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Statewide
first place CABE essay: "My Bilingual Rewards." |
San Diego Press Club winner:"Boredovacationits:
Does Your Child
Exhibit the Symptoms?" |
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Southern California scholarship winner Optimist Oratorical Competition:"America: Why Me? Why Not?" |
Cereal
Medicino (actor, 3rd grade) |
Get Used
to It! (actor, 4th grade) |
Flour and Bluto (writer/director/ actor) |
Written by Alex Carr (click to read) |
Auditioning Truths and Lies (actor) |
Written by Alex Carr (video below) |
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Alex Carr, currently a junior at Valley Center High School near San Diego, is the youngest winner of a San Diego Press Club award in an adult category in the organization's 36-year history for a story he wrote for his hometown newspaper when he was 15. Alex is a San Diego County iVIE (Innovative Video in Education) award-winning filmmaker for a short film he wrote, directed and acted in with his sister. His was the first and is still only iVIE award ever won by the Valley Center Upper School. |
In 2010, Alex won a first place Innovative Video in Education award for his moving and inspirational short film, Boy on the Moon, making him only the second person in his high school's history to take home a first place iVIE (he helped write and edit the first one, Sins of the Father, which his sister, Samantha, won three years earlier). Later that year, Boy on the Moon was named an official selection of the Fallbrook Film Festival. For the project, Alex directed a small army of actors, crew, and technicians. Boy on the Moon, along with more than a dozen films made by Alex and Sammi, have had thousands of YouTube views. Watch Boy on the Moon: |
Alex maintains a 4.0+ cumulative GPA, has been designated an AP Scholar by the College Board, and is treasurer of his high school.
Alex won the 2007 statewide CABE competition for his essay, "My Bilingual Rewards," written in both English and Spanish. Alex has particpated in his school district's bilingual program since first grade and, as such, is a fluent Spanish speaker. In fact, he delivered much of his acceptance speech at CABE's annual convention in Spanish. He has also been a GATE student in both math and language arts since he began school.
In addition to his writing and directing pursuits, Alex was chosen to be on Valley Center's Youth Soccer All Stars team five years in a row.
Alex has received a letter of congratulations from San Diego Supervisor Bill Horn as well as a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from U.S. Congressman Darrell Issa.
Alex received a $1500 college scholarship by winning the Optimist Oratorical Competition for all of
Southern California
for writing and delivering, "America: Why Me? Why Not?" Watch it here:
Alex composed and arranged the song Smart Alecks for his school's jazz band–the first student ever to do so according to the band's director. He also took home a Best Soloist trophy from the noted Coronado Jazz Festival for his sax playing. Watch the performance of Smart Alecks.
For three years Alex has written a weekly paid column about teen life for his hometown newspaper. Read his articles here.
Alex was voted Most Likely to Succeed by his junior high peers. He was also chosen as an Optimist "Student of the Quarter" and was named school valedictorian with a perfect 4.0 grade average. He is currently a member of the Californa Scholarship Federation and a the Valley Center High School Drama Club.
As far back as elementary school Alex was making movies both for school and for his own pleasure. In fourth grade he wrote and drew the cartoon short, An Adventure on a Strange Planet. In 2006 he wrote and directed Alex's Seven Steps to Super Videos. He was asked by the Valley Center/Pauma School Board to create and present a short documentary he titled Midway Magic about his time on the fabled aircraft carrier.
Alex had a lead role in the original ensemble production of Auditioning Truths and Lies, which premiered at the Maxine Theater in 2008 to a packed house and critical praise. In junior high, Alex had a lead in Pirates of Penzance. Alex did sound for the Valley Center Community Theater's production of It's a Wonderful Life and played the parts of young Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Future in the group's adaptation of A Christmas Carol as well as an important role in his high school's production of Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Watch this 22 minute video excerpt of Congressman Darrell Issa's Sept. 3, 2009 Townhall Meeting, shot and edited by Alex Carr. He says he had a lot of fun up on the camera platform with pros from all the major broadcast and cable networks (he even nudged out CBS for a choice spot!):
