Dunedin Location

Anna is from Port St. Lucie, Florida, and is currently the director of bands and dance at Dunedin Highland Middle School in Dunedin, Florida. She is a ninth-year music educator.

Ms. Anna earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Education and master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Tampa. She is currently a PhD candidate in Music Education at the University of South Florida, with cognates in Educational Leadership and Trombone.

Her honors include the University of Tampa’s Charlene Gordon Award in Music in 2018 and the Bert King Outstanding Alumni Award from the Southeast District of Kappa Kappa Psi in 2022. She was a University of South Florida Graduate Success Fellowship recipient from 2022–2025, was selected as an Emerging Leader by the
Florida Music Education Association for 2023–2024, received the University of South Florida’s Music Education Award, and was named 94.7’s Tampa Bay Teacher Appreciation Week “Best in the Bay” in 2024.

Previously, Ms. Anna served as the music director at Brandon Academy and worked as an elementary music teacher in Hillsborough County. She has directed concert bands, rock bands, choruses, drumming ensembles, drama productions, and new-age experimental ensembles.

She has also worked with the brass quintet Kickin’ Brass, the Tampa Bay Pride Band, Instruments of Change, and the New Horizons Band as one of its guest conductors.

Since joining Dunedin Highland Middle School, Ms. Anna has implemented a rock band while continuing to uphold the vision and traditions of the school’s Bagpipes and Drums performing group. Under her direction, the group performed at the
Florida Music Education Association Professional Learning Conference in 2024 and will return in 2027 as the Exhibit Hall Openers. The group has also performed at Pinellas County’s Arts for a Complete Education Breakfast Banquet, Walker’s Rising Stars, the Glazer Children’s Museum Birthday Bash, Highland games throughout Florida, parades, and many other community events.

Ms. Anna’s greatest goal when working with students is to create a warm, welcoming environment where mistakes are viewed as part of learning—all while maintaining a joyful atmosphere rooted in the spirit of making music. Her long-term goals include supervising music education at the district level, working in a collegiate setting, mentoring young music teachers, and continuing to make music in every capacity possible.

She lives in Dunedin with her two cats, Eevee and Zorua, who provide plenty of motivation and encouragement throughout the dissertation-writing process.