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Adia Clark Lay

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Finalist

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Singing
  • Writing
  • Music
  • Guitar
  • Songwriting
  • Acting And Theater
  • Theater
  • Travel And Tourism
  • Exploring Nature And Being Outside
  • Advocacy And Activism
  • Volunteering
  • Community Service And Volunteering
  • Business And Entrepreneurship

Reading

  • Adult Fiction
  • Chick Lit
  • Drama
  • Music
  • Mystery
  • Novels
  • Romance
  • Young Adult

I read books multiple times a month.

Bio

My name is Adia Clark Lay and I attended Steamboat Springs High School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I was a member of the class of 2022, but I graduated a semester early. I am studying songwriting and music business at Berklee College of Music. My primary instrument is my voice, but I also play guitar, piano, and ukulele. I teach guitar lessons to children and adults who consider themselves to be at a beginner or intermediate level. I believe that music can change the world and I am doing my best to prove that. Music allows connections to be made between not only people and their feelings but also with others. My passion to write adds to the large catalog of music that already exists, giving listeners more to hear and relate with. In 2021, I performed and competed in a vocal competition where I raise $2,500 for a local non-profit of my choice. I chose Horizons, a non-profit that provides family support, case management, residential, vocational, and day services to children and adults with disabilities and their families. This shows that music can help both the general population and those truly in need. I am very passionate about social justice for many issues, some of which include; women's rights, climate change, reproductive rights, voter rights, racial injustice, gun violence, and LGBTQIA+ rights, and sexual violence. I am very active on social media and in my community about these issues, raising awareness and attempting to induce positive change. I've organized and attended numerous rallies and marches for these issues.

Education

Berklee College of Music

Bachelor's degree program

2022 – 2026

Majors:
  • Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
  • Business Administration, Management and Operations
  • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
  • Music

Steamboat Springs High School

High School

2018 – 2022

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Bachelor's degree program
Majors of interest:
Music, Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations, Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other, Business Administration, Management and Operations, Community Organization and Advocacy

