Senior Julia Johnson receives TMEA Past-President Scholarship

Senior+violinist+and+trumpet+player+Julia+Johnson%2C+pictured+center%2C+has+been+awarded+the+%2412%2C500+Texas+Music+Educators+Association+Past-President+Scholarship.+Johnson+aims+to+put+this+money+towards+pursing+a+degree+in+Music+Education.+

Julie Blackstock

Senior violinist and trumpet player Julia Johnson, pictured center, has been awarded the $12,500 Texas Music Educators Association Past-President Scholarship. Johnson aims to put this money towards pursing a degree in Music Education.

Kirthi Gummadi, WTV Staff Reporter

Senior Julia Johnson was awarded $12,500 by the Texas Music Educators Association, one of just four students to earn this distinction.

She is a part of the school’s band and orchestra and is in San Antonio today after making the All-State Band on trumpet. The TMEA Past-President Scholarship is awarded to high school seniors who intend to become music educators.

“I’m always seeing or hearing my mom teach in the house,” Johnson said. “I wake up on the weekends, I come home from school to her teaching. I know many music educators and I see how much they love what they do, and I’ve always loved music so that’s why I was wanting to do that.”

Having watched Johnson play since she was a freshman, orchestra director Julie Blackstock is extremely proud of Johnson.

“It’s an impressive amount first of all,” Blackstock said. “Also, only four students are awarded that scholarship out of the entirety of TMEA, which is several thousands of students. The process starts with about 70,000 students across the state of Texas, and then it’s wittled down to a very finite number. I think that the honor of being selected as one of the four recipients is truly something to be proud of. It only goes to somebody that is planning on majoring in music going forward in their life. I think this is our first person in Frisco that has been named a TMEA Scholar, so it’s something really to be proud of for Julia.”