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Joanna James
My name is Joanna James. I graduated from OCA in 2018.
I started attending OCA at 5 years old and stayed there until my senior year. I grew up surrounded by staff that loved me and instilled in me a knowledge of Jesus and His Word. I had teachers that challenged me academically and were always creating opportunities for me to learn and excel.
This was a huge part of preparing me for scholarships and college opportunities. From the very beginning, music was part of my education. Aside from music classes, band, and choir, we sang Scripture and names of presidents. I had opportunities to sing in chapel and hone in on my musical skills. My music teachers invested in me and pushed me to success. Because of them, I pursued a degree in Music Education. And though it was not my plan, God led me on a wild journey back to OCA where I teach music now!
Currently I am the K-12 General Music and Choral Director at OCA. I also have been running a private lessons studio for 4 years. This past year, my students took first in our bracket at the Worlds of Fun Music Festival. And this year, they have the honor of traveling to NYC to perform in Carnegie Hall!
Choir and Ensemble with Mr. Nilius was the space where I grew the most in my spiritual walk, my talents, and my passion to reach others through music. Mr. Nilius was and still is one of the most impactful mentors in my life. I have to say a close second is Drama with Mrs. Reid. I built a lot of confidence there and she is such a great mentor and friend today.
My favorite memory from OCA is hard to choose, there are so many! But band tour my freshman year of high school and the trip to NYC with the Ensemble a few weeks later were a HUGE turning point in my life. I made friends on those trips in those groups that are some of my best friends to this day.
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