A proud native of Charlottesville, Emily Thomas Waters is a product of the Charlottesville City Schools Orchestra Program, as well as YOCVA. She began Suzuki violin lessons at age three with Julie Wilkerson. Ms. Waters holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is currently earning her masters’ degree at James Madison University. After graduating from VCU in 2015, Ms. Waters directed the Cox High School Orchestra and taught 5th grade strings in Virginia Beach. In her first year of teaching, Ms. Waters was nominated for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra Outstanding Educator Award. In 2018, she returned home to direct the Walker Upper Elementary School Orchestra, which will have more than 200 members this year! Ms. Waters is very excited to be serving as interim director of Junior Strings this year. She resides in Albemarle County with her husband, Orange County High School Band director Cetch Waters, and their dogs, Wolfgang and Rachy, and cats, Calypso and Pizzicato.