Music students Collin Sutton, Emily Bruce, Christian Cantrell, Bradley Bee and Remington Prado-Bonner and Associate Professor Ali Allerton (yellow top) surround DuPont Elementary School music teacher Lauren Cardenas after presenting her with a gift of $1,042 for school supplies. Photo by Angela Foster.
A heartwarming surprise awaited University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alum Lauren Cardenas when she walked into her DuPont Elementary School music room on Friday, Feb. 28.
Members of UTC’s Music Educators Social Society student organization, accompanied by the group’s faculty advisor—Associate Professor Ali Allerton—had come to DuPont to present her with $1,042 raised to support her classroom. The visit, staged under the pretense of observing her in the school, left Cardenas both shocked and overjoyed as she accepted the generous gift.
“I saw that (UTC’s student organization) would be giving it to a Title I school, but I hadn’t heard anything from the officers or from Dr. Allerton,” Cardenas said. “I’m just grateful that a school like mine would get the recognition and the support that it deserves.
“I had no idea it was going to be DuPont. Not at all.”
Cardenas, a Memphis native who graduated from UTC with a bachelor’s degree in music education, was offered the role of interim music teacher at DuPont Elementary in April 2024—just one month before graduation. She transitioned into the full-time role at the start of the 2024-25 school year and was named the school’s Teacher of the Month in September.
The fundraising effort was spearheaded by Music Educators Social Society President Emily Bruce.
Last year, Bruce—a junior vocal music education major from Murfreesboro, Tennessee—had the idea of creating Ensemblegrams, the basis behind the fundraising.
“Students can buy raffle tickets for their ensemble on campus, then we pull a name” of an ensemble leader, Bruce explained. The organization’s officer team then “interrupts the middle of their rehearsal and we bring gifts for their director. It’s fun and we play music. The students really love it.”
In addition to the competitive fun of Ensemblegrams, the fundraiser is used to raise money to gift a local music program.
In 2024 in its inaugural year, the student group raised approximately $500 to help Hixson High School replace instruments damaged by a roof leak.
This year, the fundraiser held special meaning for the group since it supported a recent UTC alum.
“That was a huge factor, the sheer amount that we raised this year to present to Lauren,” Bruce said. “I mean, it’s not only that you’re helping a classroom that needs it, but it’s your friend. That’s going to be you in the next year or two when you move into your classroom.”
Allerton, coordinator of music education at UTC, echoed that sentiment.
“Lauren is just a really special person. Anybody who has ever met her adores her,” Allerton said. “When you’re around Lauren, you just can’t help but feel happy. She’s got such a sweet soul, she’s very caring and she’s very charismatic as well. As a teacher, she’s one of the most creative people I’ve ever seen in a classroom.
She was ready to have her own classroom before even finishing her student teaching semester and she was really fortunate that that worked out for her.”
Lauren Cardenas
Cardenas’ time at UTC included serving as an orientation leader, singing the alma mater at her commencement ceremony as a member of Chamber Singers, and holding leadership roles in the National Association for Music Education, American Choral Directors Association and Student Government Association.
“I feel like I am constantly teaching and reflecting back on the stuff that I learned in the music program,” Cardenas said. “I’m really grateful that I went there.”
Bruce and the Music Educators Social Society were eager to show their appreciation in a way Cardenas never expected.
“This is for us!” Cardenas told her students after she was presented with the gift. For the rest of the visit, she gave her guests a tour of the classroom—a lot of which she paid for out of her own pocket.
Said Cardenas, “I did what I could—rearranging the room, reorganizing shelves. But eventually, you’ve done everything you can and there’s still no color.”
With the money, she plans to purchase mallets for her instruments, add more percussion instruments like xylophones and metallophones, and invest in world drums—specifically African drums such as djembes and tablas.
“The kids here really enjoy playing the instruments, so I wish that I had a bigger selection for them to use,” Cardenas said.
Bruce said the Music Educators Social Society plans to continue the Ensemblegrams fundraiser in future years, building on its mission to support music education and create lasting connections within the community.
“There’s not a lot of fundraising that goes into an elementary school music program,” she said, “so we really liked the idea of providing Lauren something that she wouldn’t get from other sources.”
Learn more
Photo gallery by Angela Foster
