LAUREN K. SELTZER

 Music has always been a huge part of of my life. I grew up in a small town in Northern New Jersey, where my parents exposed me to a variety of music at an early age. I joined band and began taking flute lessons in fourth grade, which is when my flute career began. Band was a huge part of my life throughout middle and high school and I took every opportunity to play an instrument that I could get. This passion led me to participating in marching band, jazz band, pit orchestra, & more!

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 When it came time for college, I knew that music education was something I wished to pursue further. I spent my freshman year studying music education at Eastern University in St. Davids, PA. Due to department changes, I decided to transfer to Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, PA, where I spent my sophomore through senior year studying music education and gaining both classroom teaching and performing experience. As my time at Messiah progressed, I discovered a passion bigger than music - one for education as a whole. I found a love for planning lessons that connect music across the curriculum, integrating stories, social skills, & more. This discovery led me to teaching preschool at Santa Fe Christian Preschool, where I taught young children everything from letters, numbers, sharing, & more, using music as a tool to do so. During my years teaching preschool, I used my music background to come alongside other early childhood educators, teaching courses on the importance of music & movement in the classroom.

It was while teaching preschool & collegiate courses that I realized early childhood education was something I wished to pursue, more than music. I received my PA State Teaching Certification for Grades PreK-4 in April of 2021 & began teaching first grade that fall. I am so thankful for the journey that lead me to being a first-grade teacher, and am excited to see where my next steps take me!