Yakima People: Honor is 10 years in the making

A decade of hard work has paid off for this Sunnyside teen.

Kristen VanWingerden, a 2009 Sunnyside Christian High School graduate, has been accepted as a member of the National Fraternity of Student Musicians.

To qualify, VanWingerden completed a 10-year program of piano performances. Each year she presented a performance of 10 memorized pieces, which were then evaluated. She earned the highest ratings.

More than 100,000 pupils participate in these auditions each year.

VanWingerden is a piano student of Marilyn Linde of Granger, who is a member of the American College of Musicians, which sponsors the national student fraternity.

Other Linde students participating in this year's auditions were Asia Rose Aguilar, Rosemary Porter, Meribeth Grabner, Elisa Grabner, Konrad Grabner, Tara VanCorbach, Jessica Linde, Erica Linde, Taite Rice and Matthias Rice.