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Michael H. White

Title: Owner, President

Company: Memory of Tom Powell Post Golden Knights

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Management Information Systems, Tokyo College (1985)

Career History: Owner/President, Memory of Tom Powell Post Golden Knights (2008-Present); Engineer Analyst; System Administrator; With AT&T

Michael H. White, Owner and President at Memory of Tom Powell Post Golden Knights, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the fields of education, music, and philanthropy.

For more than a decade, Mr. White has dedicated himself to helping the youth through his organization of the Memory of Tom Powell Post Golden Knights, a nonprofit foundation based in St. Louis, Missouri whose mission is to assist young people and adults in counseling, music education, learning new skills, and preventing substance abuse, among other goals. Having played in drum and bugle corps through high school, he takes great pride in visiting public schools and teaching students how to read and play music, assisting band directors, and helping people of all ages to participate and march in parades, concerts, shows, and other events within the local community.

The group, which now has between 25 and 30 members, has roots that trace back to 1919 when Tom Powell Post #77 became the first Black American Legion Post and was ultimately chartered by Congress as well. Its namesake was an Army messenger during World War I, who enlisted in an all-Black regiment after he was initially rejected by Army recruiters; he was ultimately killed in France while carrying messages. The first Drum Crop was established in 1935, which branched off into several other groups, including American Woodmen Cadets, Page Park Cadets, and Golden Knights Drum Line. Donations to the group primarily go toward helping underprivileged children.

A gifted musician and educator within music programs, Mr. White has also deeply valued hard work and learning as many things as he could—among his many areas of expertise are bookkeeping, accounting, income taxes, management, and leadership. He served for many years as a system administrator and an engineer analyst; in fact, he wrote the very first income tax software that hit the market in 1978 and wrote codes for airplanes in Egypt. In 1985, he earned a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Tokyo College. However, since shifting gears and focusing on music education full-time, he considers his most rewarding accomplishment to be teaching children and marching with them.

Looking toward the future, Mr. White hopes to eventually retire, travel, and spend time with his family, including his wife, five children, and grandchildren.

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Arcemio T. Smith

NAME: Arcemio T. Smith

Title: Music Enrichment Teacher                              

Company: Judson Fundamental Magnet Elementary

Education: Master’s Degree in Music Education, Centenary College (2018);

Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance, Grambling State University, Grambling, LA (2010)

Career History: Founder, Cemitone Music and Arts Inc. (2021-Present);

Music Enrichment Teacher, Judson Fundamental Magnet Elementary (2017-Present);

With, Caddo Middle Career and Technology School, Shreveport, LA;

Itinerant Band Director, Oak Park Elementary School (Two Years);

Substitute Teacher (One Year)

Arcemio T. Smith, Music Enrichment Teacher at Judson Fundamental Magnet Elementary, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of education.

An accomplished musician from a young age and a natural educator, Mr. Smith combines his passions to bolster creative talent and energy in students spanning various ages. Since 2017, he has excelled as a music enrichment teacher at Judson Fundamental Magnet Elementary in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he was recognized as Teacher of the Year in 2021. That same year he also founded a nonprofit after-school band program for fourth through eighth graders called Cemitone Music and Arts Program, Inc., where he teaches wind instruments, including the flute and trumpet. In addition to his primary services, he provides piano accompaniment to Praise Temple Full Gospel Baptist Church, plays the baritone, trombone, and euphonium, among several other instruments, and produces music for singers.

Prior to these appointments, Mr. Smith gained experience as a substitute teacher for a year, served as an itinerant band director at Oak Park Elementary School for two, and was affiliated with Caddo Middle Career & Technology School. In preparation for his professional journey, he earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Grambling State University in 2010 and both a master’s degree in music education and teaching certification from Centenary College in 2018.

Born and raised in Shreveport, he had an early interest in music and took piano lessons; outside of developing his love and abilities as a pianist, he gravitated toward the idea of teaching when his own teacher philosophized that “it is doubtful” one has playing skills if he or she is unable to explain them. A faith-driven man, he believes his skills as a player and ability to pass his expertise down to the next generation are God-given gifts. He also had a strong support system in his parents and similarly creative brother, a playwright with screenwriting aspirations—while Mr. Smith strives to one day create the scores for films.

