OCCTAC NEWS

We thank Eli Reyna from Buen Dia Production for the filming and editing of this beautiful video of Stefanie's performance with Ensemble Luz during the Gift Of Light Concert on December 17, 2010.

We are very happy to report that our opera singing student STEFANIE DIAZ and our HARP ENSEMBLE have been chosen to perform alongside top level professional musicians from the Orange County Symphony during the Holiday concert "The Gift Of Light" on December 17th, at 7PM at the Heritage Forum in Anaheim. Friends and supporters have a chance to meet and mingle at the pre-concert event at Muzeo . Dr. Ana Jimenez-Hami: "We are very grateful for this opportunity for our students to showcase their talent, skills and artistry. It is a wonderful chance for the Orange County community to see the results of their hard work and their family's dedication in a beautiful setting. It is also an inspiration for our students to have this amazing experience. It will always be a motivating special memory!" Tickets cost $35.00 for general admission and $25.00 for students and seniors age 62 and up. They are available online at EVENTBRITE and OC SYMPHONY or by calling (714) 778 ...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news , world news , and news about the economy April 23rd, 2010. NBC Nightly News featured OCCTAC student Stefanie Diaz and instructor Renee Rulon Cortez in the "Making A Difference" segment on their Friday night national broadcast. For all of us who have known Stefanie and her family for many years it was an emotional moment. It was wonderful to see how far Stefanie has come in the 9 years she has received therapeutic art classes at our center. Of course, a 2-minute news segment cannot tell her amazing story in much detail. But Dr. Ana Jimènez-Hami, founder and president, remembers. "Stefanie was one of our first students. Her family came to us for help because both Stefanie and her brother have autism. Stefanie displayed severe autistic behavior at that time. Stefanie Diaz at age 9. However, Stefanie showed a keen interest in many forms of art. Over the years, she has attended v...

Dear Friends! We just got word from NBC that the story about our student Stefanie Diaz will be on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams on Friday night, April 23rd, 2010 at 6:30PM. The segment "Making A Difference" usually airs close to 7PM. Thank you to producer Aarne Heikkila for featuring Stefanie! And a special Thank You to reporter Yvette Cabrera from the OC Register whose article about Stefanie got the ball rolling!

Just before the end of the year we received several phone calls regarding our student Stefanie Diaz, 15. Back in December reporter Yvette Cabrera had written a very nice article (see previous blog post) about Stefanie for the Orange County Register. Editors at CBS/KCAL in Los Angeles took notice and sent their reporter Suzie Suh and camera man Robert to OCCTAC. Our opera music teacher Renee Rulon Cortez and the Diaz family graciously cleared their schedules to film this segment. You may have heard that many of our students just like Stefanie no longer receive federal grant money that allowed them to attend classes at OCCTAC. We are trying to provide services as best we can under the cutbacks but we do need your help! Please consider sponsoring students by making a donation to the center. If you would like to learn more about our programs and the possibility of sponsoring one child, please contact Dr. Ana Jimenez Hami at 714 547 5468.

Autistic girl finds her voice through opera - Home - The Orange County Register Posted using ShareThis Dear Friends! Yvette Cabrera wrote a wonderful article about Stefanie Diaz that appeared in the Orange County Register. Please read and consider making a donation to the center. Thank you for your help! Please click the link for a fast and convenient way to donate with PayPal. Credit cards accepted!