Colonial Italian American Organization (CIAO) Donor Scholarship

I am eleven years old. I hold a silver flute, the metal cool against my hands and lips. I take a breath, then exhale, drawing my first sound from the instrument. It’s a hollow, shapeless sound, yet to me it is a victory. I quickly learn the fingerings for each note, each new sound unlocking a door to making music. Learning the flute teaches me the joy of learning for the sake of learning, to satisfy one’s own thirst for knowledge. I do not know it yet, but this drive to learn my instrument will become important soon. I chose to learn how to play the flute because my mother played it. As I become older, however, this path I am on becomes distinctly my own. I am thirteen years old. I sit in my band director’s office, unsure of why I am there. Mrs. Lawson is a favorite teacher of mine, inspiring me with her character and teaching. She is kind, always positive, and truly enjoys her job. Perhaps, I think, I could become a teacher like her someday. Someone who does some good in the world. She gives me a choice- I can learn oboe or continue playing flute. I don’t know what an oboe is, but I accept her offer without hesitation anyway. Without this moment, this opportunity, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I am sixteen years old. I’m beginning my second year of high school band. The culture of this band is different. It feels like a community, something to belong to. I’m the only oboist at Lafayette, and I’m unused to the pressure that comes with the role. This year I learn to persevere. I learn to trust myself and my abilities. It’s hard, but the idea of giving up is harder. I am eighteen years old. I am the captain of the front ensemble of the Lafayette marching band. Working with my section is the best part of my day. I get to teach my section, but they teach me too. They teach me to let go of perfectionism, to celebrate all progress. Because of them, I learn how to be a better teacher and a better person. I learn how to use skills such as empathy and determination to help our section and each member of it succeed. One day, I will be twenty-two years old. I will be graduating from college. I will be able to use the scholarship money I’ve earned to pay for a fifth year of school so I can earn my Master of Arts in teaching degree. It will be more work and more money, but it will be worth it. One day, I will be twenty-five years old. I will have a job as a band director. I will create a culture of respect and kindness in my band, so everyone feels included. I will be able to use my strengths, such as empathy and passion, to help the band succeed. I will do my best to help my students reach their goals, whatever those may be, and to give them opportunities to be successful. Being a band director and a music teacher may not seem like an important job. But for some kids, kids like me, music is everything. School bands give students opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have. Many students wouldn’t be able to study music without school bands, orchestras, and choirs. Band gives students a sense of community. It’s a space for students to be themselves. I hope to have a positive impact on my students, the way my directors did on me.