Vandegrift Legacies dance at Marching Auxiliary

The Vandegrift Legacies dance team competed at the Marching Auxiliary contest on Feb. 4, hosted by the Bowie Silver Stars, and the team brought home many awards.

“Legacies walked away with all team and officer routines in the ‘winner’s circle’,” said Holly Lyons, Legacies director.

The Legacies competed in individual and small group competition in the 9-12th grade division, as well as officer and team routines in the public school division.

The Legacies had a successful day earning awards that included eight solo finalists, the junior division solo winner, the senior 17-18 division winner, and accumulated high points in the high school division.

Submitted by Bailey Begnaud.

Solo awards:
Hannah Nauert – Jr. Solo finalist
Rena Liang – Jr. Solo finalist
Sarah Donnellan – 15-16 solo finalist
Antonia Denison – 15-16 solo finalist
Barclay Bull – 17-18 solo finalist
Grace Saia – 17-18 solo finalist
Rachel Green – 17-18 solo finalist
Laura Parrish Jr. division winner
Sarah Cronin Sr. 17-18 division winner
Small ensemble awards:
Sophomores- 15-16 1st place
Social Officers 17-18 1st place
Large ensemble awards:
Hip Hop Company – 2nd place
Seniors – 1st place
Dance officers, team awards:
Overall Choreography
Overall Technique
Best in Class
Super Sweepstakes
“Winner’s Circle”


Beyond the Viper band hall

Caitlin Hall, VHS 2012 graduate, University of North Texas 2016.

Jonathan Carruthers, VHS 2016 graduate, Baylor University student.

Korynn Fink, VHS 2016 graduate, University of Utah student.

By TAYLOR GASKINS
VHS Alumnus

The band directors at Canyon Ridge Middle, Four Points Middle, and Vandegrift High, also known as the Vandegrift cluster, are well-known throughout the state of Texas and the nation for

inspiring the best in their students. The directors turn potential into incredible products of marching and musical excellence.

However, the beauty in what these directors do is that they don’t just teach music: they’ve learned how to inspire and create genuinely good people in the students that walk out of their doors, some of whom dream of becoming music educators for a new generation of students.

I’m fortunate to be one of five alumni of the Vandegrift programs that are now pursuing music education careers at universities around the nation. In my time away from Four Points, I’ve

seen first-hand that these programs are truly second-to- none. Nowhere else comes close to having the kind of camaraderie between teachers of all levels that is present in the Vandegrift cluster and the push to teach life through music is undeniably present.

These Vandegrift cluster directors including the current team — Mike Howard, Katie Rozacky, Stephanie Grote, Christopher Lee, Amy Allison, Jonathan Villela, Jessica Gonzales, Amanda Dawson, Carter Matschek — are genuinely outstanding people.

Caitlin Hall is a VHS 2012 graduate, University of North Texas 2016 graduate, and now an associate director at Poteet HS in Mesquite, Tex.

She recalls the good spirit of her VHS directors after the drum majors hid a metronome droning a steady pitch in the ceiling tiles of their office. They also didn’t take accidental mistakes too seriously. The band staff at all of the local schools “taught me how to have fun while striving for excellence and that teaching children life skills through playing music is the best job in the world,” Hall said.

Hunter Smith, VHS 2016 graduate, University of North Texas student, and Taylor Gaskins, VHS 2015, UNT student.

These directors are the models of selfless leadership. These ten men and women take pride in not just telling, but showing what leading from the heart truly means. They stay long after on competition days to finish emailing their students and parents with words of encouragement and

pride no matter what the results. They also tend to be the first ones at school in many cases to get their busy days started. They also take the time to help a lone clarinet player in way over her head in audition music.

For Korynn Fink, VHS graduate of 2016 and University of Utah student, the Vandegrift cluster directors taught her that “the other key to being a successful leader, and learning the skill of leadership, is forming honest relationships with the people you lead,” Fink said. “The directors are honest with us because they care about their students, and they give everything they can to help us understand that this style of leadership is effective beyond words.”

She said she wouldn’t be the future educator, leader, musician, or person she is today without the influence of her band teachers.

“I found a home in their band halls and in their offices, asking a million and one questions about band, music and life in general. The directors took a self-conscious, insecurity-ridden fourteen-year- old and helped her find her voice through music,”  Fink said. “If I can help just one of my students do the same, this hard work will be worth it.”

Jonathan Carruthers, VHS 2016 graduate and Baylor University student, also applauds his local band experience.

“The directors constantly echoed a fundamental truth about band: it helps students grow up in so many areas, be it discipline, leadership, professionalism, accountability and in countless other ways,” Carruthers said.

We’ve learned that the band hall is no longer a place, but an atmosphere and a culture that we will create for our students once we enter the teaching world. These directors did that for us. Now it’s time for Vandegrift alumni to return that favor to our current and future students.

SouthStar Bank Steiner Ranch opens

Staff Reports

SouthStar Bank, one of the largest independent banks in Texas, is now open at Steiner Ranch Boulevard and RM 620.

“Our Steiner Ranch location expands our footprint to better serve the area with lending capabilities and product offerings to reinforce our commitment to convenience with exceptional customer service,” said David Kapavik, president of SouthStar Bank.

SouthStar Bank Steiner Ranch opened last week on March 8.

