Mrs. Mexico Visits Castro Elementary and Plays the Violin

The following is courtesy of the Community School for Music and Art.

Students in Music4Schools teacher Hilary McSherry’s strings class at Castro Elementary School had a surprise visitor on May 1—Gisel Merrifield, Mrs. Mexico International 2013.

“I wanted to share with the class how music has been a blessing in my life and how it can be a blessing for them,” said Mrs. Merrifield, who has played violin since childhood. She spoke to the students about the importance of music and playing an instrument, and staying off of the couch to do more creative things. She told them that music can be a tool to help them stay in school and go to college, and how important education is for their future.

Beginning 24 years ago, the Mrs. International® pageant showcases women 21 to 56 years old, married at least six months and a resident of the state or a citizen of the country she represents.  The pageant’s stated mission is “To Make A Difference.” Each contestant has the opportunity to select a platform of her choice, which she promotes during the year.

Mrs. Merrifield, a native of Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico, has chosen to focus on raising awareness of the importance of education. 

"My mission is to encourage the younger generation that despite their circumstances they can receive a good education, and [to] make them aware of the many available resources for them,” says Mrs. Merrifield. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University, and is on the Spanish Translation team at the Mountain View-based online education company Khan Academy.

Music4Schools and Art4Schools are programs of the Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) that bring sequential, skill-based instruction to more than 11,000 children in 30+ schools throughout Silicon Valley.

Founded in 1968, CSMA is Northern California’s largest non-profit provider of arts education programs and, with a $4.9 million budget and 160-member staff and faculty, it is one of the ten largest community schools in the United States.

CSMA is a unique and critical community resource, an incubator for creativity and self-expression, that reaches over 22,600 people annually.