Rice directs CM choir

Rice+and+her+husband%2C+Frederick

Rice and her husband, Frederick

Just like the new incoming class of freshman, there are new members of the Civic Memorial staff this year, and one of those new members is the choir instructor Veronica Rice.

She graduated from Oakville High School in St. Louis. She stayed in the area and attended Webster University, also located in St. Louis. She grew up with a large Italian family, which contained many aunts, uncles and cousins. She has two younger sisters. “I have two little sisters who aren’t so little anymore; they’re all taller than me!” she said.

This is Rice’s second year teaching at a public school. She teaches private voice lessons along with piano lessons and has helped with an after-school choral program for the past 5 years.

Rice said the people are the best thing about CM.

“So far, I am loving the people! The teachers that I have met so far are all super down to Earth and genuinely care about their students.”

Mrs. Rice got married over the summer, and her new husband is the choir director at Mascoutah High School.

When she’s not here at Civic Memorial teaching, she is a “Mezzo- Soprano Young Artist with the In Unison Symphony Chorus at Powell Hall.” She also loves to cook and to go on hikes, and loves to ice skate in the winter.