The Fred J. Miller Family presented a $1,000 scholarship to Benjamin Clemons from Victor J. Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Illinois.
Clemons grew up surrounded by music and music educators, as both of his parents are music educators. However, it wasn’t until high school that Clemons became inspired to become a music educator. In his scholarship essay, he wrote that being a section leader gave him insight into becoming a music teacher. He enjoyed teaching a group and pushing them to meet their goals. Clemons says he aspires to be a teacher who has a vast array of musical knowledge and technique, someone who is an effective communicator and, most importantly, a teacher with the ability to inspire his students to keep music in their lives.
“Ben has all the talents and qualities that you would expect to see in a fellow educator,” Mr. Mark Iwinski, Victor J. Andrew High School’s band director, says. “He will be a fine teacher and an excellent trumpet player because he recognizes high quality performances and is inspired by great musicians and educators.”
