When the Grammys are presented Jan. 31, an MCC graduate will be among the nominees anxiously waiting to see if they won one of the coveted awards.

Blues artist Ruthie Foster, a graduate of McLennan Community College's commercial music program, has been nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album for her most recent work, "The Truth According to Ruthie Foster."

"This is one the highest honors for a musician and a very validating experience for me," Foster said. "I'm elated and humbled at the same time. It's been some time since my early-morning Music Theory class at MCC. But it seems to be paying off in a mighty big way!"

Foster, a native of Central Texas, attended MCC in the early 1980s to study songwriting and was among the first few classes of students to graduate from the commercial music program.

"She was an outstanding student," said Rob Page, MCC's commercial music program director. "She was very dedicated and talented and learned quickly."

Since her time at MCC, Foster has followed her love of music from Texas to a stint in the Navy to time in New York and back home to Texas again. Over the years, she has recorded five albums, including her latest Grammy-nominated work.