A very important personal finance lesson that I have been taught and that I believe is important relates to the fear of misusing cash and the comfort that many people find in holding cash. As natural inflation occurs, the value of cash becomes less and less making the most prudent use of cash investing. Using lower-risk investments such as ETFs, mutual funds, and even certain bonds (like i-bonds) presents a safe investment opportunity to everyday investors. As your cash resources grow you need to take more risks (i.e. Real Estate/REITS or investing in small businesses) to see your cash grow. The ultimate goal is for your money to work and earn money just like you do, and you can't do this if you put your money on the sidelines. While I understand why people find comfort in cash (as many of our parents suffered losses during the great recession) its important to remember that over the long-term holding large sums of cash (beyond your emergency funds and cash needed in the short term) can lead to more losses than gains.

I love music, I love its beauty, I love that musicians are part of an exclusive club of unique individuals. For me, this started at an early age. As a child, I would sit with my grandfather and we would sing and listen to many genres of music. I then began singing at church and school and eventually began to love how music made me feel. As I got older I became interested in playing different instruments such as the piano and the guitar. I love the complexity and gracefulness of the piano and the simple yet hypnotizing sounds of the guitar so I have worked on both. As I became a teenager music went from simple enjoyment to a way for me to express feelings and it became my second voice. It has connected me to so much, I have been able to teach piano and guitar to special needs students as a way of giving back, I have been able to teach other kids and learn about running a small business. Through all of this I have found ways for music to connect me to others in a way that wasn’t always possible. The most unexpected aspect of my musical journey has been that by finding my voice through music I now find I am eager to use it more often. This has led me to participate and lead advocacy campaigns in my community, connect with others as it relates to social justice and reform efforts. I have coordinated marches and actions to advocate for criminal justice reform, community policing initiatives, and the freedom to allow teachers to teach the truth about discrimination, imperialism, and slavery in our schools. All of this has allowed me to connect with people of different backgrounds and develop a sense of responsibility as it pertains to being a citizen of this nation. I attribute all of these experiences to me finding my voice and music is a huge part of that. I don’t see music as a job, it's a part of me, because it’s a way for me to, hopefully, change the world for the better. I want my music to strike at the hearts of the listeners, but I also want it (be it through songwriting, production, or instrumental performance) to resonate with people and create a relationship between me and them. I would like to learn as much as I can and build my professional career with the tools I have now and the tools I hope to learn in music school. I have been working in areas such as audio engineering, composition, performance, production, and songwriting and along with playing piano I want to incorporate everything into my career. I also have an interest in law and would like to explore entertainment law as another part of the plan. My goals are broad but one thing is clear; I want my career to start by receiving a quality education and that’s my hope for the next four years.

Our lives are not measured by the composite of our failings and misfortunes, but in our abilities to overcome struggle, to sacrifice for causes and people we deem worthy, and in our ability to cause positive change by presenting the world, our community, or a single person with our authentic selves. The journeys that I have witnessed from those people I love and value most have taught me that if we are to help those who need help it's important for us to be honest about our own battles. I have seen how depression, anxiety, and compulsive disorders can destroy; but more importantly, I have seen what they can create. My mother has suffered mightily with depression for the better part of 15 years and I have seen the depths of her challenges but I have also been empowered by her growth. She started the journey at 25 and in the years since she has quit, seen her marriage almost destroyed, felt sorry for herself, picked herself up, became empowered, and achieved both personal and professional successes that at one point would have never seemed possible. These experiences are trying, as much of this time was spent watching my relationship with her dissolve and then working on rebuilding that relationship. What I can take from this is that we, as individuals, get to determine when the game is over. As long as we fight we have not failed, and when we can endure and achieve regardless of the effect of the mental struggles we can use that to fuel our constant growth. More importantly, those successes can create opportunities to share with others who are going through similar circumstances. This is how I hope to positively impact the lives of others, by showing them that there is hope if you continue to persevere there is a way to succeed, and if you can pass that on to one person then your battles were worth it.

