Becoming a graduate student 1,500 miles from home is not something Isla Coronado ’24 dreamed about when she started college. That was before Coronado caught the attention of the Presser Foundation—a Philadelphia-based non-profit committed to promoting the arts—and was chosen to be a part of their Undergraduate Scholar Program.
Not only is Coronado the first Texas A&M-Kingsville student to be selected as Presser Scholar, she stood out among applicants nationwide to become one of about 200 students to receive a monetary award from the Foundation, funding the next steps of her higher education journey.
Coronado’s second semester as a flute performance major at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, within the Mead Witter School of Music, is now underway. While she is incredibly grateful for what she is experiencing at UW–Madison, her dream is to return to South Texas, as a flute professor, bringing with her all she learns about western classical music.
After graduating high school in the Rio Grande Valley, Coronado enrolled at A&M-Kingsville to become a music educator like the high school band directors she had looked up to so much.
There was more inspiration waiting for her in Javelina Nation.
Her first year, she earned the opportunity to perform a piece from memory, accompanied on piano by Dr. Seehee Lee, at the School of Music’s concerto competition. Coronado points to this moment as pivotal in discovering her passion for performing.
“There’s a special moment that can happen when you’re playing,” explains Coronado.
“You pause for a breath and you can sense the entire room takes a breath with you. That is when you know you have everyone.”
Coronado remembers being on stage in front of an audience of her peers during the competition cemented a desire to add performance as a second major.
Dr. Elizabeth Janzen, Associate Director of the School of Music and Professor of Flute, inspired Coronado to reach for more, and was there every step of the way.
Though Dr. Janzen is not a Texas native, Coronado noticed, “She is so well aware of the culture and embraces what I now realize is that Southern Hospitality culture of ‘I will help you and show you how to help yourself.’”
Beyond her sophomore year, Coronado remembers watching multiple strong students graduate; it felt like a natural next step to move into leadership roles and get involved in the campus community in ways she hadn’t before.
“I could perform, but I also had to learn all of the things that come along with being an educator—communication skills and how to collaborate with others,” Coronado explains.
One way she did this was by presenting her research to a roomful of people at the 27th and 28th McNair Research Symposiums. Dr. Janzen served as Coronado’s faculty mentor both years.
As a McNair Scholar, Coronado found more university employees who fiercely believed in her potential.
McNair staff supported Coronado during her senior year as she worked through the logistics of visiting, and auditioning at, four potential sites to continue her studies; all while student teaching.
This meant traveling to multiple conservatories and universities across the country.
A performer with an educator’s heart, Coronado is humble and does not take center stage to soak in the spotlight. The primary motivation behind everything she pushes herself to accomplish is so she can “provide mentorship to others through my own experience”
Thanks to the dedication of hardworking faculty like Dr. Janzen, and students like Isla Coronado who persist, forging their own path, the example set for young flutists will endure for generations.