Commencement Profile: Sara E. Cripps

Sara Cripps has earned a bachelor of music degree in music education, attaining a GPA of 3.83 while serving as collegiate president of the New York State School Music Association, a chapter of the National Association for Music Education. In her role as collegiate president, she represented the interests of more than 900 students and 23 chapters.

Cripps will receive the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence during the 10:00 a.m. baccalaureate ceremony at Buffalo State’s 141st Commencement, Saturday, May 18, in the Sports Arena.

A voice major with a beautiful mezzo-soprano voice, Cripps sings with exquisite technique and passion. That passion carries over into her studies and volunteer activities.

In the classroom, Cripps is extremely well organized, motivated, and thoughtful. Her adviser lauded her for an excellent student-teaching experience in which she developed positive and meaningful rapport with a diverse group of young musicians from the Buffalo Public Schools system.

A natural leader, Cripps served as president of Students in Music, a United Students Government organization that presents musical events and activities to the campus and community. Her work on the “Battle of the Bands” resulted in a successful canned-food drive that benefited the Food Bank of Western New York and AIDS Family Services, and her leadership in “Caroling for a Cause” helped raise funds for School 84. Buffalo State’s Music Department honored Cripps multiple times with its “Leader of the Pack” Award, recognizing her leadership as an underclassman and upperclassman.

Cripps, a member of the Buffalo Master Chorale, has shared her voice talents and love of music throughout her time at Buffalo State, singing with the Buffalo State Chamber Choir and participating in recitals for the Erwin H. Johnson Memorial Fund and Canterbury Woods Retirement Community. She also served area youth as the lead chorus teacher at the Buffalo Urban Music Program and a voice teacher at Nardin Academy.