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Statewide
first place CABE essay, "My Bilingual Rewards." |
Read the
San Diego Press Club winner, "Boredovacationits:
Does Your Child
Exhibit the Symptoms?" |
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Southern California scholarship-winning essay for the Optimist Oratorical Competition, "America: Why Me? Why Not?" |
Cereal
Medicino (actor, 3rd grade) |
Get Used
to It! (actor, 4th grade) |
The Movie I Made About What My Little Brother Bluto Did Last Summer (writer/director/ actor 6th grade) |
Written by Alex Carr, 8th grade (click to read) |
Auditioning Truths and Lies (actor, 8th grade) |
Written by Alex Carr, 9th grade (watch the video below) |
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Alex Carr, currently a sophomore at Valley Center High School near San Diego, is the youngest winner of a San Diego Press Club award in the organization's 36-year history for a humorous piece he wrote for his hometown newspaper titled "Boredovacationitis: Does Your Child Exhibit the Symptoms?" 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, Samantha, titled, The Movie I Made About What My Little Brother Bluto Did Last Summer (he likes long titles!). His was the first and is still the only iVIE ever won by the Valley Center Upper School. |
In May 2010, Alex won a coveted first place iVIE Award for his moving and inspirational short film, Boy on the Moon, making him only the second person in Valley Center High School's history to take home a first place iVIE (he helped write and edit the first one, Sins of the Father, which was won by his sister, Samantha, four years ago). 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.com views. |
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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 junior high school's Thundercat Jazz Band–the first student ever to do so according to the band's director, Jeff Beck. He also took home a Best Soloist trophy from the noted Coronado Jazz Festival for his saxophone playing. Watch the performance of Smart Alecks along with a surprise (and hot!) solo from Valley Center Middle School band instructor, Jeff Beck. Jeff also makes some touching comments about Alex, teaching and his own life.
In 2009 Alex began writing the weekly Jaguars' Spot column about his local high school for the Valley Roadrunner. 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 present a short documentary, 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!):