In the midst of teaching at Judson, he often thought of his longtime dream to own and operate his own music school, which he was ultimately able to organize and put into motion over the course of quarantine. The launch of the Cemitone Music and Arts Program has been a crowning achievement in his extremely productive career. Looking toward the future, he strives to acquire a proper building for the nonprofit and advance to an administrative position at the elementary school, as well as producing more music and playing at events.

Judson Fundamental Magnet Elementary

Cemitone Music and Arts Inc.

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Bethany K. Peterson

Title: 1) Environmental Services Worker 2) Agent

Company: 1) Sanford Health 2) Amway

Location: Bemidji, MN

Education: AA in Performance, Bemidji State University (2017); Coursework, Sharon Mennonite Bible Institute (2004); Master Degree Coursework; Associate Degree Coursework in Violin, Teaching and Piano

Career History: Agent, Amway (2022-Present); Environmental Services Worker, Same Day Surgery, Sanford Health (2005-Present); Housecleaner (1999-Present), Joe Lueken (1999-2004); Violin and Piano Teacher, Private Practice; With, Local Strawberry Patch, John Lauderbaugh

Bethany K. Peterson, Environmental Services Worker at Sanford Health and Agent at Amway, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of health care.

Attributing her success to a strong foundation through her faith in God, dedication to the church, and her parents, who valued the importance of homeschooling, Ms. Peterson has worked hard across numerous industries, including education—hoping to one day achieve her dream of becoming a full-time teacher. A violin and piano instructor through a private practice, a house cleaner since 1999, and an environmental services worker at Sanford Health since 2005, she also joined Amway as an agent in May 2022, where she continues to build her skills. In addition to her primary roles, she has volunteered as a teacher at a Sunday school through Richwood Baptist Church and is a choir member who has performed in France, Switzerland, Germany, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Grenada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada.

Ms. Peterson has studied associate degree-level coursework in violin, teaching, and piano, master’s degree coursework, and then completed coursework at Sharon Mennonite Bible Institute in 2004. In 2017, she earned an Associate of Arts in performance from Bemidji State University. She considers one of the highlights of her career to be working 52 hours a week while attending a specialized school for a year, competing with all the other students. While she has always had a passion for music, she found it difficult to put in the time to practice in the midst of her other responsibilities. Her goal is to complete her degrees and begin to teach children, which she has always felt a calling to do.

As she continues on her professional journey, Ms. Peterson will be guided by her motto to “Have God first in everything because then everything else will prosper.”

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Eric R. Ocheretyaner, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP

Title: Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Company: Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, LIU Pharmacy

Location: Livingston, NJ

Education: PharmD, Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Long Island University (2015)

Career History: Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Long Island University (2017-Present); Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacist, St. Barnabas Hospital, SBH Health System, Bronx, NY (2017)

Eric R. Ocheretyaner, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, LIU Pharmacy, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of health care.

Dedicated to excellence and advancing in his profession, Dr. Ocheretyaner has combined his expertise in infectious disease pharmacy, compassion for patients, and education at Long Island University since 2017. In his role as assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the institution’s Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy, he teaches on-campus and at a hospital site; works with multidisciplinary teams, such as physicians and nurses, to come up with the most effective treatment plans for patients; and educates and mentors pharmacy and medical residents. Prior to this post, he served as an infectious disease clinical pharmacist at St. Barnabas Hospital within the SBH Health System for a year and previously gained experience in the field as a pharmacy intern at Rite Aid from 2012 to 2015 and a resident in PGY-1 pharmacy practice and PGY-2 infectious diseases pharmacy practice at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University between 2015 and 2017.

Outside of these primary endeavors, Dr. Ocheretyaner developed in his field through numerous avenues, from volunteering at pop-up vaccination and diabetes prevention events on behalf of Walgreens and the American Diabetes Association, respectively, to conducting a blood pressure screening at the Jacob Javits Center. He has also participated in a drug take-back event at Staten Island University Hospital South in 2013, supported brown bag events at the Brooklyn Hospital Center and Educational Alliance and Older Adult Services, and served as a medical van assistant for different causes, in 2014, and most recently acted as an education outreach member regarding COVID-19 at the Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center in 2020; that same year, he won a grant related to the coronavirus through a competitive grant program. As the pandemic continued, he was active throughout 2021 as a presenter on the topic as well as other pharmaceutical matters across virtual meetings within the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. In addition, he has contributed articles to numerous professional journals within his field.

