Shining a Spotlight on our OSA Alumni Traci Thomas. She started at OSA in 2007 and graduated in 2012 as a member of the Theatre Department. She then moved to New York City to attend Pace University, majoring in Communication and Media Studies.

Since moving back to the Bay, Traci's been making a name for herself in the radio industry, programming, producing, and becoming an integral member of 102.9 KBLX for the last 5 years. Though her work is mostly behind the scenes, she credits her time in theater for shaping her drive for producing, directing, and even using her acting skills to voice commercials on several stations.

Traci is also a founding member and chair of the alum-run OSA Alumni Association. Traci, we celebrate and honor you! 

We celebrate a very special Visual Art alumni, Taja Sims-Harper, who was part of the original 6th-grade class at OSA in 2005 and graduated in 2012. She has always had a love for the ocean and marine life and is now a Ph.D. Candidate for her studies in Marine Biology!

In Taja’s words:
“Something that will always be instilled in me is the immense discipline I learned from years of art training at OSA. I now have the confidence to follow my dreams and the understanding that your passion can take you as far as you want to go in life.

I knew I loved the ocean from a very young age and the beach was a peaceful getaway from city life when I was in high school. Due to my love of exploration and science, I decided to try something my grandmother had always dreamed and talked to me about, to become a Marine Biologist.

Since graduating from OSA in 2012, I attended the University of Maine and received my Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology with a minor in Fisheries Science in 2017. I then worked for The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire and shortly after that as a GLOBE intern, where I found my passion for conservation and restoration of oyster aquaculture. Currently, I attend the University of New Hampshire, and I am currently in my 3rd year of my Ph.D. in Marine Biology, where I am writing a dissertation on Microplastic pollution in living and non-living resources in the northeast. I am hoping to graduate in the next couple years and start my own oyster farm and business as well as create an educational program geared toward teaching youth in underrepresented communities about the possibilities of marine science and aquaculture as a viable career”.

 

Taja, we celebrate you and the ways you have used your creativity and training to carve out such a beautiful career path for yourself!

Please join us in celebrating the work of one of our extraordinary OSA Alumni, Cadence Patrick, who is one of the winners of Target’s 2023 HBCU Design Challenge!

Cadence studied Visual Art and Digital Media at our school and now is currently a sophomore Computer Science major at Spelman College. She has always had a passion for art and technology and seeks ways to combine the two to positively impact her community.

Cadence’s winning design is available in stores and online, featuring a dark blue graphic of a young Black man holding a glowing orb that reads “Black Futures Are Bright”. Her graphic can be seen on a variety of items, including an adult t-shirt, a toddler t-shirt, a onesie, and a journal. In addition to having her design featured as part of this year’s collection, Cadence also had the opportunity to partner with the Target team to learn about all aspects of production - from textile selection to placing the new product in stores.

The HBCU Design Challenge is an annual competition hosted by Target, in which HBCU students submit their designs inspired by Black history and culture. Through the HBCU Design Challenge, Target selects three designs to be featured in the following year's Black History Month collection. As a 2022 winner, Cadence’s work was featured in the 2023 collection! She was also flown out to L.A. with the other two winners, Mekenzy and Cameron, to film the commercial and shoot content for the Black History Month campaign.

 

Cadence, we are so proud of you and honor your work!