Halifax HS Grad Honored by Dauphin County Commissioners for 3rd Straight Year Achieving PMEA All-State

Serena Group SMALL CROP


A recent Halifax High School graduate was honored Wednesday by the Dauphin County Commissioners for her selection to the PMEA All-State Wind Ensemble.

Serena Knauss, a trumpeter, earned her third consecutive Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) All-State recognition, and is bound for Penn State University where – she assured the commissioners – she will continue playing music.

“This has been a really cool experience the past few years,” Serena told the commissioners, saying recent virtual competitions were different, but she still learned a lot.

Dauphin County Commissioners Mike Pries, Chad Saylor, and George P. Hartwick III presented Serena with a certificate, recognizing her “distinguished accolade as the finest among (her) peers.”

“Serena has already achieved so much, and really, her journey is just getting started,” Commissioner Pries said.

Serena was salutatorian at Halifax High School. Her mother accompanied her for recognition at the Commissioner’s meeting.

Commissioner Saylor told Serena he also was a musician in school and pointed out the rivalries and competition existing between on-field athletes also apply for musicians.

Commissioner Hartwick congratulated Serena, saying, “those who excel in music have a significant base for the future.”

The Board of Commissioners will be mailing certificates to the other county musicians earning PMEA All-State.

MEDIA CONTACT: Brett Hambright, Press Secretary, 717-780-6311; bhambright@dauphinc.org.