During my sixteenth years as a music educator, I also taught English, theatre, and visual arts, and co-authored a five-year arts grant to infuse music and local artists into the curriculum, culminating in the Governor’s Arts Award for the district. Other honors include The Whole Schools Project Institute and 2013 Yale Distinguished Music Educator of the Year. My additional training includes The DuBard Symposium, University of Southern Mississippi; Rankin County School District’s Title I Summer Conference; Texas Choral Director’s Association Conference; Lakeshore Choral Camp Teacher Training; and American Choral Director’s Association/MSMEA Conference. I currently serve as the President of the High School Division of the Mississippi Music Educators Conference and have served on the state board for four prior years. My educational philosophy is to encourage the development of talent, creative expression, and passion for the arts of each student by teaching skills and theory, encouraging critical thinking and production, and exposing students to various genres and cultures in order to build self-esteem and self-discipline through a strong work ethic, commitment, and teamwork.