Aspire 2020

Page 17

Never stop dreaming: the journey of Juan-Carlos Alarcon

By Cassidy Martenson

Juan-Carlos Alarcon, BME ’19 Music Education, grew up in Elkhart, Indiana when he moved there at eight years old. Alarcon attended Bristol Elementary, where he came across Mrs. Peterson, his fourth grade teacher, who inspired him to one day follow in her footsteps as an educator.

Dreamers: Voices of Hope Music of Freedom from fellow IU South Bend student Salvador Perez Lopez. The album went on to win three Grammys in 2019. They received great praise for the awareness it raised for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Alarcon has always had a passion for both teaching and performing music. Now, only a year after graduating from IU South Bend with a degree in music education, Alarcon has been featured on a three-time Grammy Award-Winning album and is currently pursuing his dream of teaching.

Walking onto the stage at the Grammy Awards felt like his greatest accomplishment to date, but Alarcon had to ask himself, “Now, what’s the next level?”

When Alarcon moved to the United States he learned quickly that everything was new, and some things were not easy to adapt to. His fourthgrade teacher did everything in her power to help Alarcon adjust to his new community. She spent time after class helping him learn English and feel more at home in America. Her kindness inspired Alarcon to become a teacher. He wanted to impact others the way that she impacted him. While pursuing his degree in Music Education, Alarcon received an offer to participate in the project American

He continued to pursue his dream of becoming an educator and was offered and accepted a position at Roosevelt Elementary in Elkhart, Indiana. For Alarcon, the classroom is his Grammy stage. “Every single time I walk into the classroom and see my students learning a new scale or whistling the song we learned last week, I feel the same excitement as when I stood on that stage,” Alarcon explains. Alarcon has achieved his dream of becoming an educator, and inspiring others, but he will not stop there. He wants to continue to grow, dream, and reach more milestones.

“Never stop dreaming. Dream big, dream often and work hard,” Alarcon says. Alarcon leaves IU South Bend with an impact that will not soon be forgotten. Michael Harley, director of student teaching and clinical practice and licensing advisor at IU South Bend, oversaw Alarcon in his final steps before becoming an educator. “JuanCarlos is one of the humblest students I have ever met. In every in-person meeting, or by phone call or email, he is always respectful, attentive and proactive. All his evaluations from his university supervisor and cooperating teachers were above the charts. It was my pleasure to have known and worked with Juan-Carlos. I know without a doubt he will have a positive impact on the students he teaches, the teachers he collaborates with and the community he lives in” Harley says. IU South Bend is hoping that next step of the journey is in the backyard of South Bend, and the community gets to keep a great educator for a bit longer.

15


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Articles inside

Thank you Brianna & Tally

2min
pages 86-88

Heath Hicks: MA project gets the green light

4min
page 85

Inaugural Arts Video Intern Brandon Galvan

3min
page 84

Wishing Kevin Gillen the best

11min
pages 81-83

Fictional Space has a place of its own

2min
page 80

Once a Titan, always a Titan: Featuring faculty member Ryan Lohman

4min
page 79

Tim Hanson creates model of Drottningholm Slottsteaterl

4min
pages 76-78

A poet and a professor

6min
pages 74-75

Two centuries of Beethoven, two decades of the Euclid Quartet

5min
pages 66-68

Ryan Olivier’s Electronic Labyrinth

5min
pages 69-70

Lion King: Behind the seams

11min
pages 71-73

Printmaking: an impactful medium

3min
page 64

Honor roll of donors

1min
page 65

Michele’s Little Hearts Theatre

5min
pages 62-63

A holiday tradition comes to IU South Bend

4min
pages 60-61

A holiday celebration of the arts

5min
pages 58-59

Piano series provides world-class performances and education

5min
pages 50-51

A cult classic musical makes it in time for Halloween

3min
pages 52-53

Building unity & community through jazz

7min
pages 54-57

Spring BFA Exhibition goes online

7min
pages 44-48

Congratulations to our recent graduates

1min
page 49

Tap and Kick Line graduates dance their way to the top

17min
pages 38-43

From a temporary option to a proud alumna

5min
pages 36-37

A life changing performance

3min
pages 34-35

Long-term body on display for a limited time

4min
pages 32-33

The Many Faces of Patrick Watterson

5min
pages 30-31

A journey to find success

4min
pages 28-29

Integrated New Media student pushed the start of the Investment Club

2min
page 27

Leather Phase: when music and visuals combine

3min
pages 24-26

Music alumna ready for first album

4min
pages 22-23

Communicating the benefits of an IU South Bend education

3min
page 21

Creative Restless Spirit

4min
page 20

Kolton Sizer, painting a successful life after graduation

6min
pages 18-19

NEW MEDIA

4min
page 16

Never stop dreaming: the journey of Juan-Carlos Alarcon

2min
page 17

Bringing classical music to unexpected places

5min
pages 14-15

Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts officially becomes a Steinway School

4min
pages 10-12

Finally home

3min
page 13

FINE ARTS

4min
pages 8-9

Jorge Muñiz named interim dean

3min
page 7

SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

6min
pages 4-6
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