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.

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.

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 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.

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?”

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.