Our lives are not measured by the composite of our failings and misfortunes, but in our abilities to overcome struggle, to sacrifice for causes and people we deem worthy, and in our ability to cause positive change by presenting the world, our community, or a single person with our authentic selves. The journeys that I have witnessed from those people I love and value most have taught me that if we are to help those who need help it's important for us to be honest about our own battles. I have seen how depression, anxiety, and compulsive disorders can destroy; but more importantly, I have seen what they can create. My mother has suffered mightily with depression for the better part of 15 years and I have seen the depths of her challenges but I have also been empowered by her growth. She started the journey at 25 and in the years since she has quit, seen her marriage almost destroyed, felt sorry for herself, picked herself up, became empowered, and achieved both personal and professional successes that at one point would have never seemed possible. These experiences are trying, as much of this time was spent watching my relationship with her dissolve and then working on rebuilding that relationship. What I can take from this is that we, as individuals, get to determine when the game is over. As long as we fight we have not failed, and when we can endure and achieve regardless of the effect of the mental struggles we can use that to fuel our constant growth. More importantly, those successes can create opportunities to share with others who are going through similar circumstances. This is how I hope to positively impact the lives of others, by showing them that there is hope if you continue to persevere there is a way to succeed, and if you can pass that on to one person then your battles were worth it.

I would deny it if confronted, as he already has a big head, but my dad is a pretty smart guy; some of my oldest memories from him are based around life lessons that he has been force-feeding me since I could talk. He has taught me that love without sacrifice isn't love, he's taught me that if I ever want to be successful then I must first learn to be consistent, and he taught me to never bet against a made hand (in poker or in life). One of the most important lessons that he taught me (it's not original but it's important) is that for evil to persist in this world all it takes is for good people to do nothing. For a 9-year-old its a hard concept to understand so I just nodded, but as he is as redundant as he is intelligent I began understanding it more as I grew older. While I have been witness to some very ugly things in this life, the example of showing up I want to address is in the form of activism. While I am originally from Chicago I live in Nashville and recently the government attempted to prevent teachers in the state from teaching Critical Race Theory (which actually wasn't a part of any curriculum, but that's another essay). It was a feeble attempt to prevent teachers from teaching a full account of American History for the purpose of scoring political points. Where it became personal was when I had teachers who had to rewrite their entire lesson plan this year to avoid (or water down) subjects like slavery, Jim Crow, the Trail of Tears, Japanese Internment in WWII, the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the colonization of early America, etc. They were genuinely worried that they could lose their jobs over teaching the truth. I, along with a few other students, immediately organized marches to the state capital, wrote to our congressional representatives, and organized to let our government know that we were angry about this. The impact of organizing a campaign, even one which was not likely to result in a policy change, was very important. While I thought I understood the issue, I actually had to research what CRT was, why it was a relevant political talking point, and how a campaign could be tailored to combat the policy. From this action, unlike standing up for a friend, helping with a food drive, or marching for criminal justice, I was able to learn about organizing around my activism. This is vital, I researched Dr. King's Letter from Birmingham Jail and a host of other works about resistance, and from that, I think I have learned more about what it takes to be a leader than only an activist. From this experience, I understand that we must be very direct in when we identify problems we want to speak out against, understand (in simple terms) what we want to gain from the action, and make sure we research and learn as much about the problem as possible. When trying to gain power from the powerful it is costly to not be fully informed about the issues or unprepared when the lights shine on you, so its imperative that we are the most educated people in the room on the topic. While this experience may not be the most impactful or it may not be the worst "evil" I face, it gave me some of the resources necessary to face the next evil when I'm confronted with it.

