Marcarelli Community Spirit Scholarship

I became interested in the brain at a very young age. I was obsessed with mind games, crossword puzzles, quiz shows - really anything that forced me to think about the way I think. I didn’t realize until much later that my never-ending inquiries and obsessions were the first signs of my growing love for the field of psychology. I always figured that the questions I had as a kid could be answered with simple, concrete statements and that much of the work required to find such answers had already been done. It wasn’t until I dove deeper into the world of psychology that I noticed how much there is still to be discovered about our own minds. For the first time ever, I saw myself as someone who could not only ask the questions but could answer them, too. And not only that, but I could use those answers to better the lives of people suffering from mental illnesses and disorders. I very quickly realized that this is the work I wanted to be remembered for. As I head to college next year, I plan to start this work as an undergraduate research assistant. But for now, I work every day to dedicate myself to my community. Coming into high school made me realize that there are so many ways to give back and since then I have had the privilege to work with numerous organizations that make helping others their number one priority. My first experience with volunteering came when I was in elementary school and would tag along with my sister to walk the dogs at the local animal shelter. For the past four years of high school, I have spent every week at that shelter helping to care for and adopt out the dogs. Outside of the shelter, I have found countless ways to support my community through leadership roles within my high school. I am the president of my school's National Honor Society and secretary of my school's Student Government. In these positions, I have worked to assist the members of my community by running events like blood drives, American Heart Association fundraisers, and senior citizen dances. I am also the vice president of my school's Key Club, a club committed to community service. In this position, I have run winter clothing drives, donated to the food bank, and made gift baskets for healthcare workers. However, the position I am most proud of and most grateful for is my role as founder and president of my school's American Sign Language club. In this role, I have been able to connect with the Deaf students in my school and help them feel welcome in a predominantly hearing environment. I have also been able to introduce my hearing classmates to the Deaf world and encourage them to become more accepting towards their peers. Deaf students in a hearing school face a lot of challenges, so being able to include them as much as possible is a major goal of mine. I have learned endless lessons through my volunteer positions. However, the most important thing I learned is that I don't need the members of my community that I have helped to remember me. Instead, I want them to remember feeling welcomed, supported, and appreciated by their peers. This is ultimately why I chose psychology as my career path. Mental illness has a way of making people feel isolated. Helping these people feel comfortable and accepted within their community is such a powerful thing. This is what needs to be remembered. Not me and not my work: this.

My name is Jaylin Sellman and I am a senior at Southern High School in Harwood, Maryland. I plan to attend a 4-year university and major in computer science and specialize in cybersecurity. My goals are to join the ROTC program and become a Cyber Operations Officer for the Air Force. Throughout my high school years, I participated in many clubs that were related to my interests. Clubs like Girls Code Club, Code Club, Black Student Union, and Math Honor Society have helped me become more well-rounded as a person and become more connected to the community. I have also done volunteer work related to my interests. Helping out at an animal shelter made me a more caring person and helped me work better with others in a group setting. Helping sort and box donated books also taught me about teamwork and made me feel more grateful for the things I always had in my life. Placing wreaths on veterans' headstones helped me better understand the commitment that people in the military and their families have to protect this country which is what sparked my intent to join the Air Force in the first place. Donating clothes to children whose parents are incarcerated made me feel happy being able to help children during the holidays. I feel that all students should do volunteer work, especially related to something that they care about. Volunteering greatly helps build character and makes you a better person in general. I have always admired people for their intelligence, which is why I believe that forwarding your education is so important to me. But intelligence alone is not what makes someone memorable, it is what one does with that intelligence. I know I'm not the smartest person but I still want to use what knowledge I have and what I'm going to gain to make the world a safer place. The world of cybersecurity is all about maintaining the sustainability of the online world. As the world has begun to become more intertwined with technology, a new world of cyber criminals has emerged. Their main goals are to disturb the peace and exploit people and companies to gain and sell their information illegally. It will soon be my job to collaborate with others to innovate new deficiencies and strategies to protect companies and other users against cyber threats. Being at the forefront of these issues is what I have wanted to do for a long time. Helping to protect others is a value I greatly admire, but also the challenges and constant learning are what got me into cybersecurity in the first place. I also want to be someone that other black girls in STEM can look up to. Growing up, I never had many black role models in STEM to look up to. Stepping into a classroom full of white students can deter someone from walking a path that can unlock so many opportunities for them. I want to help make that path more accessible to more black women by showing them that the fight is worth it in the end and that they as well can make a difference.

