Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Winter 2022 13 Written by SAI Sisters Alexis Dockery, Jenny Snodgrass, and Elizabeth Gibbs In September of 2021 we lost not only a Sister of SAI, but a phenomenal educator and mother. Jennifer Williams Gibson (1977-2021), a member of the Beta Zeta Class of '99 at Meredith College, passed away and le behind a legacy she built in a small mountain town in North Carolina. Gibson was the band director at Hayesville Middle and High School for twenty-two years, and during this time she made an impact on the lives of many students. She inspired her students to be the best musicians and people they could. Learning to perform music was only one of the things she taught; she taught diligence, acceptance, kindness, perseverance, and so much more. She used her many gis and talents to create a community where students felt safe, loved, and nurtured. Many students saw her as a maternal figure in their lives, and Gibson used this connection to help them grow. Before Gibson found her way to Hayesville, NC, she studied music education and flute at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. From the very first theory class where she met her classmates, Jennifer was a friend to all. She was hardworking, focused, and determined on her path to be a music educator. She was a great friend who always offered a listening ear and advice that reflected wisdom far beyond her years. Jennifer was extremely active in the Beta Zeta chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota where she was initiated as a sister on December 5, 1996. She held the office of treasurer for two years, from 1997-1999. During her active years in SAI, Jennifer was integral in growing the chapter. She was a natural leader and was always ready to step in where needed. Her official role was treasurer, but she also helped with promotion, recruiting, and was always a driver on SAI trips! Aer Gibson's passing, a former student, Alexis B. Dockery, stepped into the role of band director at Clay County Schools. Dockery followed in Gibson's footsteps to study music at Meredith College (Class of '18), where she was also a sister of SAI. Aer graduating in the spring of 2018, she came back to teach elementary music at Hayesville, and assisted Gibson with the high school Marching Band program. Dockery spent eight years studying saxophone with Gibson from the 5th grade through 12th grade. Dockery said, "Jennifer was my mentor, colleague, and friend. Band was my safe place in school, because of the love and support Jennifer put into her program. Every year she would tell us she didn't know what she wanted to be when she grew up, but from an early age, I knew I wanted to be like her. She loved others deeply and pointed them to hope during difficult times. Some of my favorite memories of school revolved around being part of the band program at Hayesville, and I hope to continue Jennifer's legacy by making band a loving, safe, and nurturing place for our students to grow." Aer her passing, many reached out wanting to support students from the community and Gibson's family. Cannon Music Camp at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC is one of the organizations that stepped up to support Gibson's students and encourage them to continue growing as musicians. Cannon Music Camp is the premier comprehensive music camp in the Southeast; it is a three-week music-filled retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, with intensive college preparatory work in performance and music theory. Campers participate in daily ensemble rehearsals and music theory classes in an atmosphere that elevates everyone's musicianship. Friends of Jennifer established a scholarship fund to honor Gibson's memory, e Jennifer W. Gibson Scholarship, that will help support students from Clay County, NC to attend this three-week summer music camp. Clay County is a small rural county located in the far west of North Carolina. ere are four schools in the county located on one K-12 campus that serves approximately 1200 students. is is a low-income area, and many students do not have the opportunity to receive private lessons or attend camps like Cannon Music Camp. is scholarship will give students the opportunity to attend the camp to dive deeper into music by taking private lessons and performing with an ensemble that is much larger than their band class and interacting with students from all across the nation. is is an initiative that Jennifer would have championed for her students. Jennifer Williams Gibson le behind a legacy in the lives of her students, and it lives on in her classroom still today. It is seen in the lives of her students who still choose to make music, those who followed in her footsteps to become music educators, and those who are serving in their communities, using the life skills she taught in her classes. We hope many consider contributing to this scholarship fund to honor her memory and to support her legacy, the students she taught and who loved her throughout her time serving in public schools. Donations to the scholarship can be sent to Cannon Music Camp by clicking on the giving link on the Cannon Music Camp Website at: https:// cannon.appstate.edu One can then select and add a gi amount to the Cannon Music Camp line. "Jennifer Williams Gibson Memorial Scholarship" must be added to the Additional Gi Information line towards the bottom. Providing Love and Support for Band Students Legacy Top: Beta Zeta Initiates, 1999 Top: Beta Zeta Initiates, 1999 Bottom: Jennifer Williams Gibson Bottom: Jennifer Williams Gibson

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