I love music, and not just the stuff that makes people famous or rich, I love it all. I love its beauty, I love that musicians are part of an exclusive club of unique individuals. I play the piano, the guitar, and I sing but that’s not where it ends, I’m a songwriter, composer, and creator. I love knowing that I have only begun to scratch the surface of what it means to be a musician and want to be better. My plan is to holistically study music in college. I want to progress as an artist, performer, composer, and as a content producer so I can consume everything that is music. I want to create for myself, create for others, and to be part of this eclectic community of beautiful souls. I want to work in Hip-Hop and Rock and Soul and Country and I want to introduce classical music to parts of society who aren’t familiar with its beauty. Most importantly I want to use my musical abilities to speak to the world in a way that is 100% my own. This is the essence of why music is important to our society, whether is Credence Clearwater Revival or Sam Cooke speaking against the Vietnam War or Racism in the 60s, or the Doors or Twisted Sister giving a voice to kids in the 70s and the 80s or NWA and the Getto Boyz giving a voice to the kids from the projects and other urban environments of the 80s and 90s music provides a voice to the voiceless and gives them something to unite behind. While not taught in a college classroom under the guise of Plato or Aristotle the philosophies taught through Hip-Hop, Punk, and Metal are no less valuable. Whereas the Bible can be used to teach Gospel music can create the feeling of faith that might escape some people. Music is important for numerous reasons; it provides an outlet to some and a dream to others, it can ease anxiety or speak to someone through depression. Perhaps the most important function of music is that it can identify the needs of a generation or of a single person.

I love music, and not just the stuff that makes people famous or rich, I love it all. I love its beauty, I love that musicians are part of an exclusive club of unique individuals. I play the piano, the guitar, and I sing but that’s not where it ends, I’m a songwriter, composer, and creator. I love knowing that I have only begun to scratch the surface of what it means to be a musician and want to be better. My plan is to holistically study music in college. I want to progress as an artist, performer, composer, and as content producer so I can consume everything that is music. I want to create for myself, create for others, and to be part of this eclectic community of beautiful souls. I want to work in Hip-Hop and Rock and Soul and Country and I want to introduce classical music to parts of society who aren’t familiar with its beauty. Most importantly I want to use my musical abilities to speak to the world in a way that is 100% my own. I recognize that the world that I am entering is vastly different from the world my parents entered at the same age 20 years ago, the tools necessary to have a voice must be developed as there are so many more voices now than there were then. Music as an art form has always been a way for people to express their joy, anger, frustration, and defiance and I recognize those feelings in myself and others. I want to further my education in music to become a better musician, but more than that, I want to develop my portal to social relevance. This is my way of telling my story to the world and that of others who may be similar to me and I want to be an expert in refining that tool. I will change the world with my art if I can show one girl or boy my struggles and the way I got through them, I will change the world if one person connects with me in a meaningful way through my music, I will make the world better because I feel that's why I'm here, and I feel music is my way of doing this. Music isn’t just a job, it is my passion and it's an important part of my life. Music gives me an escape from my mental health issues and my own personal struggles, while simultaneously acknowledging, and expressing, my reality. It’s my way of fighting injustice and also my way of bringing joy. It allows me to forget about any challenges that are going on in my life while also providing me the therapeutic outlet to get past those challenges. I know that my life would not be complete if I wasn’t engaged in music. My music is my voice and, with that voice, I hope to change the world for those whose voices may be muted.

I love music, and not just the stuff that makes people famous or rich, I love it all. I love its beauty, I love that musicians are part of an exclusive club of unique individuals. I play the piano, the guitar, and I sing but that’s not where it ends, I’m a songwriter, composer, and creator. I love knowing that I have only begun to scratch the surface of what it means to be a musician and want to be better. My plan is to holistically study music in college. I want to progress as an artist, performer, composer, and as content producer so I can consume everything that is music. I want to create for myself, create for others, and to be part of this eclectic community of beautiful souls. I want to work in Hip-Hop and Rock and Soul and Country and I want to introduce classical music to parts of society who aren’t familiar with its beauty. Most importantly I want to use my musical abilities to speak to the world in a way that is 100% my own. I recognize that the world that I am entering is vastly different from the world my parents entered at the same age 20 years ago, the tools necessary to have a voice must be developed as there are so many more voices now than there were then. Music as an art form has always been a way for people to express their joy, anger, frustration, and defiance and I recognize those feelings in myself and others. I want to further my education in music to become a better musician, but more than that, I want to develop my portal to social relevance. This is my way of telling my story to the world and that of others who may be similar to me and I want to be an expert in refining that tool. I will change the world with my art if I can show one girl or boy my struggles and the way I got through them, I will change the world if one person connects with me in a meaningful way through my music, I will make the world better because I feel that's why I'm here, and I feel music is my way of doing this. Music isn’t just a job, it is my passion and it's an important part of my life. Music gives me an escape from my mental health issues and my own personal struggles, while simultaneously acknowledging, and expressing, my reality. It’s my way of fighting injustice and also my way of bringing joy. It allows me to forget about any challenges that are going on in my life while also providing me the therapeutic outlet to get past those challenges. I know that my life would not be complete if I wasn’t engaged in music. My music is my voice and, with that voice, I hope to change the world for those whose voices may be muted.

