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The Tri-Valley was represented in recent Emmy Award nominations, with a former California High School student being among the nominees in the the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Children and Family Emmy Awards for her work on the children’s Netflix series “Ada Twist, Scientist.”
Ashley Nguyen Dewitt was among the five nominees for Outstanding Voice Directing for an Animated Series in December. The nomination marked her first for her career thus far working on animated shows at a number of major studios in the years since her graduation from college.
Nguyen Dewitt said in an announcement from SRVUSD on Jan. 25 that the stage was set for her future career and success as a high school student, where she developed a love for voice acting and directing.
“I was a choir and drama kid all throughout my time at Cal,” Nguyen Dewitt said. “My senior year, I was the female lead in the Spring musical, ‘Seussical’ which helped me learn how to build a cartoony, comedic character. I also did the morning announcements, so speaking on mic really led me to loving voice over. Once I got through college, I realized that I was good at communicating and directing actors and it all came together after that.”
After graduating from Cal High in 2007, Nguyen Dewitt went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in theater from California State University, Northridge in 2011 before launching her entertainment career, first as an intern for a voice casting company before working on commercials, animation, and casting at DreamWorks TV.
She went on to work as an animation casting and voice director at studios such as Warner Bros, Disney, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon on children’s programs including “Tiny Toons Looniversity” and the anti-racism initiative from “Steven Universe.” She has also voice-acted on programs including “Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures” and “The Power of Baking.”
“Ada Twist, Scientist” was the first show in which Nguyen DeWitt served as voice director, with the recent nomination being her first from the television academy.
“I am so beyond proud to have been nominated for an Emmy for my first animated series as voice director,” Nguyen DeWitt said on Instagram. “Working on ‘Ada Twist’ was such a dream way to debut, and I can’t wait for what the future holds.”
While Nguyen DeWitt ultimately didn’t win the award – which went to Sam Riegel, voice director for Marvel’s “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” – her role on “Ada Twist, Scientist” and the nomination are milestones in her evolving career.
The series is based on the popular 2016 children’s book of the same name, written by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts and aimed at inspiring children, particularly girls, to develop interest and skills in STEM fields via stories loosely based on prominent women scientists Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie. The animated series was launched in 2021, with a fifth season set to debut later this year.
“I am thrilled to congratulate our talented alumna Ashley Nguyen DeWitt on her Emmy nomination for ‘Ada Twist, Scientist,’” SRVUSD Superintendent John Malloy said in the district’s announcement. “We are proud to have her as an alumna of our school district, and we wish her all the best in her career. She inspires our current students to reimagine success as they pursue careers in the arts.”
