Recently, Camas High School (CHS) choir instructor Ethan Chessin won a Music Teachers of Excellence award from the Country Music Association (CMA) Foundation, a non-profit organization that celebrates teachers around the United States. 

The CMA Foundation started in 2006 and has been an integral hand in creating opportunities for both students and teachers. The prestigious non-profit organization is also notorious for its intensive application process.

“I wrote 12 essays,” Chessin said. “The letter that they wrote for the acceptance, the congratulations letter, contains so many really specific details about the things that I had written in my application, things that they noticed and drew out from it.” 

To Chessin’s CHS students, winning the award was no surprise. 

“I think he’s probably one of the best teachers I’ve ever had,” CHS senior Grace Sorensen said. 

To others, Chessin’s recognition stood as an event to reflect on their gratitude for his commitment.

“I realized that I was in the presence of such an amazing teacher,” Brandon Palma, a senior at CHS, said.

The Music Teachers of Excellence award has been around for nine years. Chessin was one of 30 teachers from the United States and one of three from western states to be honored at this year’s awards. Following the recognition, teachers are rewarded with a 5,000 dollar stipend to enhance their musical curriculum along with a ceremonial event in Nashville, Tennessee. 

“It was really delightful, the one thing that’s special about this award in particular is the organization that runs the award,” Chessin said. 

According to the CMA Foundation website, “…the annual program recognizes music educators who demonstrate teaching excellence, create positive learning environments, and make a lasting impact on their communities.”

“To step into a space in which the people with resources and power are doing their very best to make me feel as important as the kinds of people that society celebrates on a larger scale was really rewarding and gratifying,” said Chessin.

“They really care about the specific work that I do, and they know that their job isn’t over the minute they say yes,” Chessin said.