It's been said that money isn't the most important thing in the world, and while I wholeheartedly believe that, I've been taught that it's pretty important. My dad made me memorize a quote from a song that says "Having money isn't everything, not having it is". To me, this means that when your financial life is healthy you can concentrate your energy on other things, but if it's not healthy then its the focus of all of your energy. So to help me with this I have been taught a number of personal finance lessons, but the most important to me is the idea that we must invest early and often. As an African-American, I have been taught that one of the most important effects of inequality is that we haven't been given the information necessary to become comfortable with investing. This has led to multiple generations being under the false idea that saving is the path to financial freedom. While saving for rainy days is important it is necessary to take advantage of the significantly larger, historical returns that come from investing. This is how we can create the financial resources to make future generations stronger. The fact that the S&P and Dow average returns are approaching 10% per year means we must take advantage of this opportunity and we must do it as soon as we start making money. I have been working since I was 15, and since then I have been required to put money up for both saving and investing and I have been the beneficiary of strong returns. Hopefully by following this personal finance lesson money won't need to be everything for me and I can focus on more important issues. For me financial freedom isn't the ability to jet-set around the world in a carefree manner, financial freedom is being able to look beyond finances and make decisions for my life from there. I have seen too many people who live every day with their primary focus being on their finances, and this doesn't provide time for family, charity, fun, culture, or the acquisition of knowledge or worldliness. Through a progressive understanding of investing my goal is to consistently contribute to my stock portfolio, ETFs, IRAs, and even real estate for the purpose of building a viable financial cushion that can get me through good times and bad. Coupling this with money I earn I feel I will have a greater chance at financial freedom. By working hard myself and also having my money work hard for me I will be able to focus on the important things in life as I will have enough money for it not to be everything.

I'm cocky, not arrogant in the way that people have an inflated value of themselves, but cocky in that I am self-assured. The why is interesting; I'm cocky for the same reason that some people are polite or responsible, because that's how I was raised. My dad believes that there is a wide valley between self-confidence and arrogance and in that valley lies cockiness. Because he believes this he instilled in me the idea that to be successful you sometimes have to be a bit cocky, it's not the idea that you're better than anybody else it's simply the idea that you are better than the task in front of you. This is so valuable for women and minorities in this world because we aren't always given the external affirmation that we can always overcome obstacles, so I think he wanted to make sure that if the world didn't believe in what I could do that I believed in what I can do. I value this characteristic because it's the part of me that sees a new or unfamiliar challenge and says that even if I stumble I will be successful because I am good enough and because of this I believe that I can achieve many things in this world that may seem improbable. As I take the next step on my journey to adulthood I think that this cockiness (or substantial confidence if it sounds better) will serve me well as I hope to lead an unconventional life. I hope to achieve success through my music, I hope to work with others to combat the climate crisis, and I hope to be able to connect to others who are ignored or devalued in our society. I want to live a big life and achieve big things and to do this I have to believe in myself even when others do not. I have to play my music to crowds who may not like it, I have to put myself in front of the world and fight for acceptance, and I have to do it knowing that by achieving all of my goals I would be achieving things the average person will not do. My journey to growing as a person, as an artist, and as a citizen of the world will hopefully lead me to showing the world that it should believe in the potential of people regardless of their background. It's funny that one of the key elements to doing this will be the cockiness that allows me to believe in myself even when that same world doesn't give me a chance.

