UFASAC

Article written by:
Deja Criston-UTeach Theatre ’21
Juan Leyva – UTeach Theatre ’21

 

On May 1, 2020, UTeach Fine Arts students, faculty, administrators, cooperating teachers, field supervisors, and friends came together to celebrate an extraordinary year and to congratulate all of the graduating students. To welcome in our guests we invited Butler School of Music alumni Javier Jara to play live music as people joined into the conference call. UTeach Fine Arts Student Advisory Council Co-Chairs Deja Criston and Juan Leyva then started with opening remarks and Zoom etiquette. Uteach Fine Arts Director Roxanne Schroeder-Arce then offered the first recognition of the night– to the UTeach class of 2020 with a special honoring and acknowledgment of first-generation UTeach students. 

With the Zoom breakout session feature, UTeach Fine Arts Student Advisory Council members facilitated small groups to allow guests to introduce themselves across disciplines and promote a sense of familiarity and community building. Introduced by UTeach Music senior Stone Wang, Dean Doug Dempster made a memorable appearance with a decorative mask and iconic hat, delivering a strong and uplifting speech to the UTeach graduates. 

Special guests were also an integral part of the evening. Chris Ford, Director of the Baltimore School for the Arts, was the keynote speaker of the event and he shared his experiences and student success in the fine arts. His words of wisdom had a profound and lasting impression on everyone at the event. Based on nominations by UT fine arts faculty for a teacher who demonstrates dedication to their students, and has been teaching in their field of study for at least five years with a preference to Title One educators, the Outstanding Educator Award was presented for the second year. Through careful consideration and great pleasure, the recipient of this award was Dr. Yvonne Cortes, nominated by her mentor Laurie Scott. Dr.Yvonne Cortes received her Ph.D. from the Music & Human Learning program from the Butler School of Music and is the Orchestra Director at CD Fulkes Middle School in Round Rock. She has been with Fulkes Middle School for the past 9 years and is currently the Director of the Austin Youth Orchestra Academy Concertante. It is through her example that we are reminded of the hard work and the positive influence that fine arts educators have on their students. She shared her personal story and one of her students virtually performed a musical piece for the event. 

Followed by the award Javier Jara performed live music serving as a sweet transition into an introduction by Indya McKnight of our community partners at  CEDFA and the Texas Cultural Trust. The First Year Teacher Grant will provide a one time reward in the amount of $1,500. Eligibility requires that applicants are going into their first year as a public school teacher, under contract with a Title 1 campus, and are TEA certified as an arts educator. This grant is intended to help alleviate costs associated with completing the first year as a teacher that can fund professional development, classroom enrichment, school supplies, field trips, and additional resources to enhance the quality of arts education. To further promote and encourage the significance of Texas Arts Education, a video of UTeach Fine Arts alumni was premiered to the attendees. With the support of the Dean, a website has been in development to introduce high school students to a potential career in Fine Arts Education. 

As the evening was coming to a close, it came time for the class of 2020 to open a gift sent out by the council. It was a special moment where only the seniors were seen on the call, revealing UTeach swag. A student from each discipline then expressed their appreciation towards faculty through a heartfelt speech. A big congratulations was once again given to these students as they had finally completed their UTeach career at the university and are now teachers and thanks to everyone who contributed with their presence to make this night memorable for all! The evening concluded with everyone singing the UT school song “The Eyes of Texas” accompanied by UTeach music student AJ Marks. 

The event provided an opportunity to honor and acknowledge the hard work of our seniors, staff, and faculty. Despite the hardships we are facing through what has been a wild semester, we were allowed the opportunity to connect as classmates, educators, and friends one last time this Spring.