Wenjen Piano studios Alum-Where they are now?
I am very proud of all of my students, many whom I taught for their entire childhood, ten to fourteen years! It is both a responsibility and privilege to teach a student even a few years, but especially through to their adulthood. The discipline and dedication they invested in learning to play the piano at a high level always carries over to their collegiate and professional careers. Here are just some of the success stories…and it’s just the beginning of their bright futures!
Career Updates
Matthew Rogoff graduated in 2020 with a Bachelors in History from Texas A&M and recently graduated in 2023 with a Masters in Cybersecurity from University of Dallas. He is currently working as a junior developer for a software company. “Took a lot of applications but I finally broke into the IT field haha!”
Alana Ikemoto graduated in 2020 and was a student at Wenjen Piano for 14 years. She is an Industrial Design Major at University of Washington. Check out her quote and cool music practice design project! 👉
Irene Lee was a student at Wenjen Piano studios for 13 years and graduated from U.C. San Diego with a BS in Engineering/Bio Systems and a minor in music. Hi Ms. Noreen! Just wanted to send a little life update since I'll be graduating in a couple days! I am extremely lucky to have found a job at a company called Insulet that produces tubeless insulin pumps for type 1 diabetic patients. I’ll be working as an Associate Systems Engineer and it's a hybrid position so I'll be able to stay in the South Bay! Also, my senior design team was awarded Best Senior Design project for engineering excellence; during one of the design phases I actually relied on my music intuition that I gained during my years of piano lessons. It was exciting to see how music still serves me to this day and how taking music classes kept me sane through all of college. Lastly, I am honored to say that I was awarded "Outstanding Research" by the department of Bioengineering! I hope that we can find some time to meet up during this summer!”
Kyle Casey currently serves as the Head of Operations for the EdTech data analytics firm 12twenty. He oversees higher education data collection for MBA and JD programs globally. Kyle graduated from Fordham University at Lincoln Center in 2016 with a degree in Economics.
Michelle Lu is attending medical school at Northwestern University (2021) after graduating from U.C.L.A. as a regents scholar. She was a student at Wenjen Piano studios for 13 years!
Natasha Phan attended UCLA, received her MBA from the Anderson School of Management, authored books on chef, Roy Choi, L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food and Director of Business Development, Marketing. Kogi Group Corporation. Co Founder/CMO. 10 Grand Hospitality LLC. Co-owner of Commissary Restaurant UCLA Alumni Article Feature
Dr. Cameron Lee, MD graduated from medical school at the Brown University in May 2009, after attending UCLA for 2 years as a regents scholar recipient and Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He is a doctor at Memorial Care in Long Beach.
Dr. Tessa Kaplan, MD graduated from Harvard University with a degree in neurobiology and Columbia University Valegos College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2019, and is a resident physician at UCSF.
Dr. Caitlyn Cain, MD graduated from Georgetown University and is a doctor at Wells Cornell Medical Surgery
Jackie (Jones) Greenleaf graduated from UCI in 2009 and received a Masters in Education from UC Irvine along with multiple subject teaching credentials. She owns Greenleaf Studios and teaches piano and Pilates near Mammoth Lakes, CA.
Alexander (AJ) Hernandez graduated from Boston College with a degree in Communications and a minor in Environmental Sciences. AJ currently serves on the Board of Directors for www.EMMTA.org Education Through Music MA
Ciaran Gilligan completed his Masters in Philosophy from UC Irvine in 2021 and graduated from Occidental College with Honors in 2018 and is currently completing a masters in English at U.C. Irvine
Victoria Hernandez graduated from the Cox School of Business at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas. “After graduating with Honors from Rosary High School in Fullerton (in 2012), I was accepted as a BBA Scholar into the prestigious Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. I am a Financial Consulting major. The strong focus on accounting and finance will prepare me for my eventual place in the world of International Business. I am currently employed as an intern at a Dallas-area accounting practice.”
Isaac Kaplan graduated as a jazz trombone major at the Manhattan School of Music in New York and is a professional jazz trombone player.
College Undergrad and Grad School Updates
Taylor Vega graduated from UC Berkeley and attends medical school at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon 2021
2021 Alana Ikemoto was a student at Wenjen Piano studios for 14 years is attending University of Washington
2021 Jynel Zeitz was a student at Wenjen Piano studios for 14 years is attending Georgetown University
2019 Robert Gerschultz was a student at Wenjen Piano studios for 14 years is attending U.C. Berkeley studying international business
2018 Irene Lee was a student at Wenjen Piano studios for 13 years and is attending U.C. San Diego studying Engineering/Bio Systems
2017 Carolyn Collins graduated from Los Alamitos High School in 2010 with honors and graduated U.C.L.A. with honors. She received a Masters in Environmental and Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley in 2017.
2016 Jaclyn Gerschultz was a student at Wenjen Piano studios for 14 years and is is attending U.C. Berkeley as a pre-med student
Kyle Kasey graduated from Fordham University in NY a year early with a degree in international business in 2016, and worked at Yahoo.
Carly Gajewski graduated from Redondo Union High School in 2010 with honors and completed her High School Diploma from the National Guild of Piano Auditions! She attended Northeastern University in Boston in the fall on full scholarship.
Alex Nauta graduated from Los Alamitos High School in 2010 and will be attending Cal. State Univ. Long Beach in the fall.
