First-generation scholar sets sights on career as band director
OXFORD, Miss. – Sofia Euyoque found her passion early in life through her Mexican-American culture. Starting in middle school, her enthusiasm for music grew through high school to the point where she decided to pursue a career in the musical arts.
The University of Mississippi senior is majoring in music education and charting a course to a successful career after college – pursuing her degree thanks to financial assistance from generous donors.
“I’ve been fortunate to receive several scholarships from Ole Miss as a result of my high school career at Neshoba Central High School,” said Euyoque, from the Neshoba County town of Philadelphia. “In addition to the financial relief of being able to graduate college without student debt, these scholarships have allowed me to build lasting relationships and friendships that I might not have formed otherwise.
“They’ve also given me a chance for a career. I intend to become a band director at a public school in Mississippi after I graduate.”
Euyoque has immersed herself in the university’s music programs and honed her talents on clarinet. She serves as a drum major with the Pride of the South marching band and is a member of the UM Wind Ensemble.
Euyoque said one of her most transformative scholarships came from the university’s Luckyday Scholars program.
“As a first-generation college student, I wanted to attend a university where I would have access to the academic resources and experienced individuals who could help me make the major transition to the next stage of my life,” she said. “The Luckyday Scholars program has provided me with so much of the support and assistance I needed.”
Luckyday scholars are engaged in four areas: scholarship, community, service and leadership. Freshman can also participate in an annual retreat that includes campus tours and opportunities to become acquainted with peer leaders, faculty and staff members.
Scholars continue to receive support if they meet minimum requirements, which include maintaining a minimum GPA, participating in Luckyday programming and living their first year in the Luckyday Residential College, a living-learning community that includes a resident faculty fellow, dining hall, library and exercise facilities.
The program provides 80 Luckyday Success Scholarships to incoming freshmen for $24,000 – $6,000 annually for four years – and 25 community college transfer students each receive a scholarship for $12,000 – $6,000 annually for two years.
Since the program’s inception in 2000, the Luckyday Foundation, of Jackson, has awarded more than 2,000 students – all Mississippi residents with a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher – Luckyday Success Scholarships.
Euyoque’s involvement with the program and the Department of Music gave her opportunities to bond with peers, professors and community members while nurturing her leadership abilities, including serving as an ambassador for the music department and the Luckyday Scholars Program.
“Through the Luckyday program, I have met some of my closest friends, and through my involvement with the Pride of the South and the wind ensemble, I’ve been able to collaborate with future colleagues,” she said.
One of her most memorable experiences occurred during her sophomore year when the wind ensemble performed its spring concert with Doreen Ketchens, an award-winning jazz clarinetist from New Orleans.
“This was so special to me,” Euyoque said. “The day I was assigned to learn the clarinet in sixth grade, I looked up ‘clarinet’ on YouTube.
“The first video I saw featured Ms. Ketchens performing with her band on the streets of New Orleans. I was immediately starstruck and I watched that video over and over again.”
In that moment, Euyoque understood that playing music is rewarding for musicians and listeners alike.
“I learned that performing music is meant to be shared and enjoyed by others,” she said. “So, all these years later, I found myself performing a few feet away from this person who was so influential in my life.
“It was truly an affirming moment for me: I had made the right decision about the college I should attend, and that experience has continued to motivate me to keep pushing forward.”
Top: Sofia Euyoque (left), of Philadelphia, gets ready for practice with the Pride of the South marching band with fellow drum majors Scott Grimes, of Corinth; Joshua Yates, of Mathiston, and Levi Sides, of Walnut. Euyoque is enjoying her Ole Miss experience with the help of transformative scholarships, such as the award she received from the Luckyday Scholars Program. Photo by Amy Howell/UM Development
Anna Williams
January 03, 2025
University, MS 38677 USA
662-915-7211
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