Music teachers from Salina and Chapman have been named Outstanding Teachers by the North Central Kansas Music Educators Association.
Salina's Jenna Eshleman is the 2021-22 Outstanding Elementary Teacher and Chapman's Angeline McGuffin is the 2021-22 Outstanding High School Teacher.
The following information about the award winners is courtesy the North Central Kansas Music Educators Association website.
Jenna Eshleman, Outstanding Elementary Teacher
Jenna Eshleman is the proud K-5 general music teacher at Meadowlark Ridge Elementary school in Salina.
Originally from Geneseo, she earned her undergraduate degree in music education from Kansas Wesleyan University, and her Master of Music Performance degree from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England.
She has been happily teaching music since 2010, and also serves as the Youth Choir Director for the Salina Symphony's Youth Education program. She is a member of KMEA, NAfME, Kansas Orff Chapter, AOSA, and NEA and has completed two Orff levels.
Eshleman is an active performer and enjoys leading others in worship weekly at her church, Trinity United Methodist. Eshleman was a featured soloist with the Salina Symphony in 2016, is a frequent music adjudicator, and enjoys a full private studio schedule.
Eshleman's true passion in life is the love of her family; husband Stuart, and son Benjamin!
Angeline McGuffin, Outstanding High School Teacher
Angeline McGuffin currently teaches 7-12th grade vocal music in Chapman.
McGuffin received her master's degree in choral conducting with emphasis on voice from University of North Texas and her undergraduate degrees from Arkansas Tech University: a BA in K-12 music education and a BA in vocal music.
McGuffin has taught for over 20 years in Arkansas, Ohio, Texas, and Kansas. During her tenure in Texas and Ohio, she enjoyed professional singing as a soloist, cantor, and chorister in churches, with orchestras, and professional choirs such as Vocal Arts Ensemble, Texas Choral Artists and Faburden. McGuffin considers herself a teacher through and through and feels that her prior experience with professional singing enhances her classroom instruction.
McGuffin has enjoyed every minute of the last eight years she has spent teaching at Chapman. Her choirs have consistently received I Superior ratings at state large ensemble competitions and her students have distinguished themselves by outstanding participation in district and state honor choirs. Her students are her joy, and she looks forward to making music with them every day.
To her, teaching is more than a profession, it is a calling. She is proud to be a part of a singing state like Kansas and a wonderful education community such as Chapman where she is treated like family.
She is happily married to Kyle McGuffin and owes him a great debt of gratitude for his continuing help and support. McGuffin has two grown children, Nathan and Jon, and she is pleased to say that they are the most talented musicians in the family!