Awards, Honors, and Scholarly Achievement
Below you will find Awards and Honors that I received throughout my career as a student and as a music teacher. They are also listed and described on my Curriculum Vitae. Most are also listed on my resume. Here you will find links and photos associated with them.
Hutton Music Education Fellowship
Beverly Coldsnow Hutton grew up in Wichita, Kansas. She graduated with a bachelors and masters degree from WSU. She taught in Wichita for her entire career and was named a master teacher in 1982. The Hutton Music Education Scholarship was established by Hutton’s children in 2011 because her three children felt it was important to show their mother their commitment to helping promote her love for music education. She passed away in 2015. It is an honor and a privilege to be given the Hutton Fellowship for my final year in graduate school. I hope that in my career I make her proud. I thank Mrs Coldsnow Hutton for her contribution to music education and thank the donors who sponsor this fellowship.
Kansas Music Educator ISW Presenter
I will be presenting at the KSMEA In-Service Workshop in February 2023. My presentation titled, "Tears in the Key of E: Including Siblings of Autism in Special Music Education" will be available to see in the Graduate Work tab after the presentation. In addition to my presentation, I will be performing with WSU's Jazz Arts 1 at the conference.
Women of Wichita State Scholarship
The Women of Wichita State University is an organization that exists to serve the WSU community. They pride themselves on fostering the community through social events that create fellowship and friendship between women of WSU's past, present and future. The organization presented their 2022-2023 scholarships to four female students of WSU. I am honored to be named a recipient of this award.
ISME World Conference Attendance Award
I will be presenting at the International Society of Music Education's 2022 World Conference Pre-Conference Seminars for the Special Music Education and Music Therapy Commission. In addition to being chosen to present, the organization also provided me with a conference award so I can attend without admission costs. I was honored to be selected to present with my professor, Dr. Elaine Bernstorf, on the topic of Supporting Siblings of Autism in Music Education.
Graduate Student of the Year Finalist
The Graduate Student of the Year is a prestigious award presented annually to one graduate student at Wichita State University. The process of selection occurs in 3 rounds. The first includes an application and several letters of recommendation, next is an interview and presentation, which are used to determine five finalists. A panel of judges determines the graduate student of the year. This year there were over 150 applicants; I was honored to make it to the top 5.
Twins and Triplets Mothers of NJ Scholarship
In order to be eligible for the "Twins Club" scholarship one must be a twin or a sibling of twins and their mother must be a member of the Twins and Triplets Mothers Club. I myself am not a twin but my brothers, Eric and Ryan, are. This scholarship is merit based, in addition to the aforementioned criteria. I received this scholarship for the 2021-2022 school year.
Student Excellence Award
On April 15th, I received the Student Excellence Award for Music Education from Kutztown University's College of Visual and Performing Arts. This award is given through nomination by a faculty and the music department. Only one student in each department receives this award each year.
David Bilger Graduation Scholarship
This Scholarship is granted to graduating Music Education students who studied. saxophone at Kutztown University. The recipient is someone who is considered a leading musician and educator in the Kutztown University Music Department.
Sword of Honor
The Sword of Honor is given to sisters of Sigma Alpha Iota by their chapter. It is in recognition of dedication and service to the chapter and the fraternity. I received this from my collegiate sisters of Mu Zeta chapter at Kutztown University.
Trollinger Music Educators Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to one junior Music Education major at Kutztown University who is recognized by peers and faculty as a leader within the music department. This scholarship is received through nomination by a faculty member and is approved by the music department faculty each year.
Richard G. Wells Jazz Band Scholarship
This scholarship is given to returning KU students who exemplify the standards of musicianship, including leadership skills, improvisation skills, and participation in the jazz ensembles at KU. I received this scholarship for both my junior and senior years at Kutztown.
Reid F. Lessig Scholarship for Bands
The Reid F. Lessig scholarship is given through the Graduate Organization of bands for the 2018-2019 school year. This scholarship is given each year to two dedicated and hard-working freshmen music majors involved in multiple bands at Kutztown University.
Sydney Has a Sister Scholarship
I earned the Sydney has a Sister Scholarship as a senior in high school in 2017 from the non-profit by the same name. This scholarship is awarded to seniors who have a sibling on the autism spectrum. The scholarship is awarded based on scholastic merit and need. The application process included an essay, video response regarding the sibling with autism, and recommendations from teachers. Everyday I am thankful for my brother; applying for this scholarship was a, "no-brainer" and I am thankful they chose me as one of the recipients.
Alpha Delta Epsilon Scholarship
The ADE scholarship is awarded to the children of members of Alpha Delta Epsilon which was a local fraternity at Rutgers University. They support the educational endeavors of members and their children. Both of my parents are members of the ADE. The fraternity has been quite generous having provided me with a scholarship for each year of study in my undergrad and my masters degree. I am very thankful for their continued support and faith in me as a student and educator.