Recognized for his excellence and passion for what he does before he even obtained a degree, Dr. Ocheretyaner, while a student at the Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, earned a Pharmacy Rising Freshman Spring Award in 2010, a Pharmacy Dean’s Award for 2010 and 2011, and a Pharmacy Academic Incentive Award between 2009 and 2013. He has also been honored with a Pharmacy Scholars Award from 2010 to 2013, a Dean’s Scholarship, and a Graduate Excellence Award. In 2014, he won first place in a Pharmacy Clinical Skills Competition held by Long Island University. But, in his eyes, the greatest reward was graduating in 2015 with a Doctor of Pharmacy and subsequently becoming an academic professor. While in pharmacy school, he wanted to pursue residency training and be directly involved in the care of patients, and he enjoyed teaching and academia as well. He has found it rewarding to be able to encourage students to be involved in academic projects. Over the course of his professional life, he has been directly connected to his industry as a member of the New York State Council of Health-System Pharmacists, Infectious Diseases Practice and Research Network within the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, American Society for Microbiology, and Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Looking ahead, Dr. Ocheretyaner hopes to continue to progress and advance in his career and ultimately be promoted to higher-level positions in academia. Additionally, he strives to continue to conduct the research he’s currently involved with.

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Hannah Mallette

Title: Music Teacher

Company: Pascagoula-Gautier School District

Location: Long Beach, MS

Education: BME, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MI, with High Honors (2017)

Career History: Music Teacher, Pre-k-4th Grade, Pascagoula-Gautier School District (2018-Present)

Hannah Mallette, Music Teacher at Pascagoula-Gautier School District, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of education.

Growing up in a family of church musicians and singers in Mississippi, Ms. Mallette has been surrounded by songs since the day she was born. Her passion and inspiration for music carried her throughout her youth and while in high school, she developed an interest in performing in the band program. Proving to be a gifted player, she auditioned and was selected among the top 10 students across different schools to join the honor band, for which she learned music over the course of a couple of days and put on concerts across the state, and even in Germany and Austria with the Mississippi Lions Band, and worked with several conductors. It was an experience that exposed her to musicianship on a higher level of artistry. There was one concert she will never forget. She and the band were playing for somebody who was retiring; it was an extremely lyrical piece of music that made everybody immediately emotional. It was the first time she realized she was capable of doing that that to an entire room through her performance. That day changed her and set her on the course of devoting her career to music.

Upon graduating from high school, and being honored with the John Philip Sousa Band Award in 2013, Ms. Mallette earned a Bachelor of Music Education with high honors from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2017. The following year, she launched her career as a music teacher to pre-K to fourth-grade students at Eastlawn Elementary School within the Pascagoula-Gautier School District, where she remains today—teaching 16 classes weekly and also serving as elementary music co-chair. In addition to her main roles within the district, she has found joy in collaborating with the director of the Pascagoula High School Choir to put on a production of “Beauty and the Beast,” serving as the stage manager for the show. For this effort, she was able to bring in some of the elementary school students and others from throughout the district to be featured and make the production as expansive as possible. Looking ahead, they are striving to continue putting on more musicals. In 2021, she was a presenter at Tech Camp for Teachers, hosted by her district, and this past summer, she obtained Orff Schulwerk Certification Level 1 for Music Teachers, a very hands-on methodology of teaching music—delving into the fundamentals of “imitation, exploration, improvisation, and composition”—that she loves. Ms. Mallette has been a member of the University of Southern Mississippi Horn Octet, with whom she performed at the 46th International Horn Symposium in London, England.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning, and safety protocols in-person, Ms. Mallette was instrumental in organizing a live talent show by having performers socially distanced across the cafeteria and live-streaming the show to all the classrooms, with all the doors open so that students could cheer on everyone performing. As a further effort, she planned a special surprise for all teachers at the school at the end of the show; the live stream switched to a “Thank You” song that every student had been taught. Hearing the echoes of the students singing throughout the building was a career highlight. “Even in a time we were so separated, we all felt together again for a bit,” she said. In recognition of her invaluable impact on the school district, she was named Eastlawn Elementary Teacher of the Year and Pascagoula-Gautier School District Teacher of the Year in 2021. Dedicated to her field, she is a proud member of the National Association for Music Educators, Mississippi Music Educators Association, and Mississippi Orff Chapter #100 of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association.