It's been said that money isn't the most important thing in the world, and while I wholeheartedly believe that, I've been taught that it's pretty important. My dad made me memorize a quote from a song that says "Having money isn't everything, not having it is". To me, this means that when your financial life is healthy you can concentrate your energy on other things, but if it's not healthy then its the focus of all of your energy. So to help me with this I have been taught a number of personal finance lessons, but the most important to me is the idea that we must invest early and often. As an African-American, I have been taught that one of the most important effects of inequality is that we haven't been given the information necessary to become comfortable with investing. This has led to multiple generations being under the false idea that saving is the path to financial freedom. While saving for rainy days is important it is necessary to take advantage of the significantly larger, historical returns that come from investing. This is how we can create the financial resources to make future generations stronger. The fact that the S&P and Dow average returns are approaching 10% per year means we must take advantage of this opportunity and we must do it as soon as we start making money. I have been working since I was 15, and since then I have been required to put money up for both saving and investing and I have been the beneficiary of strong returns. Hopefully by following this personal finance lesson money won't need to be everything for me and I can focus on more important issues.

I love music, and not just the stuff that makes people famous or rich, I love it all. I love its beauty, I love that musicians are part of an exclusive club of unique individuals. I play the piano, the guitar, and I sing but that’s not where it ends, I’m a songwriter, composer, and creator. I love knowing that I have only begun to scratch the surface of what it means to be a musician and want to be better. My plan is to holistically study music in college. I want to progress as an artist, performer, composer, and as a content producer so I can consume everything that is music. I want to create for myself, create for others, and to be part of this eclectic community of beautiful souls. I want to work in Hip-Hop and Rock and Soul and Country and I want to introduce classical music to parts of society who aren’t familiar with its beauty. Most importantly I want to use my musical abilities to speak to the world in a way that is 100% my own. Music isn’t just a job, it is my passion and it's an important part of my life. Music gives me an escape from my mental health issues and my own personal struggles, while simultaneously acknowledging, and expressing, my reality. It’s my way of fighting injustice and also my way of bringing joy. It allows me to forget about any challenges that are going on in my life while also providing me the therapeutic outlet to get past those challenges. I know that my life would not be complete if I wasn’t engaged in music. My music is my voice and, with that voice, I hope to change the world for those whose voices may be muted.

Our lives are not measured by the composite of our failings and misfortunes, but in our abilities to overcome struggle, to sacrifice for causes and people we deem worthy, and in our ability to cause positive change by presenting the world, our community, or a single person with our authentic selves. The journeys that I have witnessed from those people I love and value most have taught me that if we are to help those who need help it's important for us to be honest about our own battles. I have seen how depression, anxiety, and compulsive disorders can destroy; but more importantly, I have seen what they can create. My mother has suffered mightily with depression for the better part of 15 years and I have seen the depths of her challenges but I have also been empowered by her growth. She started the journey at 25 and in the years since she has quit, seen her marriage almost destroyed, felt sorry for herself, picked herself up, became empowered, and achieved both personal and professional successes that at one point would have never seemed possible. These experiences are trying, as much of this time was spent watching my relationship with her dissolve and then working on rebuilding that relationship. What I can take from this is that we, as individuals, get to determine when the game is over. As long as we fight we have not failed, and when we can endure and achieve regardless of the effect of the mental struggles we can use that to fuel our constant growth. More importantly, those successes can create opportunities to share with others who are going through similar circumstances. This is how I hope to positively impact the lives of others, by showing them that there is hope if you continue to persevere there is a way to succeed, and if you can pass that on to one person then your battles were worth it.

