For Immediate Release
Contact: Catherina Hurlburt at NAfME
catherinah@nafme.org or (571) 323-3395

National Association for Music Education Awards
Shannon Kelly Kane Scholarships to
AJ Gonzales of San José State University and
Maggie Ward of University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign

RESTON, VA (October 4, 2021) – The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) honored AJ Gonzales of San José State University and Maggie Ward of University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, as the recipients of the 2021 Shannon Kelly Kane Scholarship. AJ and Maggie were presented the scholarships on September 13, 2021, in a virtual awards ceremony with NAfME leadership and members. The Shannon Kelly Kane Scholarship was created by Shannon’s family and friends in coordination with NAfME to honor her exemplary life and her love of teaching music. The scholarship award is open to current NAfME Collegiate members, who have been nominated for NAfME Collegiate Professional Achievement Recognition.

“Music teacher recruitment and preparation continues to be a critical focus at NAfME, and to see future music educators lead the efforts to recruit and support other music education majors is inspiring.”

“Music teacher recruitment and preparation continues to be a critical focus at NAfME, and to see future music educators lead the efforts to recruit and support other music education majors is inspiring,” Dr. Mackie V. Spradley, NAfME President and Board Chair stated. “I join with the National Executive Board and the family of Shannon Kelly Kane in celebrating the accomplishments of these new leaders and encourage them to continue to use their influence to elevate music education for everyone.”

AJ Gonzales is the lead on the Advocacy Committee of the San José State University NAfME Collegiate chapter. “AJ helped organize department-wide town halls, hosted a state-wide advocacy summit that drew in students from other California NAfME Collegiate chapters, launched a series of panel discussions entitled ‘Hear Me’ to amplify marginalized voices, and is hosting a book club,” shared NAfME Collegiate Chapter Advisor Dr. Diana Hollinger. “These efforts span across the department and include faculty as well as students, and the committee is on track to continue as a permanent part of our Department, due to the effectiveness of his work.”

Maggie Ward is the NAfME Collegiate Chapter President at University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Maggie led her chapter in welcoming 26 new members during the 2020–21 school year, providing online events for new members to establish friendships with each other and current chapter members. She also organized a freshman picnic on the campus “quad” where new members could meet existing members safely in-person (socially distanced, outside, and masked). She also organized a benefit concert with a local organization that provides free or reduced group or individual music lessons which reached 800 people and brought in $800 to help school-aged students in financial need. Maggie coordinated a question-and-answer panel for first-year music teachers, a resume-building workshop, and other student-run musical events.

“Maggie’s dedication to the field of music education and to our collegiate NAfME chapter is a model of strong leadership for chapters across the country,” said NAfME Collegiate Chapter Advisor Dr. Donna Gallo.

Learn about past recipients of the Shannon Kelly Kane Scholarship, NAfME Collegiate Chapter of Excellence Recognition, and NAfME Collegiate Professional Achievement Awards. To learn more about the NAfME Collegiate program, visit nafme.org/collegiate.

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National Association for Music Education, among the world’s largest arts education organizations, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. NAfME advocates at the local, state, and national levels; provides resources for teachers, parents, and administrators; hosts professional development events; and offers a variety of opportunities for students and teachers. The Association has supported music educators at all teaching levels for more than a century. With more than 60,000 members teaching millions of students nationwide, the organization is the national voice of music education in the United States.

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