Choral seniors dedicate themselves to the arts

Class of 2023 Choral Program Spotlight

Tribe Tribune Staff|May 23, 2023

Photo courtesy of Stacey Kikkawa

Senior Madison Heinle speaks to an audience member at the choral program’s annual Holiday Luncheon with the Fullerton Ebell Club.

Madison Heinle

Senior Madison Heinle was a semi-finalist for the Orange County Register’s OC Artist of the Year for Classical Voice. Heinle will attend UC San Diego with a major in neurobiology, with the goal of combining her musical background with her academics. She plans to study the effect of music therapy on neurodegenerative diseases. (Photo courtesy of Madison Heinle )
Heinle has been in the FUHS choir her entire high school career, becoming choral vice president her junior year and president this year. Heinle was also a part of the FUHS song team for three years and one semester. While excelling in choir and on the song team, she was also able to excel in her academics. Heinle was recognized in the Rotary Top 100 all four years of high school. (Photo courtesy of Madison Heinle)
As a part of the OC Artist application, Heinle responded to the question: What does it mean to be an artist? She said that an artist can be anyone passionate about pursuing their goals and willing to change the status quo with their works. (Photo courtesy of Madison Heinle)

Rynn Wood

Senior Rynn Wood will be attending UC Berkeley, double majoring in music and psychology. Wood has been in Advanced Dance for three years, Dance Production her senior year, and Vocal Ensemble for three years. (Photo courtesy of Rynn Wood)
Wood began dancing at age 4. As a junior, she discovered that her dream career is to become an opera singer. Throughout high school, Wood has found herself participating in things she never expected, like being a lead character in a musical, choreographing her own dances, and singing opera. She says that these activities have brought her out of her shell. (Photo courtesy of Rynn Wood)
Wood says that the performing arts have helped shape the person she is today and connected her with some of her best friends. “They’re very carefree, outgoing people,” Wood said. “They don’t care what anyone else thinks, and that attitude transferred to me.” (Photo courtesy of Rynn Wood)

Sean Finch

Senior Sean Finch is a Tri-M Music Honor Society member, a Vocal Music Academy completer, FUHS Fullertones president, and JROTC Cybersecurity gold-winner. (Photo courtesy of Sean Finch)
Finch is also a multi-time participant in the All-State Honor Choir as a tenor, and is the president of the FUHS Fullertones. In the fall, he will be attending college at Northeastern’s Oakland campus, pursuing a degree in Computer Science with a minor in music. (Photo courtesy of Sean Finch)
In addition to his many extracurricular activities, Finch began Cybersecurity in eighth grade, eventually winning number one in California as a junior. He and his Academic team then placed fifth nationally his junior year, placing Platinum and top in state this year. Above, he can be seen with fellow JROTC students (left to right) senior Wyatt Carter, Finch, senior Ryan Chung, and sophomore Joshua Lee. (Photo courtesy of Sean Finch)

Augusta Passalacqua

Senior Augusta Passalacqua has been in the choral program her entire high school career despite having faced medical issues endangering her voice. During quarantine, she developed node-like bumps in her throat, but was not suffering from lymph-nodes. Instead, she had an unknown ailment, preventing her from singing on a daily basis and making speaking painful. After explaining her situation to choral director Stacey Kikkawa, Passalacqua took on graphic design and editing jobs for choral publicity, putting in extra work to stay involved in the program. (Photo courtesy of Augusta Passalacqua)
Passalacqua will be attending Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, majoring in early education and possibly minoring in graphic design. She has wanted to work with children since she was young, seen here (at right) cradling her newborn brother Enzo with her older sister, Scout, an FUHS alumni. (Photo courtesy of Augusta Passalacqua)