Career

  • Performer/Teacher

    Music · Independent

    Jan 2014 – Present

  • Server

    Food & Beverages · Various

    Jan 2018 – Present

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Music
Dream career goals:
Singer/Songwriter
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Politics
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
  • Entrepreneurship
Future Green Leaders Scholarship
My name is Adia Clark Lay and I am a senior at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. I am studying both Business and Songwriting. My goal as a musician is to change the world. Two of the biggest thrown away items are clothing and paper. In my industry as a musician, clothing and stickers are used as a form of merchandise to get your name and music out into the world. Having your name and face on a shirt or sticker is like a walking billboard, especially for small musicians like myself. So for a lot of artists, these types of merchandise are not something we can easily get away from. But being that these things are so often thrown away, we have to do our best not to contribute to the problem. Instead we have to be part of the solution. This is important to me because I am fortunate enough to have grown up in a household where recycling was huge and education about the importance of a clean planet was frequently brought up. But I realize that not everyone was given the same opportunities in that regard. The merchandise I currently sell does not include clothing, but I hope to one day reach a level of my artistry where fans have the funds to purchase bigger merchandise items, like shirts, hoodies, and hats. The merchandise I do currently sell includes stickers, CDs, and tote bags. The company I use to print my stickers uses carbon-neutral printing methods and recyclable products and packaging. When making my CDs, I thrift the CDs from local thrift stores to use the cases for my CDs. This not only supports local businesses but also keeps new plastics from being created and old ones from being thrown in the landfill. For my tote bags, I thrift blank tote bags and use a reusable stencil to put my logo onto the tote bag. These are all easy and sustainable ways to create merchandise for fans that do not break the bank. At this stage in my career, I am selling most of my merchandise at live performances. But I hope to one day reach the point where people are ordering it online and I have to ship it. However, shipping materials, such as paper and cardboard are commonly disposed of improperly. So I strive to not only make sustainable merchandise, but I will also ship that merchandise in biodegradable packaging. Getting second-hand clothing and printing on my logo by hand, like I do with the tote bags, is a great way to keep things sustainable. I would love to work with companies like EcoEnclose, who design eco-friendly packaging and shipping materials. You can do anything you set your mind to, and for me that is making the world a better place one small, sustainable step at a time. Thank you for your consideration.
I Can Do Anything Scholarship
The person I see in the mirror is the dream version of me, I've seen her grow and I will foster that growth so I can continue to improve as I have thus far.
Bold Bucket List Scholarship
My bucket list consists of many things, including travel, music, and helping combat social justice issues in my community. As a recent high school graduate who finished high school a semester early, I had nine months to work on my craft, explore the world, and discover adulthood. I turned 18 on January 1st of this year, so the new year meant lots of new opportunities. In March, I plan to travel with my high school Select Choir to New York City to perform in Carnegie Hall for a concert that we auditioned for pre-pandemic. From New York, I will travel to Arizona and play as many open mics as possible to get myself and my music in front of new people. Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I have always wanted to be a singer when I grow up. Now I'm an adult who is performing regularly and writing her own songs. My biggest accomplishment was getting accepted into my dream college, Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, where I will study songwriting and music business. This is the perfect school for not only my dreams but also my passion for inclusivity and diversity. I strive to be an advocate for both, but living in a small town makes that difficult. I've held multiple marches and rallies in Steamboat Springs, CO in order to raise awareness and show support for many things, some of which include women's rights, reproductive rights, and sexual harassment advocacy. Ultimately, my bucket list items are to make the world a better place through my actions and music career, as music impacts people’s awareness and motivation to pursue their own dreams.
Pettable Pet Lovers Scholarship
This is Aspen. Her name comes from a tree that is very common to see in my home state of Colorado. Everywhere we go with Aspen, people always say it looks like she is smiling, or that she looks like such a happy dog. The first picture encapsulates this personality trait of hers. She really is a happy dog. (IMG-4888.JPG contents: Adia Clark Lay (me, left), Aspen (middle), Kailani Clark Lay (sister, right)
Austin Kramer Music-Maker Scholarship
After moving to from Illinois to Colorado, my relationship with my life long best friend went through a rough patch. That rough patch turned into fights and eventually came to an end after some mean words were said. I stayed up all night writing about my feelings with my guitar. "Burn" is one of the first songs I ever wrote and I am so excited to finally share it with the world.
"What Moves You" Scholarship
Taylor Swift once said "So many girls out there say, 'I'm not a feminist,' because they think it means something angry, or disgruntled, or complaining, or they picture rioting and picketing. It is not that at all. It simply means you believe women and men should have equal rights and opportunities." I, Adia Clark Lay, am about to be a senior in the fall of 2021 and can relate to this quote more now than ever. I have always thought that women and men should be treated equally but never felt comfortable calling myself "a feminist". The boys at school made it seem as if it was a bad thing. Before George Floyd's death, I would scroll through social media occasionally and post things once every few weeks. After Floyd's death, I started posting infographics, news articles, and many other things relating to discrimination in the U.S. on my Instagram Story every day. I didn't think I was going to change the world with one post, but the little things can make a difference. After George Floyd, I was not only posting about racial discrimination but about the election and "feminist" related topics. A boy in my grade responded to a post I made about respect for females calling me a "Stupid educated feminist thinking there smart". Yes, I get the irony. This opened my eyes. Boys have tainted the word "feminism" because they do not believe in it. We live in a man's world, so whatever a man thinks, goes. Right? No. Women are rising and men are choosing to support them. Women are securing jobs in fields previously dominated by men. Although American women are only making 82 cents for every American man's dollar, the number is improving. This is due to the work of females around the globe, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Malala Yousafzai. These women fought for gender equality, and one continues to do so every day. I hope that by continuing to post on my social media about prominent issues that face our society, I can educate others and hopefully destigmatize the word "feminist".
Adia Clark Lay Student Profile | Bold.org