I love music, and not just the stuff that makes people famous or rich, I love it all. I love its beauty, I love that musicians are part of an exclusive club of unique individuals. I play the piano, the guitar, and I sing but that’s not where it ends, I’m a songwriter, composer, and creator. I love knowing that I have only begun to scratch the surface of what it means to be a musician and want to be better. My plan is to holistically study music in college. I want to progress as an artist, performer, composer, and as a content producer so I can consume everything that is music. I want to create for myself, create for others, and to be part of this eclectic community of beautiful souls. I want to work in Hip-Hop and Rock and Soul and Country and I want to introduce classical music to parts of society who aren’t familiar with its beauty. Most importantly I want to use my musical abilities to speak to the world in a way that is 100% my own. Music isn’t just a job, it is my passion and it's an important part of my life. Music gives me an escape from my mental health issues and my own personal struggles, while simultaneously acknowledging, and expressing, my reality. It’s my way of fighting injustice and also my way of bringing joy. It allows me to forget about any challenges that are going on in my life while also providing me the therapeutic outlet to get past those challenges. I know that my life would not be complete if I wasn’t engaged in music. My music is my voice and, with that voice, I hope to change the world for those whose voices may be muted.

As a musician, I think I am naturally drawn to math, as numbers are the basis of all compositions related to music. We have to cut notes, add notes, determine timing, and count with our minds, toes, and head nods in order to get through a piece. Beyond being a musician my dad is a consultant who specializes in business analytics, and therefore he is immersed in numbers all day every day. It actually fits because he loves math too, so he has tried to pass that along to me, and while I may not share his enthusiasm, enough got through to create an attraction to math in my life. When we are introduced to higher-level thinking through academics as children there are a number of genres that we are introduced to. We learn about social sciences, laboratory sciences, literature, language, composition, history, and other subjects, and, hopefully, a child/teen is drawn to something that they connect with beyond the classroom; for me, math has always been the outlier. As a 17-year-old growing up in a world where facts are no longer facts, where division is a constant reality, and social change occurs so often that it may as well be our default setting, math offers something different. My dad once said to me (I'm sure he was quoting someone); men lie, women lie, but numbers don't; this is how math has shaped my understanding of the world. Whereas ambiguity is ever-present in our world math is objective; no matter how someone tries to change facts, lie, or misrepresent the truth; there is always honesty in the numbers. The Pythagorean theorem is always the same, pi never changes, and regardless of your perspective, both sides of an algebraic equation must be the same for the equation to be true. These objective truths are constant, and in a world that is changing so fast it's always comforting to know that there are objective truths that we can depend on, and math is one of them. Furthermore, almost all truths; be they academic, environmental, or even social, are based, in some way, in mathematics. These are the principles that have shaped my understanding of the world and how I confront the challenges of that same world. Math is what we can fall back on when there are too many voices in the room who are espousing opinions masked in fact; math is what we can rely on when we talk about food scarcity, climate change, or the unsustainable levels of human consumption of our natural resources, math and the numbers that come with it present the easiest way for us to both present the truth and create the solutions that may eventually save the world.

My dad once told me that “we can never truly be there for anyone if we aren’t first able to center and take care of ourselves”. The key he said was finding the part of life that allows for you to become lost in it and embrace that as your sanctuary. For some people it's the church, for some it's their friends, for others it’s sports, for me it’s become music. Growing up I struggled a lot in fitting in. My mom was always away at work whereas my dad created his own business and, because of this, he was home because he was his own boss. Since my dad worked at home he played the role of the primary parent, which is why growing up was a little confusing to me. Being raised primarily by a man was a lot for me as a girl, but being raised by this man was especially interesting. My dad is a believer in exceptionalism, but his belief is in the idea that natural talent coupled with strong nurturing breeds exceptional people. So he peppered me with quotes and ideals from DuBois, Socrates, Roosevelt (Teddy not Franklin), Jefferson, Malcolm X, John Kennedy, and more. However, the most impactful lessons came from art, he believes that the pain one endures in life is never reflected as effectively as through art, so he immersed me in the art he loved most; Hip-Hop (he and my mom introduced me to classical music, rock, country, and R&B, but he was, is, and will be a Hip-Hop head). All of this created a uniquely different experience for me coming up. I wasn’t like the other girls in my class, but at the same time, I wasn’t like the guys either. I knew that I was different and it was a little difficult to find my place growing up because the way I was taught to look at things was a bit different from my contemporaries. However, I found myself using music as a way to make sense of my reality. Music encourages diversity, it praises flaws and oddities that people may find abnormal. I feel like music was what I turned to because, unlike reality, it didn’t make me feel abnormal or weird, it made me feel unique and appreciated. As I have grown up I have realized that it’s not only the sounds that I love about music anymore, it’s also about the effect that it has on people. I have seen music be used in plenty of ways throughout my studying up to this point. For example, music therapy allows music to be used to help people calm their nerves and it can be used to help people overcome their anxiety, it helps autistic children relate to the world, and creates a sense of calm for people in a sea of uncertainty. I also have learned that music in itself should be powerful, the instruments along with the vocals. I want my music to strike at the hearts of the listeners, but I also want it (be it through songwriting, production, or instrumental performance) to resonate with people and create a relationship between me and them. However, because I started formally playing the piano only 4 years ago a lot of people thought that I couldn't achieve my dream of going to music school and having a successful music career simply because I started late. I had to push myself in ways no other person could push me and I had to work to become the best I could be to overcome this challenge.

