Troy J. Botello has been appointed to...

Troy J. Botello has been appointed to the new position of education coordinator for the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. Botello’s duties will include overseeing and expanding arts projects for young people, including producing the sixth annual Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration at the Center, April 20-28. A resident of La Mirada, Botello taught special education for 15 years with the Los Angeles County Office of Education and most recently served as a consultant to the Los Angeles Music Center’s Education Division. He also serves as chairperson of the program committee for Very Special Arts California, a nonprofit organization which develops arts education programs for the disabled.

Kaisara Eserea, 17, of Los Amigos High School in Santa Ana, and Jesus Cabral, 14, of Bethune Junior High School in Los Angeles, have each won $1,000 first prizes in the composer and scenic-design rounds, respectively, in the Young Artist Competition sponsored by the Santa Ana-based St. Joseph Ballet Company. These were were the final segments of a three-pronged competition to provide a story idea, music and scenic design for a ballet to be danced by the troupe May 30 through June 2 at Rancho Santiago College in Santa Ana. Three semi-finalists, each winning $250, were named in both categories. In June, Sang Quang Tran, 16, of Garden Grove, won the $1,000 story-idea prize. Beth Burns, the company’s founding artistic director, will choreograph the work. Information: (714) 541-8314.