Mrs. Herceg started her teaching career in 2010, and she is excited to start her first year as the Band Director at Beaumont Middle School and Rosa Parks Elementary School. 

Before coming to Beaumont in 2021, she served as a Band Director at Frederick Douglass High School (KY), McNabb Middle School (KY) and Tri-North Middle School (IN).  

Ensembles under Mrs. Herceg's direction consistently earn Distinguished ratings at state music association events events (KMEA or ISSMA).  The Tri-North Symphonic Band received the ISSMA All Music Award in 2015 and 2016.  Her students are encouraged to participate in county, district and state level honor band events, and she has conducted Middle School Honors Bands at Eastern Kentucky University and Murray State University.  

Mrs. Herceg holds degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (BME) and the University of Georgia (MME, summa cum laude).  While at Indiana University, she performed in the JSOM Bands and Marching Hundred, and she served as the president of the IU chapter of NAfME.

Mrs. Herceg is a member of the National Association for Music Education, Kentucky Music Educators Association, the International Bandmasters Fraternity Phi Beta Mu, and she plays clarinet with the Central Kentucky Concert Band.  She served as the District 8 Middle School Band Chair in 2017, and she currently serves as the KMEA District 7 Middle School Band Chair, the KMEA State Middle School Band Chair-Elect, and the Communications Chair for the FCPS Band Directors Association.   

She lives in Lexington with her husband Dorian, daughters Emilia & Zoe, and dogs Baxter and Coltrane. 

Ms. Cooper is starting her 14th year teaching, and  13th year as a Band Director at Beaumont Middle School.  She teaches the 6th, 7th and 8th grade bands at Beaumont alongside Mrs. Herceg, and she is the band director at Garden Springs Elementary and James Lane Allen Elementary.  Before coming to Beaumont, she taught at Leestown Middle School for one year.  

While Ms. Cooper has taught at Beaumont, the bands have performed at KMEA, Clinics at Disney World, Kings Island Trills and Thrills, and many school concerts! 

Ms. Cooper is a native of Lexington, Kentucky and holds degrees from the University of Kentucky (MME, BMME).  She got to play in the UK Bands, UK Marching Band, UK Pep Band, UK Women's Choir, and UK Orchestra!  She is still an active performer and enjoys being a member of the Metrognomes, the University of Kentucky Alumni Band, as well as directing her church orchestra and bell choir.  

Ms. Cooper was inducted into the Honor Bandsmen in 2002, and was the recipient of the Harold Bennett Alumni "Spirit of Blue" Award in 2003.  She was also a member of Tau Beta Sigma and Sigma Alpha Iota, band and music sororities.  Currently, she is still very active as an alumni member of these sororities.  She is a member of the National Association of Music Education, Kentucky Music Education Association, and the American School Band Directors Association.  She lives in Lexington with her 4 dogs, Luna, Punch, Remy, and Kimber.