Giving Thanks: Scholarship Helps Music Trumpet Major Fulfill Dream of Joining a Military Ensemble and Being a Professor

This December, members of our Fulbright College Family are sharing expressions of gratitude, letters of thanks and their appreciation for those who have helped make their educational journey possible. 

Meet Sophie Jaquez, who thanks to the Robert M. Bright Endowed Brass Scholarship, is one step closer to her dream of being in a military music ensemble and becoming a professor teaching trumpet at the collegiate level.

Robert M. Bright Endowed Brass Scholarship Recipient Sophie Jaquez

Name: Sophie Jaquez
Hometown: Pineville, Missouri
Graduation: 2025
Major(s)/Minor(s): Majoring in Music Education and Trumpet Performance

Activities/Interests: As a performer, I enjoy working with all different kinds of ensembles, and feel very fortunate to attend a university with a wide array of musical opportunities. In my four years at the University of Arkansas I have made music with the University Wind Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra, Latin Ensemble, Inspirational Choral, Trumpet Ensemble, the “A Touch of Brass” Brass Quintet, and various chamber ensembles for undergraduate student recitals. Additionally, I have a passion for students which has led me to work as a camp counselor through Crowder College Upward Bound and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. I have also taught trumpet lessons through the Community Music School for the past three semesters. In my free time I enjoy spending time in nature, and you can usually find me riding my bike on the Razorback Greenway.

Career Aspirations: In my future I plan to attend graduate school and obtain a masters in Trumpet Performance. After furthering my knowledge and strengthening my skill set, I hope to one day win an audition for a military ensemble. Another aspiration of mine is achieving a Doctorate of Musical Arts and teaching trumpet at the collegiate level.

In her own words:

Dear Dr. Young,

My name is Sophie Jaquez, and I am writing to thank you for your contribution to the Robert M. Bright Endowed Brass Scholarship. Your support for the musical arts at the University of Arkansas is very much appreciated!

I am a fourth-year student at the university, and I’m majoring in Music Education and Trumpet Performance. I have always enjoyed the challenge and camaraderie of making music with others, so as a student I try to participate in any and every ensemble that I can.

In the current semester, I am performing with the University Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Trumpet Ensemble, and the “A Touch of Brass” Brass Quintet.

Another passion of mine is teaching students and helping them reach their goals. This has led me to spend my summers as a camp counselor for the Crowder College Upward Bound Program and, most recently, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.

Additionally, I have taught trumpet lessons through the Community Music School for the past three years and gained invaluable knowledge to use in my future career.

With my graduation date set in spring 2025, my current plans are to start auditioning for graduate schools, and to obtain a master’s degree in Trumpet Performance. My biggest career goals are to win a position in a military ensemble, and complete a Doctorate of Musical Arts so I can teach trumpet at the collegiate level.

I feel extremely grateful to have been nominated and to receive the Robert M. Bright Endowed Brass Scholarship. This scholarship couldn’t come at a better time in my academic career, and I plan to use it on educational expenses.

Specifically, I plan to use this money to finish paying off a professional level C trumpet that I’ve spent the last two years making monthly payments on. Upon purchasing this high-quality instrument, my goal was to completely pay it off before graduating, so I feel pleased and relieved to be able to accomplish this.

Any funds left over will be put in my savings account specifically for tuition costs for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. I am very much looking forward to my last year at the University of Arkansas, and thanks to you I am one step closer to reaching my goals.

I can’t thank you enough for your contribution to the Robert M. Bright Endowed Brass Scholarship, and your support of music!

Sophie Jaquez

For more information about the Robert M. Bright Endowed Brass Scholarship or to make a year-end gift to support the college’s students, faculty, or staff, please contact Fulbright College’s Office of Development and External Relations at 479-575-3712 or fulbright@uark.edu.