Ming Yuan Low is originally from Malaysia, but choosing Navarro College to pursue education in the U.S. was a decision backed by research. For Ming, affordability, community, and small class sizes were non-negotiables for higher education. After receiving his Associate of Arts in Music from Navarro College in 2006, Ming transferred to Texas Woman’s University to complete his bachelor degree and master degrees in Music Therapy. He then went on to attain his Ph.D. in Creative Arts Therapy from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Currently, he is Assistant Music Professor and researcher at the Berklee College of Music in Boston as well as a board-certified music therapist.   

Ming was very grateful to be the recipient of many music and academic scholarships while attending Navarro College. He says that the “financial support at NC was amazing.” As he further reflects on his NC experience, he states:  

“The community was so important. It’s so hard moving across continents. The supportive community really helped me transition to the U.S., having people you can count on: lifelong friends and supporters, that I still keep in contact with.” 

Ming was also very involved on campus, participating in band, jazz band, and choir. “I made many lifelong friends through choir and band, and shared many adventures that I still hold dear to me till this day.” Ming will never forget that he was once a “shy international student who traveled across the world to join the NC community in quaint little Corsicana,” who found friends that became family and offered so much support while adjusting to life in the states. He also credits the caring and empathetic professors of Navarro, particularly Ms. Sheila Herod. Ming has been a practicing music therapist for the past 15 years. He currently teaches a practicum course, the last class before students practice with clients, Music Improvisation, and Intro to Music Therapy Research. He is also a competitive dragon boat paddler and has competed nationally and internationally.  

 

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