Tara Filowitz has been an English Language Arts and Drama teacher at Valencia High School (Placentia, CA) since 2007. She has acted as the VHS Theatrical Artistic Director and Drama Teacher since 2023. Play directed at VHS include: The Survivor (Fall 2023); The Trail To Oregon (Spring 2024); Play On! (Fall 2024); and You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Spring 2025). Tara Filowitz (Arrey) is a graduate of both Brandeis University (Waltham, MA) and Chapman University (Orange, CA). At Brandeis, Ms. Filowitz received a BA in Theatre Arts, with an emphasis in Dramatic Structure and Text, in 2001. At Chapman University she received both a Teaching Credential (Single Subject CLAD Credential with a focus in Secondary English - 2007) and a Masters degree in Education (emphasis in Curriculum and Foundations - 2009). Additionally, while at Chapman, Ms. Filowitz received the Tye Fellowship and the California Retired Teacher's Scholarship. Ms. Filowitz's credentials also include having worked at, and attended, the Orange County High School of the Arts/Los Alamitos High School (as a student, and later as a teacher), in conjunction with her credential in English. Ms. Filowitz has an extensive background in both Language Arts (Grammar/Writing/Literature) and Theatre Arts (both acting and dramatic theory/history. Here at Valencia, Ms. Filowitz has acted as the TEDxVHS Coordinator (2017-2025), OCAD Speech Coach (3 year), Coordinator for the Chapman University Holocaust Art & Writing Contest (2021-2025) and Senior Awards Coordinator (2009-2019). She has received a generous grant from the Placentia Chamber of Commerce for her work with TEDxValenciaHighSchool. TEDxValenciaHighSchool Credits: Since 2015 - first as a mentor teacher, then as a Co-Coordinator, and now as the sole Coordinator since 2018. Events Coordinated: TEDxValenciaHighSchool 2017 - Engage; 2018 - Empower; 2019 - Belonging; 2022 - Believe; 2023 - Becoming; 2024 - N-Cubed (Noticed, Needed, & Nurtured); and 2025 - ENERGY.