Arsenal Tech Band Sends Students To College

Why this is here: Five students in Arsenal Tech’s advanced band will attend college in the fall with full or nearly full tuition coverage through financial aid.

Josh Goodman, band director at Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, is seeing his students gain college acceptance with financial aid. Students are earning scholarships through musical talent and academic performance. Goodman credits student Mercy Makanjuola’s acceptance to Notre Dame in 2023 as a turning point, inspiring others to pursue college opportunities through band.

Roughly 1,200 students are graduating from Indianapolis Public Schools this spring. Arsenal Tech’s band recently earned the All-Music Award from the Indiana State School Music Association, a first for the district. Five advanced band students, including Joshua Camero and Cassietta Lewis, will attend college this fall with substantial financial aid.

Not all students plan to study music. Tennia Gleplay will pursue forensic science, and Roseneika Saint Jules plans to study nursing after immigrating from Haiti as a freshman.

The program’s success doesn’t guarantee future aid levels, and sustaining the momentum will require continued effort. Goodman and his students continue to explore pathways to higher education through music.