From vaulting onto the piano bench during my elementary school recital to performing at Carnegie Hall on the flute, I have always carried music through my life. However, while performing has been rewarding, I find far more fulfillment and would like to be remembered for sharing my passion for music with others. I serve as founder and CEO of the Do Re Mi Project (doremiproject.org), an international nonprofit which strives to make music education more accessible by connecting high school volunteers with elementary/middle school students. I’m involved in several groups that perform at nursing homes and schools, but due to our busy schedules, we often couldn’t coordinate performance times or transportation. So, in January 2020, I came up with Do Re Mi as a way to help the community which eliminates the need for transportation and allows for flexibility. Since then, we’ve grown to more than 1,000 members and provided more than 10,000 free online music lessons and $4,000 in musical scholarships to kids from 37 states and 10 countries! Through our free masterclass program, we’ve invited professional musicians from Broadway, the Berlin Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, and more top orchestras to teach our volunteers. We have also been featured on NPR’s “From the Top,” the Baltimore Sun, the Capital Gazette, the US Army Band’s Broadcast, and the World Journal. Serving the community through Do Re Mi has been a magical experience. What makes Do Re Mi so special to me are the recitals where our students proudly perform for their first time, the masterclasses where our volunteers become inspired to pursue music education, and the meaningful connections that form between our participants. It’s the diverse community we’ve built and the sense of togetherness that continues to persist, even throughout the COVID pandemic. I want Do Re Mi’s impact to be remembered so youth around the world can understand that music and community are very powerful things. Music naturally draws people together and forges connections beyond words. When we share the ability to make music with others, we can impact them for the rest of their lives. A story that embodies this inspirational energy centers around my first flute student. While I was helping her with sound production, she eventually figured out how to play a note. Within seconds, she jumped out of her chair and screamed, “oh my gosh!” The priceless look on her face, my sense of immediate fulfillment, and the email from her gushing mother afterwards: these magical moments are what drive me. They are the memories I’d like to be remembered for helping create. Through devoting myself to serving Do Re Mi, I’ve learned that my dream career bridges orchestral performance and orchestral administration. After conversing with professional musicians, I’ve learned when administration doesn’t have a musical background, business is sometimes prioritized over artistry, leading to canceled concerts and orchestra size reductions. To become a leader in the field of music, I dream of attaining both an academic and musical education in college. At Harvard, I will attain an organizational and entrepreneurial education, and I also hope to participate in the dual-degree program with New England Conservatory to attain a world-class music education. The Do Re Mi Project and music have inspired me to become a future leader in music, and the Marcarelli scholarship will help fund my education and allow me to pursue my dream.

I am a high school senior at Kent Island High School in Stevensville Maryland where I participate in varsity soccer and softball, hold the position of Vice President of my senior class and the board secretary for our chapter of the National Honor Society. I am also an active member of my Girl Scout troop, play travel softball and like to spend time volunteering in my community. My first educational goal is to earn my bachelors degree with a major in environmental engineering and a minor in international studies. I aspire to continue to learn from fellow conservationists as well as taking on new experiences like traveling to natural treasures such as the Great Barrier Reef to learn how to best preserve them. I’ll ensure that even outside the classroom, I’ll never stop educating myself. I would like to be remembered for being kind, compassionate and my volunteering efforts. During my time in high school I have volunteered at the following organizations: KIHS Beach Cleanups → Cleaning trash in local beaches and parks. Wonder in the Wild → Environmental school where we teach responsible outdoorsmanship. Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center → Promote environmental stewardship and awareness. Night to Shine → Attend prom organized for special needs teens as their date or “buddy”. Anthony's Run → Local 5k dedicated to ending opioid and drug abuse in our community. Rowan’s Run → Local 5k event to promote awareness for those with special needs. Thanksgiving Food Bank and Delivery → Collection and distribution of nonperishable goods. I have learned the most from the Night to Shine organization. They give people who are differently abled a true prom that they may have never had before. This community of people have inspired and changed my life more than I could have ever imagined. Year 1: Constince was a charming boy who you would never know experienced the world differently from the rest of us. While he was shy at first, once on the dance floor, he lit up like a beam in the night. Constince showed me sometimes even the quietest people can tell the funniest jokes and the best stories if you give them a chance to. Year 2: Sheila had a wheelchair and was older than most of the guests. When I asked if she wanted to dance, she smiled and shook her head. We may have only said two words to each other, but she seemed content watching the young people enjoy their evening. Sheila taught me that some experiences transcend words. Year 3: Joe was the life of the party and known as the king of the prom. He was never afraid to try a new dance move or sing karaoke. He made a girl like me sing Journey in front of 100+ people and not regret it to this day. Joe taught me to live life to the fullest and never fear embarrassment. Night to Shine changed my perspective on volunteering. Before, I thought volunteering was all about how I could help my community and make a difference but I now see that the opposite is just as true; they helped me just as much as I hope I helped them. All of the people that I met through this event taught me something different and brought me a new sense of empathy, growth, and perspective. I would like people to remember me this way in hopes of being an inspiration for them to find an organization to volunteer with and learn first hand that you get so much more than you give.