1. AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Name Martin Jacquelyn Lois
Local Address: 732 N 800 E #13 Provo, UT 84606
Local Phone: (636) 284-4377 BYU Id#: 63-215-4469
Email: jamartin1107@gmail.com
I am the oldest of five siblings, and I was raised in what I consider one of the
most beautiful places on Earth, St. Louis, Missouri. Even before I could talk, I
have loved to sing and make music. My mother noticed this in me, and soon I
was involved in choirs and theater. In Middle School and part of high school, I
had the opportunity to be a part of a nationally known children's choir.
Through that choir I was able to participate in amazing, once-in-a-lifetime
opportunities, including performing in a 9-11 commemoration at Carnegie
Hall. The reason I state this is because from a very early age I learned that if
teachers expect excellence, children will rise to that standard. My choir
teachers gave me music that I thought would be impossible to learn, yet they believed in us and encouraged us.
Because of their ability to see my potential, I rose to it.
Starting my freshman year of high school I taught private piano for four years. I had around twenty students
ranging from ages four to sixteen. I was able to get to know each one individually and adjust my teaching
according to their strengths and weaknesses which gave me excellent foresight into what life would be like
working with children. I have also had the opportunity to be a section leader in both high school choirs and one
of the college choirs I have been a part of. This required me to help teach the music we were learning, and also
be a leader in supporting and uplifting those around me.
However, I did not seriously consider becoming a teacher until my senior year of high school. It was then that I
realized that I wanted to pass on the love of learning I have and the belief my teachers had in me to as many
children as I could. I remembered my fifth grade teacher especially when coming to this decision. She was one
that really ignited the love of learning within me. She took me from loving to read, to finding myself in
literature. She helped me to see where I came from as an American citizen, and what that meant for me then
and for my future. She encouraged me to take what I knew and then to think more deeply about it. I truly owe
so much of who I am today as a student, and as a person, to her. I want to be for other students who she was for
me.
Keeping this is mind, when I started BYU I knew I wanted to go into education. I was especially drawn to the
Music Education program upon entering BYU, and since I knew I wanted to work with children, I decided to
declare my major as an Elementary Music Specialist. I have loved being a part of this program because I have
not been limited to one area of study, but I have been able to be a part of everything I am passionate about:
music, literacy, social studies, etc.
My music major has given me many opportunities already to work with children. I was able to work in BYU's
music pre-school for a semester and work with the students individually as they discovered different musical
elements in the classroom. I was then a volunteer at the Spring Creek Elementary music class. This not only
gave me experience in the classroom, but because it was a Title 1 school, I was able to gain valuable experience
working with ELL students, as well as students from low socio-economic backgrounds. This was a great way for
me to apply what I have learned in my Teaching English Language Learners (TELL) classes.
I really believe in holistic teaching - or teaching the whole child - because I believe it provides the child with
more opportunities to be successful. I am very excited to bring my musical and artistic background to the
classroom, not only integrate them into different content areas, but to also help children have more
opportunities to find what they are passionate about.