Every year, 6 former mustangs are inducted into Mira Costa’s Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. It began in 2012, and since then, successful graduates have been coming back to their old stomping grounds each year to talk to the current students. This year’s 6 alumni are amazing, but here are a few alumni we hope to see in the auditorium next year.

1. You may not recognize the name Roger Avary, but perhaps the movie Pulp Fiction rings a bell? After graduating from Costa, Roger Avary went on to become a television producer, screenwriter, and director. His most famous and well known works include Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, which he co-wrote with Quentin Tarantino. Avary was recognized for his talent when he became an Oscar winner at the 67th Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay. His other works include Silent Hill and Beowulf, a film that may sound familiar from your sophomore English class. 

   

   

2. First he was a Mustang… then he became an Olympian. Jeff Atkinson graduated from Costa leaving many records behind him, and his record time of 9:07 in the 3200 meter dash still stands. After a high school career of both track and field and cross country, he moved on to attend Stanford and join their track team, where he still holds the mile record of 3 minutes and 55 seconds. After his college graduation, he competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, finishing 10th place in the 1500m race. He is currently a coach for both the Track and Field and cross country team here at Costa where he coaches alongside Coach Calderon. 

   

   

3. Dylan O’Brien. Enough said.  After graduating from Mira Costa in 2009, Dylan O’Brien went on to become one of today’s most well known teen-heartthrob actors after starring in MTV’s hit show Teen Wolf and the movie The Maze Runner. He intended to study sport broadcasting at Syracuse University, but his plans got derailed when he decided to instead follow his passion for acting. He has worked on many box office hits including The Internship, The Maze Runner trilogy, and Deepwater Horizon. He has also won numerous Teen Choice Awards and MTV Movie Awards. 

   

4. If you were a Disney Channel fan in the early 2000’s you may remember Kelly Vitz, or at least remember seeing her. She is best known for her role in the movie Sky High where she plays Magenta, a teen superhero learning how to fit in. She is also known for her roles in Nancy Drew and even made appearances in Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide as well as Lizzie McGuire.

   

5. Cody Osagie also known by his stage name, Cozz, began rapping in 2013 shortly after he graduated from Costa. Growing up in South Central, his move to Costa changed the way he looked at the world. His experiences in both South Central and Manhattan Beach helped him become the rapper he is today. His music helped him sign to J.Cole’s Dreamville Records and Interscope Records and since then has released his debut studio album, Cozz and Effect.