Cassandra Ruiz is the Director of Orchestras at Maine East High School in Park Ridge, Illinois. She directs the String Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra, and Symphonic Orchestra, and teaches class guitar and class piano. 

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She was previously the Director of Elementary Orchestras at West Chicago Elementary District 33, where she taught 4th and 5th grade orchestra at all elementary schools.

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Ms. Ruiz earned a Bachelor's of Music Education with High Honors at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a Master's of Music Education from Kent State University. 

In addition to teaching, Ms. Ruiz performs as a violinist with the DuPage Symphony Orchestra and is the first violinist in the Chiara String Quartet. 

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Ms. Ruiz wrote for the January 2021 issue of the Illinois Music Educators Journal, and was the 2021 recipient of the Illinois American String Teachers Association Emerging Educator award. She was interviewed by the Illinois Arts Alliance about teaching during the pandemic, and was featured in the Naperville Sun regarding a community string quartet performance.

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Ms. Ruiz is a member of the American String Teachers Association.