"With the knowledge and expertise I have gained from my outstanding professors, I will be able to effectively implement this knowledge into a classroom," she said.  "This will help me tremendously with classroom management and lesson planning."  

Natasha says she chose ENMU because it is affordable, yet has a very reputable and accredited music education program.

"My music professors, in particular, have been very supportive of my hopes and dreams. They always push me to be my absolute best in all of my endeavors," Natasha said.  

"With its small class size and accredited professors, ENMU is the perfect place for future students to receive a high quality education without breaking the bank," she said.

She has made the Dean's List all three of her semesters at ENMU. When she transferred to ENMU, she received a tuition waiver and a transfer scholarship based on her grades. She has also received the Leota Fails Endowed Scholarship in Education.

A 2013 graduate of Sheridan High School in Wyoming, both of Natasha's parents were in the Air Force, which played a central role in her life growing up.

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, when she was 3 her family moved to a small town called Tye, Texas. where her dad worked at Dyess Air Force Base.

The oldest of four siblings (three girls and a boy), when she was 16 her dad retired from the Air Force and took a job at a Veterans Administration hospital in Sheridan.

"I have always enjoyed the outdoors, so the best thing about Sheridan was the beautiful creek which ran along a walking trail and the mountains, which surrounded the town," Natasha said.

After graduating from Sheridan High School and from Sheridan College with an associate's degree in fine arts, she transferred to ENMU in the fall of 2015.  

"I absolutely love nature. When I am not busy, I love to go hiking, walking on trails and visiting lakes," Natasha said. "On colder days, I usually knit or read books. At the moment, I love Stephen King books, but my all-time favorite is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Natasha says as an educator-in-training, she "hopes to make a positive and lasting impact on my students."

Besides career goals, she wants to travel.  She has never been to the coasts, but hopes to get there someday.  She also wants to make it to New York., then visit other countries, particularly Greece.

"Waking up and knowing that I was blessed with the gift of sharing my love and knowledge for music gives my life meaning," Natasha said.