Saxophonist Jessica Rose Dodge ('17) was one of the winners of the VSA Young Soloists Award for outstanding young musicians with disabilities. As part of the award, she performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., in May.

Dodge was born with amblyopia in her right eye and is blind in that eye.

She is currently studying for her master's degree at Gnesin's Russian Academy of Music in Moscow. She always had a fascination with Russia and minored in Russian while a music performance major at UNT.

Her goal is to perform as a solo and chamber musician and maintain a studio of students.

"My only true career goal is to become the best artist I can be," she says,"whatever form that may take."