Kate McKinney — West Texas A&M University

“When I joined band in sixth grade, I fell in love with music,” McKinney said.  “I later discovered my passion for teaching when I started taking private lessons from my flute teacher. She really inspired me to do music education in college. It’s not a bad thing to go to a college that’s smaller because it can be more affordable and there’s more one-on-one teaching. I’m looking forward to focusing on my music.”