Reflecting on her career so far, Ms. Mallette says it has been her primary goal to pass on the amazing experiences she had in the school band to young people. For her, the students make everything worth it.

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Tiona D. Harris

Title: Adjunct Professor, Creative Writer

Company: Passaic County Community College

Location: New Jersey

Education: MSA in Creative & Professional Writing, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ (2022);

BA in Psychology and English Writing, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ (2017-2020);

AS in Psychology, Community College, (2017)

Career History: Graduate Resident Director, William Paterson University (will start in 8/2022);

Adjunct Professor, Passaic County Community College (6/2022-Present);

Mentor, Center for Diversity & Inclusion, William Paterson University (2021-2022);

Mary Kay Consultant, (2020-2021);

Program Coordinator, Community Charter School of Paterson (2020-Present);

Youth Development Specialist, Community Charter School of Paterson (2018-Present);

Student Caller, Ruffalo Noel Levitz, William Paterson University (2017-2019)

Tiona D. Harris, Adjunct Professor and Creative Writer at Passaic County Community College, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of education.

Attributing much of the success of her already-accomplished career to her parents, Ms. Harris was encouraged from a young age to want the best for herself and explore as many avenues as possible. Guided by her professional aspirations, she earned an Associate in Science in psychology from a community college in 2017—after which she pursued further education at William Paterson University in her hometown in New Jersey. It was here that she set her sights on what she wanted to do—help shape the minds of young people as an educator—and ultimately obtained a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and English writing in 2020. In the midst of her studies, she gained experience as a student caller for two years and began working part-time at the Community Charter School of Paterson, where she has served as a youth development specialist since 2018 and a program coordinator since 2020.

Between 2020 and 2022, Ms. Harris has also been active as a consultant for Mary Kay Inc., a mentor at the Center for Diversity & Inclusion at William Paterson University, and became an adjunct professor at Passaic County Community College. Additionally, she serves as the graduate resident director at William Paterson University and recently acquired a Master of Science in Administration in creative and professional writing from the institution—for which she wrote a 217-page manuscript. Across her numerous positions, she considers it incredibly rewarding to be able to guide students, keep them engaged, and help them navigate their lives. She strives each and every day to be the educational figure she wished she had at their age; filling this role “means a lot” to her, she said. Looking ahead, Ms. Harris hopes to continue to do this as a licensed professional counselor, through which she can provide therapy for people within her community, especially young adolescent girls. Utilizing her skills and expertise as a writer, she wants to author a self-help guide as well as fiction books within the genre of dark and urban romance.

Outside of these main responsibilities, Ms. Harris lent her artistry and volunteer services to “Painting with a Purpose” at the Redeem Fellowship Center, a community church in the city of Prospect, in 2017.  On the civic front, she also contributes as director of the youth choir at the Caring Development Ministry. Remaining aware of developments in her field, she maintains membership with Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology and the National Society of Leadership and Success. Ms. Harris additionally attributes her success to Hilda Martinez, a licensed professional counselor, Wolany Gonell, and Myranda Barreau.

Speaking to young people with dreams and other budding professionals, Ms. Harris encouraged them, “Don’t be afraid to express your mind. Don’t live in silence, don’t cage your voice. Remember that the very thing you might think is insignificant or foolish could be the very thing that saves someone’s life.”

LinkedIn

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Jacob V. Carriero

NAME: Jacob V. Carriero

Title: Teacher

Company: Mascotte Charter Elementary School

Location: Mascotte Charter, FL

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management, Niagara University (2017); Associate Degree in Communications and Media Arts, Erie Community College (2015)

Career History: Physical Education Teacher, Mascotte Charter Elementary School (2020-Present); Customer Service Representative, Publix Super Markets (2022); Recreation Attendant, Exploria Resorts (2021); Teacher Assistant, Mascotte Charter Elementary School (2019-2020); Paralegal Assistant, Holland & Knight LLP (2019); Manager in Development, The Club at Ibis (2018); Pool Snack Bar Supervisor, New York Athletic Club (2017); Food and Beverage Intern, Fenway Golf Club (2016); General Lawn Maintenance, Erie Community College (2013-2015); Admissions Personnel, Erie County Fair (2011-2015)

Jacob V. Carriero, Physical Education Teacher at Mascotte Charter Elementary School, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leaders for their contributions and achievements in the fields of education and fitness.