A public Open House and Ribbon Cutting ceremony will be held at the new Steiner branch on Thursday, April 27, 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. The family friendly event will include Texas-style BBQ, sweet treats and giveaways.

SouthStar Bank serves much of Central Texas through 14 full-service branches and four loan production offices, including four other Austin-area locations in Bee Cave, Southwest Austin, Round Rock and Leander.

“Though we are growing, we remain the same proudly independent, privately held community bank our customers can trust for all their financial services, including mortgages in the fast-growing Austin-area market,” Kapavik said.

SouthStar Bank specializes in residential mortgage, real estate and construction lending. Decisions are made locally and policies are continually updated to reflect current market conditions. This approach allows SouthStar Bank the flexibility to apply common sense standards to products, services and loan requests.

The Steiner Ranch branch and its experienced lending team are led by Elise Giles, senior vice president/commercial real estate lender, along with Larry Weisinger, senior vice president/mortgage lender, Greg Vesely, senior vice president/commercial lending officer, and Cole Schindler, vice president/mortgage lender. Collectively they have served the lending needs of businesses and individuals alike for over 80 years.

The 7,381 square-foot building began with design by architect Kirby Fleming in the Hill Country modern style, executed by McAden Builders. Embracing the beauty of its surroundings, interior design by Edgewater & Company captures the essence of the area. SouthStar Bank Steiner Ranch is full of influences driven by its location, sitting between Lake Travis and Lake Austin it is framed by some of the most picturesque offerings in the Texas Hill Country.

SouthStar Bank is headquartered in Moulton, Tex. and specializes in residential mortgage, real estate and construction lending. Built on a 100-year Texas heritage, the bank holds over $700 million in assets and focuses on community involvement and personal relationships. SouthStar Bank holds a 5-Star rating by Bauer Financial and Southern Bancshares of Houston holds majority ownership of SouthStar Bank.

SouthStar Bank Steiner Ranch team (L-R): Isaiah Olivares, Rhonda Robinson, Tera Latham, Steffani Scorborough, Elise Giles, Cole Schindler, Lisa Conrad, Greg Vesley

 

Concordia’s incubator to bring expertise, services to entrepreneurs

More than 75 professionals gathered at Concordia University Texas on Feb. 23 to hear about its new Incubator for Innovation and Impact. The Incubator, a partnership between Concordia and Tech Ranch Austin, opens in April.

 

By KIM ESTES
Four Points News

Local entrepreneurs in want of expertise, collaboration and free labor are invited to join Incubator for Innovation and Impact opening in April at Concordia University Texas in Four Points.

Concordia partnered with Tech Ranch Austin, a startup accelerator, to establish the Incubator. Leaders shared the details with more than 75 professionals at a preview breakfast and panel discussion on Feb. 23.

“We wanted to build a collaborative environment between CU, the community, entrepreneurs and students,” said David Aronica, Incubator director and professor of entrepreneurship.

“I’m honored by Concordia to join with them. It’s not just an opportunity to build businesses, but it’s a chance to build businesses that make a difference,” said Kevin Koym, Tech Ranch founder and CEO. “It not only gives students the opportunity to get a job, it gives them a chance to get a meaningful job.”

In addition to organizing resources and opportunities, Concordia has set aside 2,000-square-feet of space under its roof for co-working.

With a modern but business classic motif, it is an alternative to similar spots in downtown Austin that feature trendy set-ups attractive to a younger demographic.

“More of our crowd is in their 40’s or older. Some have already had a successful career, maybe have a little money and are now ready to follow their passion. And, they don’t want to drive to downtown Austin any longer to collaborate,” said Aronica.

“We will have weekly events here, such as lunch and learn. We have students who can provide ‘cheap labor’ from which they and entrepreneurs will benefit,” the director said.

Incubator membership is required and available for a fee of $300 a month through April 3, when the fee increases to $350 a month.

In return, members will have access to:

  • Academic resources, such as professors, subject matter experts and courses in all Concordia schools: business and communication, natural and applied sciences, humanities and social sciences, nursing and fine arts.
  • Support from student interns in all academic disciplines for skills like writing business plans, creating financial models, building website back-ends, creating unique algorithms and writing press releases or customer communications.
  • Library and databases for research and online news sources including Gale’s Small Business Collection, Hoover’s, Standard & Poor’s, EBSCO’s Business Source Complete and major national newspapers.

Additional perks include board and conference room access, printing services, video production and editing, a cafeteria discount, gym access, shipping services and free, accessible parking.

The panelists at the February preview weighed in on the importance of the incubator.

“Austin has always had the unique advantage being located in the middle of the country,” said panelist, Rudy Garza, founder and manager of G-51 Capital Management LLC. “From the get-go, we have known to how to collaborate. Coastal cities like San Francisco and Boston are highly proprietary. Collaboration helps you move farther faster.”

Another panelist, Stephen Kreher, Austin Chamber of Commerce senior director of economic development, said Austin continually ranks #1 for startups and entrepreneurship.

“We have the talent, the educational system and the business climate, with low regulation and low taxes,” Kreher said. “It’s incredible that Concordia has dedicated a space like this. It was intentional and strategic.”

“At the Chamber, we don’t have to sell Austin, but we serve as advocates for businesses. We are very excited about this,” said Kreher.

To learn more about the Incubator, go to incubatorctx.com