Hannah Gadd Ardrey, the Mississippi Department of Education’s 2019-20 Mississippi Teacher of the Year, credits scholarship support at the University of Mississippi with putting her on a career track for teaching and music. Submitted photo
OXFORD, Miss. – Years before she was selected as the Mississippi Department of Education’s 2019-20 Mississippi Teacher of the Year, Hannah Gadd Ardrey was a student with a dream of attending college.
A 2013 graduate of the University of Mississippi, Gadd Ardrey has been teaching for five years, all at Lafayette High School and Lafayette Middle School in Oxford, where she sees 185 students each day, including 130 members of the choir program. She enjoys teaching music history, dual-credit music appreciation and choir, where students consistently earn All-Superior ratings at district, state and regional competitions.
“My students are building a legacy,” said Gadd Ardrey, a native of the Wren community near Amory. “They are learning life skills in choir that can help students become successful citizens. Music allows students to cultivate a climate for change and make the world a better place.
“Being named the state teacher of the year is a huge testament of the power of music and of the hard work my students put into each day.”
Gadd Ardrey’s career might have been quite different without her UM education – training supported by a surprise scholarship she received.
“I wanted to go to Ole Miss like the rest of my family, but the money wasn’t there, so I decided to attend a small, private college instead of going with the family tradition of attending Ole Miss,” she said. “I had already come to terms with the fact that I was going to have student loans to pay off after college. It was scary, but I had no other choice.
“Then I received a scholarship letter in the mail from Ole Miss saying that my college education was paid in full. I was shocked. I was excited. I was going to be an Ole Miss Rebel!”
Gadd Ardrey began her freshman year as a biology major but soon decided to follow her passion: teaching, helping others and music.
“I’ve always loved music,” she said, adding that her mother also taught music. “Growing up, I would have friends over and we would play school. I would always be the teacher. I even asked for a white board and dry erase markers for Christmas one year.
“At my core, I knew that I was meant to be a teacher. Music had always provided me wonderful opportunities and gave me the outlet that I needed growing up. I changed my major to music education and never looked back – best decision ever!”
In 2013, Gadd Ardrey received a Bachelor of Music with an emphasis in vocal music education and, in 2015, she completed a master’s degree with an emphasis in choral conducting, thanks to an assistantship through the choral music program in the UM Department of Music.
Before being named Mississippi Teacher of the Year in March 2019, Gadd Ardrey received several awards honoring her dedication to education on the local level. In November 2018, Gadd Ardrey was named the LHS Teacher of the Year. In January 2019, she was named the Lafayette County School District Teacher of the Year, and she was the Congressional District I Teacher of the Year Finalist that February.
“For me, the honor of being named Mississippi Teacher of the Year belongs to all music teachers in the state, to the LHS teachers and to all the students who have been influenced by the power of music,” Gadd Ardrey said. “I see how music can help teachers motivate, understand and sculpt independent citizens in and out of the classroom.
“I’ve seen firsthand how the fine arts positively impact the lives of students, and it’s such a privilege to be able to use this recognition to promote the importance of fine arts education in schools.”
Music and other arts can positively affect academic achievement for students across all disciplines, said David Rock, dean of the School of Education.
“We are so proud of Hannah’s fantastic accomplishment,” Rock said. “She is a testament of a passionate and dedicated teacher who truly cares about the success of each and every student.
“We are proud that another extraordinary educator from the University of Mississippi was recognized for her continued excellence in educating young students.”
For more information on how to support or create a scholarship at UM, contact Denson Hollis, executive director of development, at dhollis@olemiss.edu or 662-915-5092 or online at https://give.olemiss.edu.
Ole Miss Giving Day is April 23-24. To learn more or become a Giving Day Ambassador, visit https://givingday.olemiss.edu/. Your support empowers students such as the one featured in this story and builds the strong, spirited community that is Ole Miss.