MMTC Volunteer of the Year Dinner March 29thHonors Jeanne Christiansen
By Pam Stevens
Jeanne Christensen, Mira Mesa High School Sapphire Sound band director since 1994, will be honored by the Mira Mesa Town Council as 2018 Mira Mesa Volunteer of the Year at the MMTC Volunteer of the Year Dinner on Friday, March 29, 2019, at the Country Inn & Suites hotel in western Mira Mesa, 5975 Lusk Boulevard, San Diego 92121. Jeanne Christensen is an inspirational teacher and mentor who has devoted countless hours of personal time as well as passion on behalf of Mira Mesa’s youth over the years as MMHS Sapphire Sound Band Director, and the entire community of Mira Mesa is the better for that. The gala will begin with a reception from 6:30 to 7:30pm, followed by a buffet dinner and after-dinner program.
The buffet dinner will include a Chicken Fajitas & Beef Taco Bar with vegetarian options of grilled veggies, vegetarian refried beans, rice, and a garden salad. The cost is $40/person for reservations received by March 22, $50/person thereafter (if space remains). Cash bar open during reception, dinner, and program.
This year’s event is likely to attract a capacity crowd, due to the large number of Sapphire Sound alumni and “alumni parents” planning to attend and join in honoring “Mrs. C.,” so don’t delay in making your reservation. Dinner reservations and payment can be made online at www.miramesatowncouncil.org
The event is also a fundraiser for the MMTC’s Verne Goodwin Scholarships, awarded to graduating high school seniors based on community service. This year’s MMTC VOY Dinner Committee includes Maria Pankau, Christina Keene, Teri Ang, Charlene Ellsworth, and Pam and Jeff Stevens. For questions or more information, contact Christina Keene, 858-877-3766, or email VOY@miramesatowncouncil.org
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Here’s a brief biography of Jeanne Christensen, as posted at https://www.miramesatowncouncil.org/voy/2018-jeanne-christensen/
Jeanne Christensen is the Mira Mesa High School Sapphire Sound band director. Jeanne is paid for her work as a teacher at MMHS but those of us who know her know that there is no possible way for the district to pay her for the entirety of the hours she spends with the band. This is her life project and the students are her children. Many of her past students can be seen helping her continue on her search for excellence, from coaches to mentors to those living outside the area but still coming back to help with the tournament or just to visit with Mrs. C. Her students truly love her and are proud of the band she has created and the accolades that come Mira Mesa’s way because of Sapphire Sound. They are proud to be part of the Sapphire Sound history.
She has grown the band from 80+ musicians and color guard to over 200 students who make the well-oiled machine that is the Sapphire Sound. In her 25 years at the helm she has made MMHS and Mira Mesa well known as a community that supports the arts and has an outstanding music program in our schools. She has helped to set up a program that supports young musicians from the onset by providing them with opportunities to play with the big kids at the high school. Her perseverance in making Sapphire Sound the best in the district encourages students in elementary and middle school to excellence so that they too can be a part of Sapphire Sound. Jeanne has taken Sapphire Sound to see, and be seen, by the world… The Olympics in 2000, Australia, Hawaii, New York City, Breckenridge, Washington D.C., and many other amazing places.
