Staff Sergeant Ashley Mendeke became a member of the West Point Band’s Hellcats in August of 2013. Prior to joining the Hellcats, Staff Sergeant Mendeke was a freelance flutist and instructor in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She has also performed as a member of the American Wind Symphony and as a featured musician with the Lewisville Lake Symphony's International Chamber Music Series.
A graduate of the University of North Texas, Staff Sergeant Mendeke completed Bachelor of Music degrees in flute performance and music education as a student of Mary Karen Clardy. She was selected as the University of North Texas 2010-2011 Presser Scholar, and was recipient of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund's National Academic Scholarship, winner of the Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI)Triennial Performance Award, winner of the SAI Denton Alumnae Chapter's Performance Scholarship, and winner of the 2010 TMTA Young Artist Competition.
Staff Sergeant Heath White, from Lincoln, Nebraska, joined the West Point Band’s Hellcats in 2016. He holds a Master of Music degree in flute performance from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of Nebraska. Before attending graduate school, Staff Sergeant White taught middle school band in Nebraska.
While at Indiana University, Staff Sergeant White premiered numerous student compositions and earned the Mrs. Hong Pham Memorial Award for New Music Performance. He has also performed and premiered works with the National Intercollegiate Band, Holographic New Music Ensemble, and New Voices Opera Company.
