Allen County Intermediate Center music educator Brittany Rust has been
selected as the Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA) Third District Elementary
Music Educator of the Year.
“It’s humbling,” Rust said. “I’m excited that I was nominated and
surprised that I won. The other teachers nominated have a lot more experience than
I do. I’m humbled and excited.”
Rust is starting her fifth year at the Intermediate Center. She received
her undergraduate degree in Music Education at Murray State University and a
Masters in Music Education from Western Kentucky University.
The award is based on a nomination from a music colleague and is peer-selected
in recognition of the work a music educator does in the classroom and beyond.
In addition to daily music education instruction at ACIC, Rust oversees the
school’s choir students and is active with the Scottsville Summer Soundz
program---a community children’s choir initiative by the Allen
County-Scottsville Arts Council that includes 60 Allen County children.
As a music educator, Rust hopes that her students develop a love and
appreciation for music that will be passed on to future generations.
“I want kids to leave my class knowing that music is valuable and that
it’s important,” Rust explained. “I want a love for music instilled in the
kids. I want them to look back when they leave the Intermediate Center with their
memories of music and think, man, I had so much fun in music class. I don’t really
care if they remember a lot of the content, I just want them when they are
older and have children to be the kind of parents that say (to their children)
you should do chorus and you should be involved in music because I had so much
fun and I loved music.”
Rust’s
selection at the regional level qualifies her for consideration for the KMEA State
Elementary Music Educator of the Year Award. The state awards are announced
early next year.