Annie simons - president - (she/her)
Annie taught middle and high school theatre for 17 years in the Chicago and Los Angeles public school systems. She served as LAHSA’s Theatre Department head for 12 of those years, collaborating with her fellow theatre teachers to create a rigorous conservatory-style program in which all students participated in grade-level dedicated theatre arts classes during all four years of their high school tenure. Annie incorporated Friends of LAHSA (FoL) in 2018 in order to better support LAHSA’s unique program, and took over as Board President in 2020. She also serves as an officer on the board of directors for the California Educational Theatre Association (CETA).
HARRISON CHAMBERS - treasurer - (HE/HIM)
Harrison has not yet submitted a bio for us. Here’s hoping that when he sees this, he’ll die of embarrassment and finally do it. He’s great and hard working. He’s from England and Alabama.
Sharon Figueroa Argueta - Secretary - (SHE/THEY)
After graduating from LAHSA in 2015, Sharon went to the University of California, Santa Barbara where she received her BA in Chicana/o Studies and a minor in Theater. During that time, Sharon worked as a Peer Advisor for the Chicana/o Studies Department as well as a fellow, volunteer, coordinator, and research assistant at Las Maestras Center for Xicana[x] Indigenous Thought, Art, and Social Practice (LMC). Her most notable work at the LMC was coordinating and assisting with the development of a mural project in community with the artist Alicia Siu. Sharon is currently working toward an Arts in Education M.Ed. at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). She works with UndocuAllies, Trans and Queer Education, and is the Co-Chair of the Womxn of Color Collective where she is currently organizing several projects, among them the Womxn of Color Symposium. She is also the current FoL Secretary supporting a school that became a starting point for her work in education. Sharon’s work is rooted at the intersection of art, education, community, and holistic wellness. Her goal is to find holistic approaches to support and engage students as well as their communities to succeed in education but also beyond that - to be and feel more prepared to face the world once they step out of school.
Michele Andrus - Member-at-Large
Michele has been a Special Educator for 24 years in both the elementary and high school levels. She is a founding member of Los Angeles High School of the Arts (LAHSA), the first pilot high school in LAUSD. She served at LAHSA for 10 years in the capacity of Resource Specialist, Special Education Coordinator, Work-Based Learning Coordinator and Chairman of the Arts Advisory Board. She is currently the Special Education Coordinator for Granada Hills Charter High School, the largest charter high school in the United States. Michele is committed to equity in education and increasing opportunities for historically underserved youth. Michele strives to support change in education through her work as a senate appointee to the California state Advisory Commission on Special Education and as a consulting editor for the Journal of the International Association of Special Education (JIASE). She has served on the board for Friends of LAHSA since its inception.
Jose Aquino - Member-at-Large
After graduating from LAHSA in 2017, Jose decided to go to the Los Angeles City College Theater Academy to continue his studies as an actor and overall artist. In the duration of his three years in the academy he had taken part in both theater and film productions. His most recent work involved directing a student film for the theater academy in his final year after graduating in the fall of 2020. Jose currently continues to work as a creative and is planning to start a production company named Untold Truth Productions or (UTP) to reveal new stories of truth from different perspectives in the ongoing struggle of American identity in today’s social climate. Jose believes that the youth should have the arts as not just an outlet but as a means of communication to express their truth. LAHSA wasn’t just a home to Jose, it was a training ground for an artist’s voice to be heard by the community. And he believes that is something that will always be needed for the youth and for the voiceless.
Kevin Ayala - Member-at-Large
After graduating from LAHSA in 2016, Kevin went off to Sunny San Diego and graduated in May 2021 with a Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering at San Diego State University. During his time as a student, he held positions as a mentor, tutor, research assistant, and outreach coordinator for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineer (SHPE) chapter at SDSU. He brought engineering and science to local low income schools through workshops to hopefully encourage students to think about STEM as a potential career. Currently, Kevin is actively interviewing and preparing for a career in the aerospace sector and thinking about where life takes him next. Although engineering is his passion, he hopes to remain involved in projects and organizations that seek to bring resources to low income communities such as mentorship and advising programs that help reduce the odds these communities face.
Clara Choi - Member-at-Large
A LAHSA alum, Clara is currently a Ed.M. Candidate in Arts in Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). At HGSE, she is the chair of Pan Asian Coalition for Education (PACE) and a member of UndocuAllies, Harvard Immigration Task Force, and Women of Color Collective.
After graduating from LAHSA in 2013, Clara went on to study Theater and Performance Studies at UC Berkeley and worked at various theater companies to bring theater and theater education to youth. Currently, she produces family and adult education programs and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training at San Francisco Opera. Clara believes that arts should be a right, not a privilege; she strives to realize the power of arts to transform people’s lives, as it has unquestionably changed hers. Clara has a special passion for serving youth, especially those from underserved communities like her own.
Michael Mejia - Member-at-large
Michael graduated from LAHSA in 2014, then went on to study theatre at Santa Monica College (SMC). After his time at SMC he went on to work with The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles and Cornerstone Theater Company. Michael is happy to be a part of Friends of LAHSA because he believes art is an essential part of life and he hopes to make sure young people’s journey through the LAHSA theatre department is as challenging and rewarding as his was.
Timothy C. Simons - Member-at-Large
Timothy studied theatre at the University of Maine before moving to Chicago to start his career in the entertainment industry. Past credits include VEEP, LOOKING FOR ALASKA, YES, GOD, YES, INHERENT VICE, and the upcoming DON’T WORRY DARLING. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Annie and children Hopper and Marty. He’s very happy to be working with LAHSA and is thankful he doesn’t have to build the sets for Annie’s shows like he did back in Chicago.