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South ��ֱ���� State University senior Emily Hofer recently represented South ��ֱ���� at the National Association for Music Education’s Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., where she joined peers from across the country to promote the impact of music education.
 
Hofer, a Hartford native, was one of two South ��ֱ���� students attending the summit June 9-11. 
 
The National Association for Music Education is an association of over 57,000 members that advocates for widespread access to music education.
 
The Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit brings together students from across the nation for advocacy training, networking and leadership-focused learning sessions.
 
“For the first day of the Summit, just over 100 college music majors from across the country filled a conference room for a number of presentations,” Hofer said. “We listened, discussed and practiced our new people skills.” 
 
As part of the summit, students engaged in discussions on key issues in music education before traveling to Capitol Hill to meet with legislators, including South ��ֱ����’s U.S. Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds and Rep. Dusty Johnson, to share their perspectives and advocate for the future of music education.
 
Hofer said she is grateful for the mentorship provided by Kevin Kessler, SDSU director of athletic bands and assistant professor of music, who informed her of the summit and encouraged her to apply, and for the knowledge she gained in the School of Performing Arts, which prepared her for the summit and for her future career.
 
“My goal is to provide music education for all students, specifically in South ��ֱ����, and that is exactly what we were advocating for,” Hofer said. “The summit gave me the opportunity to practice arguing for music education, which is a skill I will use in my career.”