William Smith Scholarship

Teaching has always been my passion whether I realized it or not. At the age of 11, I led my karate classes in warm-ups and taught kids much older than me. I explained and paid attention to minuscule details when teaching attack forms, ensuring every lunge was low enough and every punch was thrown with effort. Similarly, this is how I lead my violin sectionals today as concertmaster. As a freshman, I found myself in the same position; this time, teaching seniors in varsity. It was rocky at first but as time went on I got better and better at it, still leading sectionals to this day as a senior. I had to figure out things that worked, implement ideas I learned from AFA (summer music festival) and Houston Youth Symphony, and take tips from my mentors and teachers. This led to me branching out and teaching students from my former middle school, which resulted in two of my students making it into Kerr High School’s varsity orchestra as freshmen---a rare accomplishment. Moreover, I have started a tutoring program at my school, organizing lessons, assigning tutors, and developing a system that encourages students to attend every lesson. I even created YouTube tutorials on techniques such as left-hand frame, shifting, and audition PAKs given at our school because I want to give students the opportunity I never got when learning violin. I never had a private lesson teacher until tenth grade through the HYS melody program and had to learn how to play the violin myself through YouTube tutorials, paying great attention to detail so I didn’t develop bad technique. I grew up in Alief, a low-income area, where violin lessons aren’t even considered due to the price, but I still tried to do my best with what I had. I learned to be detail-oriented through the hours of drone work I did. I learned to be a great leader through conducting my orchestra classes and rehearsals. I learned to be persistent even when things get tough. Through my passion for music, I created a quintet at my school, naming it the Kerr Quintet. My friends and I took on gigs around the Alief district, which wasn't exposed to classical music. We rehearsed at my house and at school and spent countless hours perfecting our music in order to play at various gigs. We played at board meetings, award ceremonies, and even middle schools, bringing music into our community without expecting a single dime. In the future, I aspire to keep music education thriving as a high school orchestra director in Houston. I also hope to further my expertise with a master’s degree, which would support my goal of making music accessible and loved by all. Long-term, I envision a role in arts administration to shape broader music initiatives, ensuring that classical music remains a vibrant part of my community. I want to impact the world of music, not through my amazing playing, but by making sure that future generations will know the power music has on people and that music is more than notes on paper. I dream of inspiring my students to love music, whether they’re playing or listening truly. Looking back, my journey from self-taught musician to community leader has taught me that music has the power to shape lives. I am grateful for the chance to pass that power on to others.