PLU Strings Alumni Profiles
The rich variety of course offerings at PLU make for an remarkably diverse profile of the PLU String alumni. Here is a glimpse of just some of the remarkably different paths some of the participants in PLU Strings have taken…
Naomi (Southard) Folwick
Naomi (Southard) Folwick graduated from PLU in 2023 with a Bachelor’s in music performance studying with Dr. Svend Rønning. She also studied with Dr. I-Hao Lee from DePaul University and is currently a teacher assistant for Daniel Mason at the University of Kentucky as she pursues her D.M.A. in violin performance. She was appointed as associate member for the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and has played with Northbrook Symphony, Oistrakh Symphony, and Symphony Tacoma. Featured summer festivals include Meadowmount School of Music and the Tateuchi Institute of Music. During her undergraduate studies at PLU, Naomi served as Concertmaster and Principal Second for PLUSO and was awarded the Mu Phi Epsilon scholarship by the PLU faculty. In 2023, Mrs. Folwick received the Music Department Presser Scholar award – commending high academic and musical accomplishment while embodying the qualities of leadership and citizenship. She also won the annual Concerto Competition in 2023 and performed as a soloist with the PLU Symphony Orchestra. Says Naomi: “I chose PLU because of the string faculty and because of the smaller class sizes that led to more individualized attention. I also loved the wide variety of musical opportunities that PLU offered, contributing to a rich musical training at PLU. I took piano lessons and voice lessons, played for several of the operas, a multitude of chamber ensembles, and jazz combos as a violinist. I even had the chance to conduct the PLU Symphony Orchestra for Myroslav Skoryk’s Melody – an Homage to Ukraine for a concert. PLU taught me leadership skills and provided me with a rich musical base for my continuing education, performances, and teaching.”
Kathleen Haughey
Kathleen Haughey graduated in 2011 with two degrees — a Bachelor of Music in cello performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic studies. During her time at PLU, Kate was able to combine her love of language and culture by performing many concert and chamber works from Spain and Latin America and spent the fall of her senior year studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Kate’s love for both music and culture led her to pursue a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology at Brown University. She is currently the Executive Director of Vermont Folklife in Burlington, Vermont.
Laura Hillis
Laura Hillis graduated with a double major in anthropology and global studies in 2017. She was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, where she studied violin with Rudolf Sternadel and was a member of the Regina Symphony Orchestra. After enjoying many wonderful opportunities to perform and tour as a musician during high school, Laura found herself looking to PLU as a place where she could continue to grow as a musician while earning a quality liberal arts education in other fields. At PLU, Laura studied with Svend Rønning and Korine Fujiwara, played in the University Symphony Orchestra, and was the principal second violinist of the Oxford University Philharmonia during her study away experience with PLU’s IHON-Oxford Program in the spring of 2015. She presented two solo recitals, was featured as a Student Showcase soloist with the PLU Symphony Orchestra (performing Korngold’s Violin Concerto), and was the first (and so far, only) non-major awarded the Dean’s Award of Excellence from PLU’s School of Arts and Communication. Laura pursued a Master of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia after graduation, and continues to play in the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra. She is endlessly thankful to PLU for fostering both a solid foundation in social sciences as well as a lifelong appreciation and joy of music.
Alexander Johnson
Alexander Johnson graduated from PLU in 2021, magna cum laude, with a major in physics and a minor in Hispanic studies. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in physics at Washington State University in Pullman. While at PLU, Alex was active in the International Honors program, briefly studying in the IHON-Oxford program and also participated in the Green Bank Observatory focused on detecting star-forming activity in the outer Milky Way. Alex served as concertmaster of the PLU Symphony Orchestra and formed a student chamber group called the Cloud Quartet. At WSU Alex continues to study astrophysics at the WSU Jewett Observatory while still being passionately engaged with music. He has co-founded the Emerald Quartet with PLU alumna Kate Schneider (BMA ‘19), who both perform in the Washington-Idaho Symphony. Says Alex: “I initially applied to PLU because of my connection to music there. Being a smaller school also meant that I could fully participate in the music program without being a major, and was able to take part in orchestra, lessons, and chamber groups without worrying that there might not be the space or time for non-majors. This alongside the incredibly friendly and welcoming environment at PLU made me feel that there was really no other choice for me. PLU also set me up for future success in a way that I don’t think a lot of schools would have. Since graduating, I’ve been able to employ the interdisciplinary skills sets I learned at PLU not only to get into a competitive doctoral program, but also to continue making music in the communities where I find myself.”
