprising to see the 9-year-old dancer break the world record for consecutive aerials in dominant fashion. 

A competitive dancer since the age of 3, Ollivia has always loved dance. From jazz to contemporary, from lyrical to ballet, she has an interest in all styles.

When one of her dance teachers at Orange County Performing Arts Academy in Anaheim Hills, Aaron Chavarria, noticed that Ollivia had a propensity for handless cartwheels, also known as aerials, he suggested she try to break the world record. So her mother, Nicholle Aguilar, checked into the possibility.

“The current record for consecutive aerials was only six,” says Aguilar, “and we had seen Ollivia do 150 [aerials] at one time. So I contacted Guinness World Records and submitted a request.”

Guinness approved Aguilar’s request, but the process to collect and submit the evidence to claim a new world record was much more complicated than just having her daughter perform a sequence of flips.

Their journey to the record-breaking day began more than a year earlier, as Aguilar researched the correct aerial technique required by Guinness. 

Ollivia then teamed up with certified gymnastics coach, Sarah Eshom, and trained with her for a year to refine her form.

They set the target number of aerials for Ollivia at 40 — a number both Eshom and Aguilar felt that Ollivia could complete cleanly.

On April 25 at Vibe Gymnastics in Anaheim, Ollivia completed 40 consecutive aerials in her first try and then 42 in her second attempt in front of friends, family and a certified judge.

Aguilar compiled the videos and documentation needed and sent them off to Guinness for approval. They are currently waiting on word of final verification of Ollivia’s record-breaking feat.

“It’s been a great experience,” says Aguilar, “and I really wanted this to be a confidence builder for Ollivia.”

The fifth-grader has short-term goals of continuing to work on her skills as a dancer with hopes of future admittance to Orange County School of the Arts. Whether flipping through a series of aerials or dancing on stage, Ollivia says there is nothing quite like the feeling she gets when she’s performing.

“It makes me feel so excited to show everyone our amazing routines,” Ollivia says.


Kiersten Rummell

Age: 18

City: Yorba Linda

School: Orange Lutheran High School
in Orange

Grade: 12 

Why she’s a whiz kid: Up-and-coming singer/songwriter

Kiersten Rummell can find inspiration for the songs she writes in just about anything. The idea for her recent single titled “I Do,” was born out of a desire to help her brother, Taylor, who produces wedding videos.

“We were talking about the lack of good songs for wedding videos, so I decided to write one for him,” Kiersten says. “I was so excited about it, I wrote it in an hour.”

But Kiersten didn’t stop there. She then spoke with family friend and composer, Timothy Hosman, (who wrote original songs for the film “The Fault in Our Stars” and A&E’s “Bonnie and Clyde”) and he helped her produce the song.

“I often go to him for advice and I’d love to work with him again in the future,” Kiersten says of Hosman.

Songwriting is not new to Kiersten. The 18-year old has written more songs than she can count, but her first “good” song was one she wrote and performed before entering high school. Her live performance of “Without You” was received so well when she played to an audience at Nechita Center at Orange Lutheran High School, she began to see songwriting as a future career.

Growing up in a family who shares her passion, Kiersten’s love for music has always been a part of who she is. At the age of 5, she asked her parents for piano lessons, and soon after that, joined choirs and added voice lessons.

“My love for music came from my family,” Kiersten says. “And my dad [who is a voice actor] has been my biggest musical influence.”

At Orange Lutheran High School, she has been given the chance to hone her craft, including writing and performing an original song in the school’s production last year of, “The Miracle Worker,” where Kiersten played the part of Annie Sullivan.

Often compared to the likes of singer/songwriters such as Colbie Caillat and Carole King, Kiersten has a growing YouTube following where her original songs and performances can be found. Additionally, she has an EP in the works that will be produced by the duo BRKLYN, an L.A.-based music group introduced to her by her father.

“The songs I write are for the piano, but I can hear in my head the incorporation of all the other instruments,” Kiersten says. 

She is looking to continue her pursuit of a music career at either Belmont University in Nashville, USC or Berklee College of Music. No matter where the road takes her, Kiersten is committed to using her gifts. 

“It’s amazing all the opportunities I’ve been blessed with,” Kiersten says. “I’m excited to see where it all goes.” 


Sahar Khashayar

Age: 15

City: Laguna Niguel

School: St. Margaret’s Episcopal School
in San Juan Capistrano

Grade: 10

Why she’s a whiz kid: Designed a wildfire warning system; winner of Broadcom Foundation’s Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation; selected as a GE Kid Inventor; and featured on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon”

It was the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona that tragically killed 19 firefighters in June 2013 that sparked an idea in Sahar Khashayar.

“I noticed that wildfires were getting bigger and becoming more of a problem,” Sahar says. “So I decided to help solve it.”

Her solution came in the form of her eighth-grade science project while attending Fairmont Private School’s North Tustin campus, where Sahar designed and built a wildfire warning system. 

From researching the byproducts of fire to learning the programming language to assembling the hardware, Sahar created a system prototype comprised of temperature, gas and infrared sensors. When those sensors detect a fire, a phone alert is sent.

