2022 Summer Interns
SYO interns have successfully completed criminal background checks and several hours of training including CPR/ First Aid, neurodiversity training, suicide prevention and mental health training with a licensed psychologist, safe space training, teacher education training, and more.
Mandy Anderson (she/her) is a senior instrumental and general music education major at Marian University. Miranda's primary instrument is the horn, but she enjoys learning new instruments. This is her third year in SYO. Miranda's goal is to help others achieve their musical potential. After graduation, she is looking forward to teaching at the secondary level. Eventually, she would like to either work in community outreach or arts administration. A fun fact about Miranda is that she has been to 24 states and Washington D.C. When not working, she likes to spend time with family and friends, read poetry, scroll through TikTok, and explore philosophy.
Aldo Armendariz (he/him) is a senior at Marian University majoring in music and minoring in Spanish studies. He has passionately played horn for 10 years and has studied with notable horn players such as Rob Danforth, Dale Clevenger and Sara Petokas. Aldo loves singing and has adopted the voice as his secondary with interest in Broadway and Opera. He has a goal to perform and compose music that will leave a lasting impression on future generations. Fun Fact: Aldo loves video game, 8-bit, EDM, and Future Bass music. He will geek out about the No Straight Roads and Genshin Impact soundtrack.
Ana Cook (she/her) is a junior horn performance and business double major at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. This is Ana's eighth year in SYO and ninth year playing horn. When she is not performing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, swimming, and learning more about Disney than is probably good for her! Ana is incredibly excited to perform with and teach the SYO students again and can't wait to see what the future holds for each one of them!
Ian Hickey (he/him) is a junior music education major at Butler University. His primary instrument is horn, but he also plays many others such as the piano, synthesizer, trumpet, accordion, and more. This is Ian's third year in SYO. In his free time, he likes to independently produce electronic music and enjoys collaborating with others. Along with this, he also has a background in graphic design and video editing.
Landen Howell (he/him) is a senior jazz studies and music technology major at the University of Indianapolis. This is Landen's first year as an SYO intern. His primary instrument is tenor saxophone, and he also plays just about every other saxophone, bassoon, clarinet, piano, and drums. His goals for the future are to become a regular performer/recording artist as well as a full-time sound engineer and producer. He enjoys making music, walking his two dogs, and playing video games. Fun fact : Landen has perfect pitch and can do an excellent Hank Hill impression.
Zaneon "Zane" Meinhart (he/him) is a senior music education major at Marian University. This is his third year as an SYO intern. After graduation, he hopes to teach elementary music in Indianapolis. His primary instruments are voice and bass, but he also plays saxophone, guitar, keyboard, and anything else he can get his hands on. Zane also has a passion for writing music and has composed pieces in a wide variety of styles and genres.
Ashton Roman (he/him) is a sophomore choral and instrumental music education major at Butler University. His primary instrument is trumpet, but he loves to play ukulele and sing. This is his third year in SYO, and his first year as an intern. When he’s not focusing on music, he loves to play video games on Xbox and watch Star Wars movies. He is very excited to work with SYO this year!
Pearce Vaughn (he/they) is a Cincinnati-born, Indianapolis-based woodwind specialist, arranger, and video producer. Pearce just graduated from the University of Indianapolis. This is his first year in SYO. Pearce performs around Indy regularly with salsa & cumbia group Son De Esquina, and has played at numerous venues in the city such as the Chatterbox Jazz Club, Indianapolis Canal, MLK Memorial Park, and The Jazz Kitchen.
Narquell Ways (she/her) is a sophomore instrumental music major at Marian University. Her primary instrument is viola. This is her first year in SYO. Fun fact about Narquell is that she is multilingual.
Gavin Wise (he/him) is a junior music performance and physics double major at DePauw University. This is Gavin's eighth year in SYO. He plays primarily the tenor sax but has been known to play some oboe. A fun fact about Gavin is he loves working on cars. His all time favorite SYO experience was performing at Carnegie Hall in 2017.
Seth Young (He/Him) is a sophomore music education and music composition double major at Indiana State University. His primary instrument is piano, though he enjoys studying all kinds of instruments. This is his fourth year in SYO and his first year as an intern and he is excited to gain experience in teaching others about music and help them develop their potential. After graduating, he hopes to continue his studies in composition and conducting at the master and doctorate level and wants to be a professional composer/arranger and would like to teach at the collegiate level. Along with his interest in the arts (including drawing, painting, and writing), he enjoys learning about history, psychology, and forensics, among a slew of other topics and loves expanding and testing his knowledge.
Who trains the interns?
Shawn Royer (she/her) provides teacher education training. Sarah Breann Royer (they/them) provides neurodiversity, safe space, and SYO policy trainings. CPR training is provided by Marian University Summer Camp Programs. Dr. Neolany Pelc provides suicide awarness and prevention and mental health training.
Dr. Noelany Pelc (she/her) earned her bachelor’s in Psychology and master’s in Clinical Psychology from Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL. During her training and post-graduation, she gained clinical experience working with women and children who were survivors of trauma and relational violence, particularly as those experiences intersected with marginalized and disenfranchised identities. Dr. Pelc earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, TX, focusing on feminist and multicultural issues. She gathered experience working with college counseling students, dual-diagnosis mental health concerns and cross-addiction within a residential setting, and training in psychological assessment for impaired professionals.
Dr. Pelc is a licensed psychologist in the state of New York and in Indiana, and previously served as the Clinical Coordinator for MA/EdS students in Professional Counseling and School Counseling before serving as the Academic Director of the online School Counseling and Professional Counseling programs for two years at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. She is active in APA’s Division 35 (Society for the Psychology of Women), the Society for Teaching of Psychology (STP) and in the Advancement for Women in Psychology (AWP). Her current areas of research center on experiences of women in the Academy, the socialization of polarized national attitudes, and applications of cultural humility in research, teaching and mentorship. Her professional interests include relational-cultural theory, feminist theory, and pedagogy.