Tomick Necessary
Tomick Necessary graduated from PLU in 2019 with a Bachelors in music education with emphasis in band and orchestra. During his time at PLU, Tomick studied string bass with Dr. Anna Jensen and played string bass with the orchestra, wind ensemble, flute choir, and chamber ensembles, while also singing in Knight’s Chorus. While at PLU, he worked at the Artist Mentoring Program as a teaching aide, helping provide after school music programs for kids in need. After graduating, Tomick was hired at Kentlake High school, where he worked for several years as the orchestra director, as well as instructor for one of the jazz bands. While teaching at Kentlake, Tomick also worked with the Maple Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra as their Philharmonic Orchestra conductor, as well as a half a season as substitute Music Director. Along with MVYSO, Tomick was also a conductor at the Peninsula Youth Orchestra, where he worked with two orchestras, one of which consisted of absolute beginners. Currently, Tomick is finishing his Masters in orchestra conducting at Central Washington University under the guidance of Nikolas Caoile. Tomick chose PLU as he felt it was the best school to prepare to be a teacher, as PLU focused heavily on giving students as much time in schools as possible before graduation. He feels like getting a wide variety of experiences at various schools solidified his love for teaching and helped him prepare for what to expect out in the field.
Noatak Post
Noatak Post studied viola at PLU and graduated in December of 2024 with a Bachelor’s of Music in music education and a Bachelor’s of Arts in computer science. While at PLU he participated in countless chamber ensembles, attended the WMEA conference, won the Student-Alumni Programming Competition in the Computer Science Department, and participated in summer research with the Computer Science Department. Since graduation, he’s created his own company to develop video games, producing the game Upstream, for which he developed the programming, design, writing, sound, and soundtrack. Noatak also has a full-time day job as a Software Engineer at Microsoft, where he also plays viola in the Microsoft Open Orchestra, an internal volunteer orchestra made up of primarily Microsoft employees. Says Noatak of his time at PLU: “I feel confident in saying with absolute certainty that without PLU I would not be where I am today. PLU allowed me to build an education for myself that made it possible to explore all of the things I was interested in. It made me prepared for a wide range of possible careers ensuring that I had many options to choose from when I finally graduated. I didn’t start college studying programming, it was just a hobby for me, but PLU made it possible for me to do both music and computer science in an academic setting, though granted it did take me almost six years! I also made some of the most important and influential relationships of my entire life while in college at PLU. In terms of why I picked PLU in the first place, to be totally honest my initial thoughts were purely financially focused. The financial aid and scholarships available at PLU made the price significantly lower at the time than most of the other schools I was interested in. The thing that really sealed the deal for me though was actually a test lesson I did with Korine Fujiwara. While doing a campus visit before committing to any school I got the opportunity to have a lesson with Korine and it was perhaps the best viola lesson I had ever had up to that point. After that lesson, I knew PLU was where I wanted to study because I wanted to learn from people like her.”
Nathan Rødahl
Nathan Rødahl graduated from PLU in 2015 with a Bachelor of Music in education where he served in leadership roles in the PLU Symphony Orchestra and sang in the Choir of the West, touring with that ensemble to Scandinavia and Central Europe. During his time at PLU he also became interested in Baroque violin, performing at the Westfield Continuo Festival while at PLU. Nathan is currently the Orchestra Director at Port Angeles High School, one of the largest public high school orchestra programs in Washington State, which regularly performs at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He is a NAfME (National Association for Music Education) Teacher Leader and has been published in their Teaching Music magazine as well as in the journal of the Washington Music Educator’s Association. Nathan has also served as Concertmaster or Principal of the Northwest Mahler Festival, the Rainier Symphony, the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, the Ensign Symphony, and the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra. He lives with his wife, Samantha Rødahl (who he met at PLU) and their Chihuahuas in Port Angeles. Says Nathan of his decision to attend PLU: “The reputation of the PLU schools of music and education empowered me with superior credibility in job interviews and professional opportunities. PLU professors have remained important role models and diligent mentors, volunteering time to coach my students, composing new pieces for my students to premier, and taking phone calls to support my professional life. I’m grateful for the network of respected PLU peers and mentors that have helped me in my professional and personal life.”