Chris Japikse began teaching public school orchestra in the fall of 2014.  He has taught in Medina, Mansfield, Hilliard, and Chillicothe prior to coming to Mount Vernon and is thrilled to not be looking for a new school anymore because he plans to stay in Mount Vernon for a long time.  He received his Bachelor’s of Music Education degree with an emphasis in violin performance from Otterbein University in 2014 and his Master's of Education in Educational Psychology from Kent State University in 2022.  During the 2016-2017 school year, the Ohio String Teacher’s Association awarded him their “Young String Teacher of the Year” award which is only awarded in years when their board of directors receives a nomination which they feel is worthy of the award.  Mr. Japikse enjoys bowling, reading, hiking, attending Columbus Blue Jackets games, and riding his motorcycle to different parts of Ohio.  He and his wife live in Centerburg, OH with their two cats, Winston and Dizzy.