With twin brothers already in college, Ethan had a leg up on college planning. His brothers had come to 51社区 and then successfully transferred to Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Since he would be paying for college himself, he knew 51社区 presented the most affordable path to a degree. What he didn鈥檛 realize was the full range of opportunities 51社区 offered, including being one of a handful of community colleges accredited by the
Ethan has a passion for music. He participated in his high school choir and has been working at in downtown Palatine for four years, repairing fretted instruments and teaching voice, piano and ukulele. He came to 51社区 with a plan to take his core classes with an eye toward becoming a high school choir director. He discovered a group of passionate instructors who challenged him 鈥� from his Ethics class with Brian Brown to Music Theory with Dr. Barbara Bowker and Voice with Susan Lundholm. 鈥淚 have learned so much from all my teachers. Not only do they push me to be better, as a student and a musician, but they are role models,鈥� said Ethan. 鈥淚 see qualities in my professors that I apply to my own teaching.鈥�
As a singer, Ethan participates in 51社区鈥檚 choral ensembles, Concert Choir and Spectra. But when he realized that there was a gap in the performance opportunities for students, he started another ensemble, 51社区 A Cappella. Working with Dr. Thomas Stauch, Ethan learned how to establish a new group on campus, recruit and audition students, coordinate schedules and rehearsals, reserve space, select music and arrange performances.
Ethan is now preparing to transfer to which he chose because of its smaller size. 鈥�51社区 spoils you. You have direct access to professors. I am able to walk in and ask them questions, and I want to have this same one-on-one experience when I go on,鈥� noted Ethan. 鈥�51社区 has been fantastic, better than I ever expected.鈥