Foundation for Dubuque Public Schools
FDPS events play a crucial role in helping our mission to support student achievement by promoting investment in the Dubuque Public Schools
This event is a fundraiser that supports the FDPS and allows our organization to fulfill our mission of supporting student achievement by promoting investment in the Dubuque Public Schools. The foundation supports district projects and programs that go beyond the school district’s budget. Some examples of our support include field trips, hands on learning projects, new books and technology, after-school programming, classroom grants, essential items for success in school, and funding for music and arts education. Making sure we have resources available to help students succeed gives our students and staff a competitive edge, ensuring that our schools are attractive to families for years to come. Last year we raised $100,000! With your support, we can do it again!
2025 Hometown Alumni Award Recipient: Dr. Hunter Fuerste
Hunter Fuerste is a lifelong Dubuquer whose remarkable journey embodies the essence of the arts and education, much like the spirit captured in Meredith Willson’s famous “The Music Man.”
A proud product of the Dubuque Community Schools—Bryant Elementary where he first picked up a trombone, Washington, and Dubuque Senior High School—Hunter furthered his musical training at North Texas State University, where he studied jazz and learned to compose and transcribe under some of the nation’s finest instructors. This experience shaped his belief that music and education are powerful healing tools, an ethos that resonates deeply within his community.
In the middle of his undergrad music studies, he was hired as the youngest member to work with Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians. He traveled on the road playing concerts in the United States and Canada including a televised New Years Eve concert in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on CBS Television where the band rang in the 1977 New Year with Lombardo’s version of Auld Lang Syne.
After student teaching music to students at an impoverished Dallas area high school in need of assistance, Hunter, unbeknownst to his family and friends, applied and was accepted to the University of Iowa School of Medicine. He credits his experience at Senior that taught him the importance of study and names like Prohaska, Chapman and Tollari who sparked his interest in science.
After completing medical school, he interned at Los Angeles County Hospital and then did a residency in ophthalmology at the Eye Institute at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He served as chief resident in his senior year. Hunter then returned to Dubuque to build upon the family legacy in ophthalmology, partnering with his father, his mother, and siblings at the Fuerste Eye Clinic. His civic commitment to the arts solidified. As a dedicated patron and volunteer at the Dubuque Grand Opera House, he has directed several musicals, served as president of the board of directors, and showcased the transformative power of the arts in education—a central theme of “The Music Man,” where music unites diverse people under one inclusive roof.
In the medical field, Hunter has held esteemed roles, serving as president of the Iowa Medical Society and the Iowa Academy of Ophthalmology, while advocating for healthcare excellence. He served as a delegate to the American Medical Association representing Iowa on the national stage. His musical passions continue to thrive through his leadership of hi American Vintage Orchestra, which hosts annual concerts that celebrate the joy of music and community. Big Band music is now a rarity and would surely never be heard in the Midwest. Fuerste plays locally, and regionally keeping the genre alive for those who love it.
One of Hunter’s most significant contributions is his three-decade collaboration with the Dubuque Arts Council, where his efforts have brought the musical artists in residency program directly to over 20,000 school children across the tri-state area. Hunter has dedicated his life to nurturing the next generation’s love for music through his own instruction, his band, and his direction in the Arts Council.
As the driving force behind “Music in the Gardens,” a cherished community event at the Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Hunter fostered a love of music which brought people together in a beautiful, inclusive setting. Fuerste will do the same along the riverfront this summer launching the next chapter of public concerts when the programming moves to the Alliant Amphitheater along the Mississippi in “Music at the Star”.
Dr. Hunter Fuerste stands as an esteemed physician by trade and a passionate musician at heart, reminding us all that music and the arts can heal and unite us. As the Music Man’s memorable line reminds us, “You don’t need to be a musician or know how to read music— just remember that the music is already in you.” Hunter lives this, using his public school education, his training at the North Texas State University, the University of Iowa, and his musical devotion to enrich lives and strengthen his community. He is grateful to his teachers, his family, and to his fellow musicians.
2025 Friend of Dubuque Public Schools Award Recipient: Katie and Charlie Parker
Charlie and Katie Parker have a 15-year-old son who is a freshman at Senior High School and a 12-year-old son at Washington Middle School, both of which attended Irving Elementary. The family cares about quality public school education for all.
