Panorama High School senior Ruby Hummel was selected to the Southwest Iowa Honor Band for the sixth consecutive year, which reaches back to her middle school career.

Band Director Jim Bauch says students like Hummel are as rare as the stone she shares a name with.

“She has incredible work and practice ethic. She practices minimum an hour a day at school and then countless hours when she gets home at night, memorizing her scales, getting them at the specific speed, flawless with no mistakes.”

Bauch will relish his remaining time with Hummel for her senior year before the senior heads off to Drake University.

“There aren’t very many Rubys that come along when you’re a band director in a small rural school. Those are going to be big shoes to fill.”

Hummel was also accepted into the All-State Orchestra as the fourth best clarinet player in the state.