MENC: The National Association for Music Education Announces Recipients of Fourth Annual Memorial Scholarships Caitlin Merie Hurrey Memorial Scholarship Named in Memory of Budding Musician RESTON, VA (July 24, 2007) — Four recipients were named in the fourth annual Caitlin Merie Hurrey Memorial Scholarship awards, established as part of the Fund for the Advancement of Music Education (FAME) of MENC: The National Association for Music Education. Caitlin Hurrey was nine years old and in the fourth grade at Huntingtown Elementary School in Huntingtown, Maryland when she died. She loved to play in the band, sing in the chorus, and wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. The Caitlin Scholarship Fund provides four scholarships each year. The first is awarded to a high school senior who is planning to attend an accredited college of university and has a personal connection to Huntingtown Elementary School (parent, student, family member, etc.). The next is awarded to a son or daughter of an MENC member who is planning to attend an accredited college or university. The third is a professional grant awarded to a college senior and member of MENC’s Collegiate program. A fourth scholarship, added this year, is presented to a son or daughter of a member of an U.S. armed forces musical ensemble. The recipient of the Caitlin Merie Hurrey Memorial Huntingtown Scholarship is Tara O’Toole, daughter of Raymond and Patricia O’Toole, of Huntingtown, Maryland. An alumna of Huntingtown Elementary, Tara graduated from Huntingtown High School in May of this year with a cumulative grade point average of 107.85%. Tara has been involved in many theatre and choral performances at her high school and is a member of the International Thespian Society and the eye of the Storm Productions Theatre Company. Her teacher, Derek Anderson, writes, “She has captured many lead roles in our shows because of her unflinching confidence to go out on a limb with her characters. She applies this to all she does.” Tara will attend the University of Mary Washington in the fall to study mathematics and secondary education. Read about Tara O’Toole and the Caitlin Merie Hurrey Fund as reported by The Calvert Reporter. The recipient of the Caitlin Merie Hurrey Memorial MENC Scholarship is Amanda Hall, the daughter of Michael and Robin Hall, of Levittown, NY. Robin Hall is a member of MENC. Amanda graduated from Island Trees High School this year ranking 29th in a class of 251. Amanda is an accomplished musician and performer, being the principal violinist for the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and the Kammermusick Chamber Orchestra. She is an active member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society and served as Co-President this year. Ryan MacPherson, Amanda’s guidance counselor, writes, “Whether it is playing an instrument, singing, dancing, or performing in the school play, Amanda can do it all. She is nothing short of amazing.” Amanda plans to study music education and performance at SUNY Fredonia. The recipient of the Caitlin Merie Hurrey Memorial Collegiate Scholarship is Molly Tittler, a recent graduate of Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, where she earned a B.S. (Cum Laude) in music education and was a member of Collegiate MENC. Molly’s musical achievements are numerous; she received the William Lawrence Honors Recital award and the Hofstra Music Grant, and she performed with the Hofstra Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble and the Opera Theatre. Nathalie Robinson, the Director of Music Education at Hofstra, writes, “[Molly] is an outstanding student, musician and person. I anticipate that she will become an exceptional musician educator also. I am proud that she will become my colleague in the field of music education.” Molly anticipates the completion of her New York State Provisional Certification in Music this year. The recipient of the 1st annual Caitlin Merie Hurrey Memorial Military Music Scholarship is Jeremy A. Riffle, son of Randall and Theresa Riffle of Annapolis, MD. Jeremy’s father is a clarinetist with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band; Jeremy attributes his love of music to his father and mother, both musicians and educators. In addition to being an accomplished cellist, performing with the Rockbridge Academy Theatre Orchestra and the Salisbury University Chorale, Jeremy is also an honor student. He is a member of the Salisbury University Bellavance Honors Program, the Salisbury University Honor Student Association and the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society. Jeremy attends Salisbury University and studies political science and music. “I am delighted and very thankful to MENC for supporting Caitlin’s scholarship fund. This scholarship fund will honor Caitlin’s name and provide needed financial assistance to students for many years to come,” says Earl Hurrey, MENC Assistant Executive Director and Caitlin’s father. For more information about MENC, call 1-800-336-3768, or visit www.menc.org. MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the world’s largest arts education organization, celebrates its centennial in 2007 as the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. More than 130,000 members represent all levels of teaching from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, MENC has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. MENC’s activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education. ###