Charlie and Katie went to the University of Missouri-Columbia undergraduate and medical school. They did residency training at the University of Cincinnati and then moved back to Dubuque to be closer to Katie’s family in Cascade. Charlie is an ENT and Katie is a hospitalist physician.
They believe in the power of education, science, nature, and giving.
The Parkers were nominated by Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School’s Garden Club staff as they have seen the direct impact of the Parker’s efforts to get students in the Dubuque Community School District more connected to their school and nature by learning how to garden and be involved in all of the steps of growing their own food. Students at Alta Vista Campus, Hempstead & Senior High School, Roosevelt Middle School, and Lincoln & Sageville Elementary Schools are benefiting from this program.
Produce grown feeds school families, provides snacks inside classrooms, brings in extra dollars for school projects through plant sales, and inspires future gardeners.
We are so grateful to have Katie, Charlie, and their family in the Dubuque Community as they are this year’s Friends of Dubuque Public Schools recipient!
2025 Young Philanthropist: Peyton Dixon, Executive Board Member of Senior High School’s Silver Cord Board
Peyton Dixon is a Junior at Dubuque Senior High School and serves as external vice president on the DSHS Silver Cord Board. She is very involved within her school as she is in Student Council, Speech Team, Theatre, Band and Golf.
As well as spending time outside of school volunteering and serving her community. She is honored to be selected as one of the Young Philanthropists of 2025 along with her peers.
She wants to thank her fellow board members and advisors for being such a great team to work with!
2025 Young Philanthropist: Jacob Haug, Executive Board Member of Senior High School’s Silver Cord Board
Jacob Haug is a senior at Dubuque Senior High School and is incredibly honored to receive the Young Philanthropists Award this year alongside the DSHS Silver Cord Board.
As the board’s internal vice president, he helps promote volunteer service opportunities to the student body. Outside of Silver Cord, Jacob enjoys running and working out. He has competed in cross country and track and field for the last four years, qualifying for the state cross country meet this past season.
Additionally, he is involved in peer tutoring, speech team, and National Honor Society. After graduating, Jacob plans to study aerospace engineering while continuing to work hard and serve others
2025 Young Philanthropist: Josie Norton, Executive Board Member of Senior High School’s Silver Cord Board
Josie Norton, daughter of PJ and Tami Norton, is a senior at Dubuque Senior High School. She is the President of the Silver Cord Board of Directors and has served on the board for 3 years. During her 4 years at Dubuque Senior, Josie has logged over 380 hours of service.
Josie is also a member of the National Honor Society, has served on Student Council for 3 years, swam for the Dubuque Senior Women’s Swim Team for 2 years earning a trip to the state tournament both years and is a part of the fresh/soph record holding medley relay.
She is active in theatre at Dubuque Senior and has been the assistant director and stage manager as well as a member of the paint and sound crews. Josie is a member of the Dubuque Senior Speech Team where she has taken part in Ensemble Acting, Poetry, Short Film, and Choral Reading having been a part of the first Choral Reading group to earn a Critics Choice Banner for Dubuque Senior High School during the 2022 All-State Speech Festival.
She has also taken part on and off stage in productions for the Rising Star Theatre Company since age eight. Josie will be attending the University of Iowa next year majoring in Mathematics and Secondary Education with plans to be a middle or high school math teacher.
2025 Young Philanthropist: Monica Schueller, Executive Board Member of Senior High School’s Silver Cord Board
Monica Schueller is a senior at Dubuque Senior High School with a strong passion for helping others and making a positive impact on the world. She began her journey of community service as a freshman by joining Silver Cord, where she contributed to organizing volunteering projects, such as crafting for nursing homes and hosting a food drive for those in need. Her dedication to service earned her a position as a board member during her junior year, a role she will continue until her graduation.
In addition to her work with Silver Cord, Monica has volunteered monthly at her church’s nursery and led preschool-aged children through activities related to Vacation Bible Camp during the summer. She has also been a member of the Girls’ Golf team since her freshman year, discovering a passion for the sport and playing all four years. Her commitment to both academics and athletics earned her all-academic honors for the Mississippi Valley Conference in golf.
Monica values the close relationships she has with her family and friends. After high school, she plans to attend Iowa State University, where she will pursue a degree in biology with the goal of becoming a forensic biologist.
