I am pursuing musical theater because when I joined my school's theater class, I did not know what to expect. I was having so much fun doing a musical with friends, enjoying the dancing and singing, and just putting on a show that made people happy. What really got me hooked on pursuing musical theater was watching Hamilton live with my theater group. It was one of the most amazing performances I have ever seen, and it made me realize that I wanted to be a part of something that powerful and moving. I am passionate about fine arts because they have always been a big part of my life. In high school, I was a five-star honor Thespian and participated in our concert choir, which earned second place at state both last year and this year. I have also played football and been on the track and field team for all four years of high school. These experiences have taught me discipline, teamwork, and perseverance, which are qualities that I believe are essential in the performing arts. Being involved in theater has allowed me to explore different characters and stories, which has helped me grow as a person. I have played various roles, including Mal Beineke in our Addams Family musical, Jay in Disney's Descendants the Musical, Mr. Addams in Callamityvill Terror, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, and Orin Scrivello in Little Shop of Horrors. Each role has challenged me in different ways and has helped me develop my skills as an actor and performer. One of the reasons I am passionate about fine arts is because they have the power to bring people together and create a sense of community. When I am on stage, I feel a connection with the audience and my fellow performers that is unlike anything else. It is a feeling of belonging and shared purpose that I find incredibly rewarding. I am excited to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and major in Theatre/Performing Arts. I believe that this program will provide me with the training and opportunities I need to succeed in the industry. I am eager to learn from experienced professionals and to continue growing as an artist. As a Hispanic man, I am also passionate about representing my culture in the arts. I believe that diversity is essential in the performing arts, and I want to be a part of creating more opportunities for people from different backgrounds. I hope to inspire others to pursue their dreams and to show that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. In conclusion, I am pursuing a career in musical theater because it brings me joy and allows me to connect with others in a meaningful way. I am passionate about fine arts because they have the power to inspire, entertain, and bring people together. I am committed to working hard and making the most of the opportunities that come my way, and I am excited to see where this journey takes me.

The community I grew up with was one of the most supportive communities, during my high school years I did Choir, Theater, Football, Track and Field, and other little stuff like a powder puff, and there was a period when I worked while doing everything I do, and it was one of the most stressful time in my life. But if it wasn't for the people who have helped me and checked up on me, I probably couldn't have done all the things I wanted to do. For example, my football coaches are one of the most supportive of me. When I had rehearsals for theater or sectionals for choir and I told them that I was going to be late they always understood and always stayed patient with me, they let me do all the things I wanted to do and encouraged me to keep going. If it wasn't for them I don't think I could be the person I am today, so I am very grateful to them. Another person in my community who has impacted my life is my choir teacher, he was really helpful to me, not only as a supporter but as a realist, he would praise us if we did something correctly and other things as well, but if we mess up or do something obvious bad he will tell us, but he will also tell us how to improve and fix it up, and because of that I feel like I can take criticism much better and it takes bits of information to fix whatever I'm doing. Someone else who has impacted my life is my middle school weights coach. He is someone who has literally got the better version of me out, he is a very tough love person if we mess up, he will call us out so that we can fix it up for next time, if we do something write he will cheer with us but then tell us to start working for the next goal. he is the best person I have ever met and if he had never been in my life, I would not even be close to the person I am today, So I have so much to thank him for. For changing me for the better, making me push past my limits, who has taught me many valuable lessons, and someone I could think of as another parent.

My name is Alec Salgado, music has always been a big part of my life, ever since I was little. When I used to live on a farm, my parents told me that when I was 4 to 5 years old I walked all over the property with my dog while whistling and humming along, it scared the hell out of my parents the first few times I just disappeared on them but they got used to it and understood that was something that I did. Out of my entire family, I'm the only one who is committed to music, I've only had one uncle who was married into our family, he was a mariachi player and my parents are pretty sure I get my love for music from him. The first music-related thing I did was choir, I started in elementary but my music teacher was making the whole experience uneventful so I was thinking of quitting, there were times when I just skipped choir and went home because it was boring. But once I got into Middle school, I found my love for music again, thanks to my middle school choir teacher, he showed me that there are people who want to do choir because they have the same love for music as I do. At this time in my life, I was in my school band, I started in 5th grade playing the trombone, and when taking it to middle school, I once again fell in love with music but now playing an instrument. Band was so much fun and I just loved playing music with friends and in an ensemble. Unfortunately, my middle school made me choose between being in band or being in choir, It took me a while to decide but I ended up choosing choir instead of band, I was really upset for the longest time, but over time I accepted it but there's never a day where I wish I could still play in band. This all happened in 7th grade, another thing that happened in my 7th grade was going to All-City for choir and also State for choir they were both some of my favorite experiences ever, All-State we had to go sleep in a hotel with our classmates who also when to state and had 2 days of full-on practice that added up to 7 hours of rehearsals a day but if I could do it again, I would 100% do it. I loved singing alongside people who worked hard to be here just to sing a couple of songs, will never forget the people I met that day and the amazing experience of that weekend. My 8th-grade year got cut early because of COVID-19 but one thing that helped me along the way was music, at this time I was trying to learn how to play guitar and piano, no matter what I've always been busy with something music-related. Now we skip to my sophomore year I was in my school's advanced choir and at this time I was invited to audition for my school theater because they needed more male leads who could sing for the Addams family musical, I gave it a shot and now I've done three other productions and I went to nationals for a duet performance and a small group musical. I've been trying to improve my acting and musical talent so that one day I will fulfill my dream of performing on Broadway and hopefully get to be a part of Hamilton the Musical and play as Alexander Hamilton.