Date:
9/27/2004
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 505.562.2253
Reporter: Marc Schoder
When Dr. Lynn Brinckmeyer came to ENMU at the age of 30 as a non-traditional student, she craved the stimulation of a university campus.
"I was older than most people around me and had children. I also had a real thirst for knowledge," says Dr. Brinckmeyer, professor of music education and associate chair of the music department at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Wash. She has also been elected to be the national president of the Music Educators National Conference.
When she recently returned to Eastern's Music Building to speak to current students about music careers, she said, "I don't know about others, but as I got into other parts of my world, I realized what a valuable education that I had here. I felt like it was almost my duty to give back to Eastern." adds the Lovington, NM native.
Dr. Brinckmeyer, a native of Lovington, N.M., said that the reason she chose Eastern was because it is a great place to get a music degree. "At Eastern, the faculty get to know your name, they get to know you as people, and you're in a classroom situation where you're allowed to have a conversation and interact with other people." She added, "The faculty here bent over backwards to help me; they helped me believe in myself."
When Dr. Brinckmeyer was ready to begin her student teaching, Dr. Bill Wood, former ENMU music professor, gave Dr. Brinckmeyer the opportunity to get teaching experience by teaching in front of some of his classes. "Dr. Wood put me in teaching situations where I had to fly," said Dr. Brinckmeyer. "That is the perfect example of the personal attention I received here.
"I believe that the faculty at this university can hold their own with any university in the United States. They are not just known in eastern New Mexico, but are respected and known nationwide because of their talent and professionalism."
In her closing remarks to the students, Dr. Brinckmeyer said, "At Eastern, you are not just a number — you are a human being and treated like one."