Since 2020, Mr. Carriero has excelled in his role at Mascotte Charter within the Lake County Schools in Florida, where he managed virtual activities for his students throughout quarantine. In person, he coaches and guides classes of up to 50 students at a time, ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade. He sets age-appropriate fitness goals; provides drug prevention lessons; and coordinates the school’s early morning walking and running club. Focused on bringing positivity, fun, and important life values—such as responsibility and working as a team—to the kids in his class, his emergence as an impactful educator comes as no surprise, given a lifelong dedication to helping others and athletic excellence.

Raised in a loving family in Buffalo, New York, Mr. Carriero pursued his associate degree in communications at Erie Community College. While earning his degree, he served the college’s maintenance team. He felt this was an appropriate way to give back to his school by contributing to its beauty. He continued his education at Niagara University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management in 2017–all the while working jobs at country clubs. Climbing the ladder at the Fenway Golf Club, New York Athletic Club, and The Club at Ibis, he loved socializing and communicating with the members, visitors, and staff—but sought something more rewarding. By 2019, he was serving as a paralegal assistant at Holland & Knight LLP and a teacher assistant at Mascotte Charter School; in the latter position, he fell in love with the classroom environment and working with the students. The feeling would prove to be mutual, as a year into his full-time designation as a physical education teacher, he was honored as a top-three finalist for Lake County Schools’ Rookie Teacher of the Year in 2021—which he considers a career highlight. He takes great pride in the fact that the students go to him if there are any issues; he knows them all by name, their siblings, families, and which cars they need to be picked up in after school.

Outside of his primary role, Mr. Carriero also recently served as a part-time recreation attendant at Exploria Resorts and a customer service representative at Publix Super Markets in early 2022. Looking toward the near future, he strives to expand the school’s opportunities for students by designing STEM lessons, creating an intramurals program, and implementing classroom content into his physical education lessons.

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Miaka Kemp

Title: Band Director

Company: Brooks County High School

Location: Valdosta, GA

Education: BM in Music Education, Cum Laude, The University of Georgia (2021)

Career History: Band Director, Brooks County High School (2021-Present); Facility Rental Assistant, State Botanical Garden of Georgia (2019-2021); Band Camp Instructor, Hart County High School (2019); Teacher, The String Project (2018)

Miaka Kemp, Band Director at Brooks County High School, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of education.

A gifted teacher and musician, Ms. Kemp has excelled in “striking up the band” in her role at Brooks County High School in Georgia, where she educates, guides students in expressing themselves through music, and directs members of the marching band—preparing them to perform during football games and beyond. In the role since 2021, she enjoys spreading her passion for music to young people, helping them to develop their skills, find value in making music together, and get better every day. Playing music herself in middle and high school was life-changing and inspiring, so much so that she wished to devote her career to extending that experience and paying it forward to future generations.

Prior to landing her current position, Ms. Kemp balanced a part-time job as a facility rental assistant at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, where she worked from 2019 to 2021, and being a student at the University of Georgia, where she ultimately graduate cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education in 2021. While in pursuit of her degree, she established herself by serving as the rank leader of the university’s marching band and chair of the Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity. To this day, she works with the Redcoat Band Alumni Association, which is preparing for its 50th anniversary. Additional past experience includes being a band camp instructor at Hart County High School and a teacher with the String Project—which specializes in violins, violas, and cellos.

This upcoming fall, Ms. Kemp plans to prepare her marching band to perform against other bands at a variety of competitions across the state and eventually hopes to take the ensemble to nationally acclaimed festivals, such as the Georgia Music Educators Association Conference. Most of all, she wants to continue providing a place for students at school where they can feel good and creative. When Ms. Kemp isn’t shaping young minds in the music room, she enjoys playing clarinet in a local community band and a game of Dungeons & Dragons.

