Sigma Alpha Iota

6 Fall 2023 • sai-national.org SAI Barbara McAlister, an initiate of Alpha Zeta at Oklahoma City University, is a 2023 Cultural Capital Fellow in Music from the First Peoples Fund. Founded in 1995, the First Peoples Fund's mission is "to honor and support the Collective Spirit of First Peoples artists and culture bearers. Our work recognizes the power of art and culture to bring about positive change in Native communities, beginning with individual artists and their families." (www.firstpeoplesfund.org) McAlister spent more than 50 years teaching vocal music and performing opera, before returning to Oklahoma to teach and mentor young singers from the Cherokee Nation. She teaches private lessons to dozens of students each year, working with them on traditional Cherokee songs, musical theater, and opera pieces. Many of her students have received scholarships to colleges and universities. They have also been able to participate in the Tulsa Youth Opera and the Cherokee National Youth Choir, among other opportunities. Barbara loves being able to bring musical training to young indigenous students and provide a service that would not normally be available. "I am thrilled to still be teaching voice for the Cherokee tribe and work with Cherokee singing students one on one. This award, among many things, helps me buy music for all of my Cherokee students. It also brings master classes to them." Learn more at: https://www.firstpeoplesfund.org/barbara-mcalister SAI National Arts Associate Carla Stickler was recently featured on the 2nd Season of the She Pivots Podcast with Emily Tisch Sussman on Spotify (https://tinyurl.com/22ssneje). She talked about her journey from a full career on Broadway to a life in tech. She also shared her story in Marie Claire magazine, in an article of the HuffPost, and on NPR's Morning Edition, among others. Stickler is now a professional multi- hyphenate advocating for the inclusion of artists in STEM. Currently a Web Engineer at Spotify, she spent a large portion of her career as an actor. She earned a masters degree in theatre education from NYU and has taught on the faculties at both Marymount Manhattan College and Molloy College/CAP21. Carla spent over 10 years performing in Broadway musicals, including Wicked, Mamma Mia!, and e Sound of Music. She made a dramatic return to the stage as Elphaba in Wicked during the height of the 2021/2022 Covid-19 surge in New York aer 7 years away from the role. Carla is a champion for artists looking to make a career change into tech and a member of Artists Who Code, a volunteer-run organization that supports members of the performing community in their journeys into soware engineering. She loves chatting with folks interested in shiing gears from the arts to programming and especially hopes to get more women and artists into the field. She shares on her website, "When we choose to walk away from a full-time pursuit of the arts it does not make us failed artists. e possibilities for what we can do and who we can be are unlimited." Music Notes First Peoples Fund Honors SAI From Broadway to Tech

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