Ben Lombardo

What year did you graduate from SRU and what was your major?
I graduated in 2015, and my major was music education.

What jobs have you landed?
I am now the Director of Bands at Skyline High School, located in Front Royal, VA....

How did you prepare for the interview for the job you landed?
I went to A TON of practice interviews, as well as, prepping/individualizing my resume for each job I applied for. I even interviewed for jobs I knew I didn't want just to get the interview experience. Also, I was sure to do detailed research on the school, area, and faculty before interviewing.

What have you done well at that job?
I would like to believe that I am helping to encourage a sense of pride, unity, and hard work within my students by working together with other departments to make our organization a thriving one. Since we started band camp in July, the band has made great strides forward, and will be competing in their first competition in 7 years.

What types of recognition, awards, honors or even activities have you been involved in?
I served as Assistant Marching Band Director for both Slippery Rock and Montour High Schools. During my time at SRU, I was Mu Phi Epsilon President, Principal Tuba for the SRU Wind Ensemble and Brass Band, and Commanding Officer for the SRU Marching Pride.

What SRU experience or faculty influenced you and in what way?
The faculty at Swope Music Hall helped prepare me beyond anything I could have expected when first entering SRU. I could list all of the professors at Swope Music Hall, but it was truly ALL of them who helped make a profound difference in the direction my life has gone. Participating in organizations such as PCMEA, Mu Phi Epsilon, The SRU Marching Pride, and many more helped to give me a well rounded and meaningful experience.

What else can you tell us about your success story that SRU students could learn from?
Say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. The more open you are to learning, the more experience you are going to get and the more prepared you will be. SRU offers more opportunities than you will realize at the time. So it is important not to take them for granted and just do it!