 

 

 

 

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Eric R. Ocheretyaner, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP

Title: Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Company: Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, LIU Pharmacy

Location: Livingston, NJ

Education: Residency in PGY-2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Practice, SUNY Downstate Medical Center (2016-2017);

Residency in PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice, SUNY Downstate Medical Center (2015-2016);

Internship in Pharmacy, Rite Aid Pharmacy (2012-2015);

PharmD, Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Long Island University (2015)

Career History: Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, LIU Pharmacy (2017-Present)

Eric R. Ocheretyaner, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at LIU Pharmacy, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of public health.

Driven to succeed and build his profession, Dr. Ocheretyaner has served as an academic professor of pharmacy practice at the Arnold & Marie Schwarz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, a graduate school of Long Island University, since 2017. He teaches on campus and in hospitals, educates pharmacy and medical residents, and regularly works with multidisciplinary teams, such as physicians and nurses, to develop the best treatment plans for patients. Board-certified in infectious diseases pharmacy and a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist, he is a gifted speaker on his expertise in infectious disease pharmacy across many professional meetings and platform presentations, has authored numerous publications in the field, and also lends his services to numerous charity causes at the hospital site where he practices.

Over the course of his robust educational journey, Dr. Ocheretyaner earned a Doctor of Pharmacy from the institution in 2015. Going through schooling, he knew he always wanted to pursue residency training and be directly involved in the patients’ care. In the midst of his studies, he completed an internship in pharmacy at Rite Aid, and then afterward, a residency in PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice and a PGY-2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Practice at SUNY Downstate Medical Center between 2015 and 2017. He also had an affinity for teaching; as a student, he was always interested in academia and sees his current post as an accomplishment of that initial goal.

A recipient of numerous awards from his alma mater and a grant from Pfizer, Dr. Ocheretyaner has been a dedicated member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Looking toward the future, he hopes to continue to advance in his career and ultimately be promoted to higher-level positions in academia, keep conducting research, and encourage his students to be involved in academic projects.

 

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Kayla Rose Krapf

Title: Music Teacher

Company: Christopher Unit School District #99

Location: Christopher, IL

Education: Pursuing Master’s Degree in Music Education, Eastern Illinois University;

Bachelor’s Degree, Eastern Illinois University, Summa Cum Laude (2018);

Associate in Music Education, John A. Logan College, Carterville, IL (2015)

Career History: Music Teacher, Christopher Unit School District #99 (2019-Present);

With, Shiloh CUSD 1, Hume, IL

Kayla Rose Krapf, Music Teacher at Christopher Unit School District #99, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of education.

Following in the footsteps of her mother, an accomplished music teacher, Ms. Krapf has excelled in the role herself at Christopher Unit School District #99 in Illinois since 2019. Within the district, she teaches fifth-grade band, junior high school choir, and the high school band, choir, and jazz band—as well as works with the junior high school band for sectionals. She was previously active at Shiloh CUSD 1 and—strongly believing that it’s equally important to perform as it is to teach—utilizes her expertise in music and the arts as a musician, a singer, and an actress for numerous community theater productions and pit orchestras.

Excelling in a variety of positions at the nonprofit theater troupe Pyramid Players since 2003—from an actress to a choreographer to an oboe player—Ms. Krapf has showcased her skills on stage in productions of “Guys and Dolls,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “White Christmas,” among others. In addition, she sings at her local church, where she also frequently volunteers her services within its programs. She has also authored an article on professional development aimed at new teachers for the Illinois Music Educator, the official journal of the Illinois Music Education Association. In celebration of her wide range of achievements, Ms. Krapf has been honored with an Eric Mazzie Award and a Presto Foundation Scholarship.

Growing up, Ms. Krapf was greatly inspired and supported by her family, particularly her parents, who encouraged her development as a musician, and nourished her potential in the art, since before her kindergarten years. They have also been there for every performance she has been part of to this day. In fact, her father recently built a percussion instrument that she uses for her students. As her parents stressed the importance of good grades since she was young, Ms. Krapf was a determined and focused student—and proud to have earned an associate’s degree in music education from John A. Logan College in 2015 and the highest distinction when she graduated summa cum laude from Eastern Illinois University, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in 2018.