Graduate School: Music Graduate

Sarah Grace (Rondema) Shewbert, ’08, spent her entire life engrossed in music, but never considered it a viable profession. The daughter of Lutheran missionaries, she sought music wherever it could be found, experimenting on a 16-key mini-keyboard in China and ignoring the B-flat on the high school’s piano in Nigeria which would not stay in tune due to fluctuations in humidity. College brought her back to the United States where she pursued degrees in English and Theater at ConcordiaUniversity while participating in every vocal and instrumental ensemble on campus. Shortly before graduation, she came to realize that, regardless of the potential impracticality of this decision, she had to study music more seriously. This led to a fifth year at PortlandStateUniversity. In 2005, she was given the opportunity to teach a music theory class at Concordia and there was no turning back. Sarah enrolled in the M.A. in music program at the University of Portland the following spring where, under the guidance of Dr. Roger O. Doyle and many of the other stellar faculty, she refined her focus and professional goals. Inspired and aided by her coursework as well as conversations with faculty and fellow students, Sarah applied and was accepted to the University of Washington’s Ph.D. program in music history where she will focus on American music. She hopes to represent the University of Portland well and plans to teach at the collegiate level upon completion of her studies.