"This is my first year teaching music at La Quinta High School. I taught about six years of elementary music," said Machacon. "What I love about being at the high school level is the relationships with my students."
Before class even starts, Machacon invites her students to go through breathing and visualization exercises.
"What I love about being a music educator is I feel it touches a bit of who we are as humans," said Machacon.
Her students say Ms. Machacon lightens things up and fosters the feeling of community, and family.
"For me being a female, a Filipina, it means so much because I think of the little girl 'hmmm, I don't really see a lot of people that look like me," said Machacon. "If I had known that 10-15 years down the road I would get this award that would have been that extra push."