Ben Perry graduated from Pacific Luteran University in 2010 with Honors for a BA in Economics and Bachelors of Business in Business Administration, and BS in Financial Mathematics.
Tessa Kaplan was in the Long Beach Poly’s Jazz Band A the Reno Jazz Festival’s that received first place in the AAAA division, west coast competition. Tessa attended Harvard University in Cambridge, MA in Fall 2009 after taking a gap year in Israel studying the history and culture of Israel and volunteering in the community.
Link to Tessa's Clarinet Performance with Orchestra
Lisa Rosenbaum addended Oberlin College in Ohio in the fall 2008, with a major in chemistry and Loyola Marymount for graduate school.
Justin phan attended U.C. Davis.
Sarah Pinsky graduated from UCLA, Cum Laude, last June 2008 with a BA in History/Art History.
Audrey Pinsky is a junior 2009 at University of San Francisco. She is studying French, Comparative Lit. as a French major and minoring in music and anthropology
Chelsea Lee graduated from UCLA in 2012 in business and worked as a buyer for Macy's in New York.
Kelly Gajewski transferred to University of California, Santa Barbara in Fall 2008 from Occidental College.
Rory Wurfbain attended Wheaton in Norton, Massachusetts in Fall 2008 after spending his gap year working in Namibia and Tanzania at hunting camps. Rory also had an article entitled "Adventures at Sandveld Camp" published in Sports Afield Magazine's April/May issue.
Karly Stark graduated from Connelly High School and will be attending U.C. Berkeley in fall 2008, double-majoring in social psychoogy and film.
Lisa Rosenbaum graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio in the fall 2012, with a major in chemistry.
Tessa Kaplan was in the Long Beach Poly’s Jazz Band A the Reno Jazz Festival’s that received first place in the AAAA division, west coast competition. Tessa will attend Harvard University in Cambridge, MA in Fall 2009 after taking a gap year in Israel studying the history and culture of Israel and volunteering in the community.
Here are some quotes from some of my wonderful students
Thanks for Keeping in Touch!
“Hello Ms. Noreen! I just finished up my last week of my freshman year at the University of Washington and I can definitely say I had the best year I could imagine and I am so, so, so thankful. I was looking at Asian American Studies or Psychology, but I knew I was missing that creative and artistic aspect in my life. I ended up taking a month long summer course right before the start of school about art and design at UW and I met fellow students interested in Design who really inspired me, so I said, “heck let’s go for Design.” In order to get directly admitted to the Design Major, you must take a class called DESIGN 166 and pass with a 3.7 gpa or higher to be automatically admitted (about a 10% acceptance rate, or around 10 students out of 120 pass with a 3.7+) otherwise you must apply via portfolio. By some miracle of God, I worked extremely hard and got admitted into Industrial Design with a 3.9 gpa… I am still in shock! It is SO rare for freshmen to be admitted into their major their first year so I am just so thankful and feel so, so blessed. On top of that, I joined a “professional design fraternity” (not like crazy greek life haha) which has helped me grow in my design skills as well as find the most amazing people and community at school which is so fortunate to find at such a huge school like UW. For one of our projects in the DESIGN 166 class, we needed to make a product that would help people build good habits. I chose to make a product to help young children practice piano consistently for just a short amount of time per day and enjoy practicing! (I definitely could have used something like this as a kid and even as I got older, oops!) I have attached my project below and you can also find a YouTube link to the promo/ad video for the product. I thankfully scored well on this project and I owe it to piano and my wonderful years with you as my teacher! I can’t tell you enough how you kept me going, never getting mad at me for not practicing every day (even though I should have been!) but always encouraged me which is why I still have a passion to play.”
“Hi Ms. Noreen,
Just wanted to drop a line and say Hi! I am finishing my second year at UC Berkeley and really love life in NORCAL! This summer I will be at Rutgers University for 10 weeks in the lab conducting experiments and broadening my knowledge in the Neurosciences. Hope you,Mr. Kevin (Krav Maga!) and the kids are well! Thanks always for my music education, it has made a tremendous difference in my life! ”
“Hi there, Ms. Noreen!
I think that this alumni page is such a wonderful idea. I have enjoyed reading about all of the awesome things my fellow WPS alumni have been up to!
I am proud to say that I am still very involved with music! I find time every now and then to stop by the piano labs in the music building on campus at BC and spend an hour or two just playing. I’m in one of nine a cappella groups on campus, The BC Dynamics. We are celebrating our 15th anniversary as a group this fall! (Check us out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yw-5HEokkA&feature=c4-overview&list=UUrsiAceCOR72l7VOkf-FFyQ).
When I’m not singing or playing the piano, I am a mentor through the Big Brother Big Sister of Massachusetts Bay program and am involved in a number of sustainability focused initiatives. I have an on campus job at the Boston College Office of Sustainability too!
I’m a junior at BC pursuing a degree in Communication with a minor in Environmental Studies and am looking forward to spending my next semester in Madrid, Spain.”
“After graduating with Honors from Rosary High School in Fullerton (in 2012), I was accepted as a BBA Scholar into the prestigious Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. I am a Financial Consulting major. The strong focus on accounting and finance will prepare me for my eventual place in the world of International Business. I am currently employed as an intern at a Dallas-area accounting practice”
Link to Isaac's trombone performance with his quartet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pNin9-bvZw
Link to Tessa's Clarinet Performance with Orchestra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAw8MoyAJj0