Alumni
About Our Alumni
At Young Artists of America®, we focus on teaching students skills to help find their voice on stage and wherever life takes them. While it is not our exclusive goal to lead our students to collegiate or professional stages and screens, our award-winning approach has done just that.
Many of our alumni go on to study at conservatories and collegiate musical theatre programs, and perform professionally on Broadway, national tours, and with top regional theatre companies.
Scroll through this page to learn more about all that our alumni have accomplished, testimonials about YAA, and our alumni-run podcast.
2025 Alumni Cabaret
Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 6:00pm
The Vault @ Capital One Hall, Tysons, VA
Join us for the 4th annual Young Artists of America Alumni Cabaret entitled Disney: A Dream is A Wish that will feature beloved songs from Disney classics like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, The Lion King, and Frozen with music & lyrics by Alan Menken, Elton John, Tim Rice, Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez, & many more!
Featuring YAA Company + YAAOrchestra Alumni, and Graduating 2025 YAA Seniors.
The magic of Disney comes to life in our Cabaret through alumni reminding us that "here age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future."
Our Alumni will always have a home with Young Artists of America and they are a dream of a wish come true.
Visit our Alumni Page, follow @yaaalum on Instagram, or join our YAA Alumni Facebook Group to connect with our Alumni Community!
Alumni Spotlights
-
![]()
Gillian Jackson Han '15
GIll recently completed a year on the Dear Evan Hansen National Tour.
-
![]()
Ian Coursey '20
Ian recently completed a year on the Dear Evan Hansen National Tour.
-
![]()
Chani Wereley '13
Chani is a working actor in the Washington, DC area, having performed in multiple productions at various theatres including: Ford Theatre, Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre, Keegan Theatre and more.
-
![]()
Mateo Ferro '17
Mateo had his professional debut at The Kennedy Center, performing in the Grammy-winning In the Heights. He also appears in the Netflix series Manifest and acclaimed performances off-Broadway.
-
![]()
Alex Stone '15
Alex is currently appearing as Pilate on the National Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, after completing the 1st National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof.
-
![]()
Jamie Joeyen-Waldorf '14
Jamie is a Broadway producer. Recent credits: Grey House, A Doll's House (Tony nom), The Secret Garden @ LA's Ahmanson Theatre, The Kite Runner, and Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (Tony nom).
YAA Alumni Testimonials
For our 10 year anniversary season, alumni sent in video testimonials expressing the impact YAA has had on their lives so far.
Listen to Our Podcast
The Reprise: A Young Artists of America Podcast is run entirely by our alumni. Hosted by Edima Essien ‘16, many of our guests are alumni with careers in the performing arts. Look for it wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to subscribe!
Alumni Engagement
Our students are our family, so staying in touch comes naturally. We have an active alumni community, with former students participating in our Alumni Advisory Board, Alumni Reunion Concerts, sitting on panels, and even joining our staff and Board of Directors!
If you’re an alum who would like to reconnect, reach out to our Alumni Coordinator, Edima Essien ‘16.