Santa Clarita Sister Cities, in partnership with the city of Santa Clarita, is proud to have two local students receive national recognition in the 2021 Young Artists and Authors Showcase (YAAS), which was recently held by Sister Cities International in Washington, D.C.

Brandon Cho, from Valencia High School, earned second place in the Poetry category for his poem, “The Light of Hope,” and Julios De Jesus, from Canyon High School, earned third place in the Original Music category for this entry, “Juven – We are One.”

“Santa Clarita students have always competed successfully in Sister Cities International’s Young Artists and Authors Showcase. Every year, we are amazed with the talent shown by our local youth, and this year is no different. We are proud of Brandon and Julios, as well as all our students whose entries qualified for this prestigious competition among Sister Cities organizations worldwide,” said Santa Clarita Mayor Bill Miranda.

The YAAS gives youth the opportunity to express their vision for a more unified, peaceful world through original artwork and literature. The 2021 Showcase encouraged youth to submit entries inspired by the theme “United in Hope” and to convey their vision of citizen diplomacy and how hope can be a uniting force during this challenging time when the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are felt globally.

Community members can view these students’ winning entries on the Sister Cities International website. Submissions of local winners and finalists are displayed in the Santa Clarita Sister Cities virtual gallery.

The Santa Clarita Sister Cities program is a local organization with a mission to foster international partnerships between the city of Santa Clarita and cities abroad and promote mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation through reciprocal youth, cultural, educational, professional, humanitarian and economic programs and exchanges. Sister Cities International is a nonprofit organization created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to foster partnerships among communities around the globe and promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time. The City of Santa Clarita has international Sister Cities in Tena, Ecuador and Sariaya, Philippines.

For more information, visit SantaClaritaSisterCities.org, or contact Elena Galvez at (661) 255-4911 or Tess Simgen at (661) 250-3726, or email SisterCities@santa-clarita.com.