Israel Gonzalez Announced as "MFE Scholar" Recipient for 2013

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Israel Gonzalez and Emma Noble, 2013 Music for Everyone Scholarship recipients

MILLERSVILLE, PA (03/07/2013)(readMedia)-- Music For Everyone (MFE) announced the scholarship recipients for 2013: Israel Gonzalez, a sophomore from Lancaster, Pa., and Emma Noble, a sophomore from Wernersville, Pa. Gonzalez is a distinguished music education major at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. Along with a $2,500 scholarship award to help fund his music education, during his 2013 spring semester at Millersville, Gonzalez will be co-teaching alongside Georgia Katsourides, '09 Millersville alum and music instructor at Buchanan Elementary School.

"I am looking forward to being able to collaborate with a fellow colleague to effectively and creatively bring out critical thinking and musicianship from the students," said Gonzalez, clarinet.

The program benefited Katsourides last year when she had two MFE scholarship recipients from Millersville, Paula Batdorf and David Mengel, placed in her classroom to co-teach. "The two students created an after-school music club for fifth graders. The fifth graders enjoyed working with both MFE recipients and would often share with me what they had been practicing. Overall, it was a valuable and beneficial partnership and a learning experience for everyone involved, including myself," Katsourides said.

John Gerdy, president of MFE, believes one of the effects of declining funding for school music programs is a larger student-to-teacher ratio. "Placing Millersville music education majors in schools to work alongside teachers and directly with students is helping to improve that ratio," Gerdy said. "It's a clear win-win: A scholarship for a future music teacher and an improved music education opportunity for our children."

MFE, a local non-profit organization dedicated to cultivating the power of music in Lancaster County, has funded scholarships for music students at Millersville University since 2010. The "MFE Scholars" program financially supports two Millersville University music education students in exchange for the time they commit to volunteering in classrooms with music teachers in the School District of Lancaster.

For more information on MFE, contact Gerdy at 717-871-1710 or visit www.musicforeveryone.net.

Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a top-ranked, public university located in the northeast region of the United States. It is committed to offering students a high quality, comprehensive university experience of exceptional value. Dedicated to providing nationally recognized programs that embrace the liberal arts, Millersville offers academic opportunities that are supported by outstanding faculty who are accomplished scholars and practitioners. Founded in 1855 as the first Normal School in Pennsylvania, Millersville University is one of 14 universities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.