Jacki's University of Delaware Blog

 In two weeks Jacki will graduate from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a concentration in Music Management.  She has had an amazing journey through college and we, her parents, can’t believe it’s about to end. 

When Jacki was applying to colleges as a music major she also had to audition at each university.  Prior to each audition we made sure she had a lesson with the flute professor at each college.  We felt that if she was going to spend four years studying under them, she had better like the professor and feel she can learn from her.  While this is hard to tell in one lesson, Jacki knew immediately that she wanted to study with Eileen Grycky at UD.  While she went through the motions at other colleges, her heart quickly settled on UD as her first choice, mainly due to her desire to study with Eileen.  We also saw quickly what a special person Eileen was.  The first day we met Eileen on campus, we walked from one music building to another and a number of her students came up to her to tell her about grades on non-music class exams, or papers they had gotten.  It was obvious that Eileen cared about the whole student, not just the flute-player in them.  We were impressed.

That was over four years ago and Jacki has really blossomed under Eileen’s tutelage.  Not only has she become a better flutist but also she has grown as a person.  And we can never thank Eileen enough.

College isn’t easy, for the student or the parents.  When there were bumps in the road, or tonsillitis in her throat, we had confidence that UD had the tools in place to help Jacki through and they helped the bumps become just that, bumps, not ditches that Jacki couldn’t escape.  There is comfort in knowing that the supports are in place when you send your child to study at UD.

Now Jacki’s time at the University of Delaware has drawn to a close.  And the nicest part is, due to a required internship and the contacts she made while there, Jacki has a full time job in the field she wants to pursue.  We know not all liberal arts students have jobs and we are so thankful to Jacki’s professors and mentors for helping her get to this point.