Four CLC Music Students Earn Bachelor’s Degree Scholarships

Four students from the Music Associate of Fine Arts program at Central Lakes College have been awarded approximately $20,000 in scholarships to pursue bachelor’s degrees in music.

The scholarship recipients include Anaka Schroeder, a flutist from Emily; Eric Hebert, a saxophonist from Brainerd; Alex Koopman, a saxophonist from Blaine, Minnesota; and Eric Finch, a guitarist from Strasburg, Colorado.

Scholarship Structure and Requirements

According to reporting from the Brainerd Dispatch, the financial awards are divided between academic merit-based scholarships and music-specific scholarships. To secure the music-specific funding, each student was required to prepare and perform an audition at their respective target institutions.

The graduating students will transfer to the following institutions to complete their degrees:

• University of Minnesota-Duluth
• University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire
• Bemidji State University

Program Impact and Academic Preparation

Kyle Brown, DM, a music instructor at Central Lakes College, noted that the ability to secure funding through competitive auditions serves as a metric for the effectiveness of the college’s Music AFA program.

Earning scholarships through competitive auditions is no small feat, and it highlights not only their talent and work ethic, but also how well our Music AFA program prepares students to succeed at top bachelor’s‑level.

Kyle Brown, CLC Music instructor

Brown stated that while the institution will miss the departing students, the college remains excited to see all they will achieve in the future.