Irvine teen selected as a 2026 YoungArts award winner
YoungArts announced that Jerry (Hongyi) Zhang, an 11th grade student at University High School in Irvine, has been selected as a 2026 award winner in design. Zhang joins hundreds of the nation’s most accomplished young visual, literary and performing artists from 39 states and the District of Columbia.
Bestowed annually since 1981, the YoungArts award recognizes exceptional young talent across artistic disciplines and affirms the youths’ pursuit of a professional life in the arts. Recipients become part of a lifelong community of peers and mentors, with access to critical resources that help sustain their creative practices throughout their careers.
Zhang is a high school student whose work focuses on visual storytelling and personal observation. YoungArts award winners, all ages 15-18 or in grades 10-12, are selected through a highly competitive application reviewed by panels of esteemed artists in a rigorous adjudication process. All YoungArts winners have demonstrated exceptional technique, a strong sense of artistry and an extraordinary commitment to developing their craft.
Winners were selected from a record number of nearly 13,000 applications across 10 artistic disciplines: classical music, dance, design, film, jazz, photography, theater, visual arts, voice and writing.
Zhang will receive a monetary award of $250 in recognition of his achievement. A complete list of the 2026 winners is available at youngarts.org/winners.
– Submitted by YoungArts
Brea native serves aboard one of the world’s largest warships
Airman Apprentice Matthew Kim, a native of Brea, serves aboard USS George H.W. Bush, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier operating out of Norfolk, Virginia.
Kim graduated from Brea Olinda High School in 2024. He joined the Navy one year ago and now serves as an air traffic controller.
“I joined the Navy because when I was a kid, I really thought about what I wanted to do,” Kim said. “My dream was to become a pilot; it still is. I wanted to achieve that goal. I thought about the military because going to flight school would cost a lot of money. I decided to commit to it because my dad served in the Korean army. He said it was a great experience, and that it would help me for the rest of my life.
“Some of the skills you learn here, you don’t really learn outside, so I took it upon myself to join. I applied to the Naval Academy but didn’t get in, so I enlisted. I can always try again.
“I chose to be an air traffic controller so I can learn about what the pilots do and how they fly and communicate. I know the exact procedures for when they’re landing on this ship. I’m giving myself a little bit of a head start by being on the other side of the radio.”
The Navy’s aircraft carriers are among the largest warships in the world. USS George H.W. Bush is longer than three football fields at 1,092 feet. The ship is 252 feet wide and weighs more than 100,000 tons. More than 5,000 sailors serve aboard these self-contained mobile airports.
“My proudest accomplishment is being where I am right now,” Kim said. “I just turned 19. Everyone says there aren’t a lot of people enlisting anymore at a young age, but taking the oath and doing my job on an aircraft carrier is something I’m proud of. My parents are proud of me as well.
“The job is hard. A lot of people dropped out during ‘A’ school in Pensacola. The drop rate is 60%. We started with 16 people and graduated with five, including myself. “No one dropped because they didn’t try; it’s because it’s a hard thing to learn. I’m proud of the other guys who graduated with me and everybody else who worked hard to try to learn this.”
Kim serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy gives me a purpose,” he said. “It means we do the hard work so everyone else can sleep peacefully.”
– Submitted by Ashley Craig, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Rady Children’s Health opens first Associate WellSpace
Rady Children’s Health, formerly Orange County Children’s Hospital, has opened its first Associate WellSpace, a restorative space designed to support the emotional and physical well-being of physicians and staff at its hospital in Orange.
The new WellSpace provides hands-on resources like mindfulness activities, grounding tools and guided exercises to manage stress, build coping strategies and strengthen emotional resilience.
The space transforms a former respite room into a soothing, research-driven environment, complete with calming colors, natural elements and comfortable textures. The WellSpace draws on biophilic design principles, bringing the restorative qualities of nature indoors to support relaxation and renewal.
Inspired by the Rady Children’s WellSpace initiative in Orange County schools and the community, these welcoming spaces nurture well-being, reflection and self-care.
The project was developed in partnership with Design With Purpose, a nonprofit organization with a mission to provide healing environments to children and families in need, and supported, in part, by an inaugural gift from the Guido Family.
– Submitted by Rady Children’s Health
The Bravo! section highlights achievements of our residents and groups. Send news of achievements for consideration to ocrbravo@gmail.com.