For her invention, Sahar was presented last fall with Broadcom Foundation’s Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation, along with a $10,000 scholarship. She was also one of 30 finalists selected from more than 2,000 science projects entered from across the U.S. to make a trip to Washington, D.C., where she had the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama.

The recognition for Sahar and her wildfire warning system didn’t stop there. 

This past spring, she was selected as a GE Kid Inventor and made an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” in his “GE Fallonventions” segment. She was also awarded a $5,000 scholarship.

While the details of figuring out how to create and assemble such a system proved challenging at times, Sahar has come away from the experience with much broader lessons.

“I’ve realized that science is more than being book smart,” Sahar says. “You have to think creatively — not just in facts — and you have to be able to communicate your ideas well. There’s a lot more to it.”

Now a sophomore at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, Sahar is looking into patenting and marketing for her system, but she hasn’t stopped inventing. She’s currently teamed up with two classmates and a student adviser to create a prosthetic for an 8-year-old boy who plays the violin but is missing the lower portion of his left arm.

“We have a 3D printed prototype already, but we’re working to improve it,” she says of her current project.

She is considering a career in astrophysics, but whatever field Sahar pursues, it will definitely be related to science.

“Science has always been my favorite subject,” Sahar says. “It’s been in me from a very young age and has always been a passion of mine.” 


Emmanuel Gutierrez

Age: 16

City: Santa Ana

School: Segerstrom High School in Santa Ana

Grade: 12

Why he’s a whiz kid: Overcame great odds to be selected as a Simon Scholar

After dealing with severe health issues and watching his parents separate, all by the time he was 7, Emmanuel Gutierrez seemed destined for a path filled with obstacles and challenges, the kind that most young kids would not be able to overcome.

One by one, his older siblings made destructive choices, so Emmanuel decided he was going to create a different path for himself, one that led to a positive and bright future, one that started with education.

“My dad put a lot of time into my education, and I excelled in school,” Emmanuel says. “It gave me pride, and I decided to continue down that path toward a good college and a career I can enjoy.”

His path to that goal received a huge boost when Emmanuel was selected to participate in the Simon Scholars Program, created by The Simon Family Foundation, “to help economically disadvantaged students who face difficult life circumstances advance themselves through a college education.”

With a 4.5 GPA and placing currently in the top 1 percent of his class, Emmanuel was one of a select group of high school students from the Santa Ana Unified School District chosen to be a Simon Scholar. After completing one year of the two-year program, Emmanuel has grown both as a student and a person.

“I’m more confident in myself, and it’s helped me be able to share my story,” Emmanuel says.

In addition to the personal development support that the program provides, Simon Scholars are awarded a $16,000 college scholarship, receive SAT/ACT preparation assistance and participate in summer camps and team-building events. 

Emmanuel and his fellow scholars were also given the opportunity to attend a college tour in Northern California, where the students visited such campuses as Stanford University and UC Berkeley.

“It was great to see the schools and their environments,” Emmanuel says. “Having the support for college has given me a clear road to follow.”

Emmanuel has his sights set on attending one of the colleges he visited, or possibly an Ivy League school, with a career in law or engineering. 

At home, there’s been a positive effect on his siblings, who are being influenced by watching their younger brother’s success.

“They’ve seen what I’ve been able to do, and they know you have to make changes to make things right,” Emmanuel says. “This opportunity is a blessing. I’m very grateful.” 


Lesley Garcia

Age: 16

City: Santa Ana

School: El Modena High School in Orange

Grade: 11

Why she’s a whiz kid: 2015 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Orange County Youth Scholarship recipient

When Lesley Garcia’s phone got stepped on while she was charging it, she knew she couldn’t be the only one who had dealt with the same problem.

So she took what she perceived as a fairly universal challenge and came up with an idea to prevent future phone mishaps, creating a 3D-printed prototype called the Smart Phone Solution, a phone cradle that holds the device and stores the cables in a way that protects the phone while it’s being charged.

Lesley’s concept was in response to a call for entries for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Orange County Youth Scholarship, a competition brought to her attention by her graphics teacher at El Modena High School.

Once she settled on the idea, Lesley sketched out possible designs and researched phone dimensions so the product wouldn’t be limited to one manufacturer. 

She then moved to 3D design software to refine the details of the form. Using a 3D printer, she saw her prototype come to life.

Lesley admits she often shies away from attention, but her friends and teacher encouraged her to keep moving forward and submit the prototype for the competition.

“I didn’t like the idea of being recognized,” Lesley says, “but seeing all of them excited about what I was doing kept me going.”

Out of several hundred entries submitted, her creative phone-charging solution earned Lesley the 2015 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Orange County Youth Scholarship award. The Santa Ana resident was presented with a $1,000 college scholarship at a gala held last spring. Lesley then traveled to Sacramento to enter her Smart Phone Solution in the state-level competition, where she placed second.

 Her future plans include looking into production and marketing opportunities for her design, alongside a possible career in film. But the process of designing a product and being honored for her efforts has changed Lesley’s outlook.

“I’m more confident in the things I do now,” Lesley says. “The idea of helping people felt good because I knew I wasn’t alone. I like being able to make things that help solve everyday problems.”