The definition of generous to me is subjective, like the definition of love, or caring, or hope, generous's definition fluctuates. One of the hallmarks of generosity, in my opinion, must be sacrifice; to be a generous person or to commit a generous act must involve a person giving something of themselves for the betterment of another person's reality. In a world where many people seem to act first, and in many cases solely, with their own benefit before all else, the generous person sees a need in another and tries to help. The ills in our society are rife with the results of self-interest, our environment is in peril not because individuals and groups refuse to recognize the effects of humans on the earth, but because acting to cure the earth would affect their self-interest. Our democracy is in peril because our leaders are so consumed with maintaining power that they refuse to protect that most sacred institution that binds Americans together. Even our health is in peril because individuals are more concerned with themselves than their communities, even if that lack of concern continues us into an ever more dangerous pandemic. While selflessness may be the antonym of selfishness I believe generosity is the antithesis of self-interest. Generosity is the act of sacrificing, whether big or small, for the purpose of improving the reality of others. In this simple definition lies the roadmap to goodness for self and goodness for others, and in that simple word may exist our only hope at the salvation of our way of life.

I love music, and not just the stuff that makes people famous or rich, I love it all. I love its beauty, I love that musicians are part of an exclusive club of unique individuals. I play the piano, the guitar, and I sing but that’s not where it ends, I’m a songwriter, composer, and creator. I love knowing that I have only begun to scratch the surface of what it means to be a musician and want to be better. My plan is to holistically study music in college. I want to progress as an artist, performer, composer, and as a content producer so I can consume everything that is music. I want to create for myself, create for others, and to be part of this eclectic community of beautiful souls. I want to work in Hip-Hop and Rock and Soul and Country and I want to introduce classical music to parts of society who aren’t familiar with its beauty. Most importantly I want to use my musical abilities to speak to the world in a way that is 100% my own. In addition to the creative side I also am interested in eventually starting a production or music management business and possibly pursuing entertainment law. I feel like I would be good at these things because I can relate to my client on a musical level. Through this academic journey, I think I can be prepared to engage this side of the industry. I hope that studying at Jacobs will help me learn more about all facets of the music industry. Music isn’t just a job, it is my passion and it's an important part of my life. Music gives me an escape from my mental health issues and my own personal struggles, while simultaneously acknowledging, and expressing, my reality. It’s my way of fighting injustice and also my way of bringing joy. It allows me to forget about any challenges that are going on in my life while also providing me the therapeutic outlet to get past those challenges. I know that my life would not be complete if I wasn’t engaged in music. My music is my voice and, with that voice, I hope to change the world for those whose voices may be muted.

My dad is a believer in words; he has a saying for every conceivable life event and he has spent my life teaching me quotes from everyone from Niche to Jay-Z. This is a man who has a quote about righteousness from Teddy Roosevelt tattooed on his arm. Not too many people that look like my dad can say that. Of all the quotes he has said and all of the quotes I have read or heard from others, the most impactful is three words "Choice, Control, Freedom" from my father. From what I can find, he made this one up himself, or at least its an extension of a saying that his grandfather used to tell him. It's a simple quote but the explanation is potentially life-changing. The quote, to me, means that all freedom and happiness in this world is based on the simple concept of choice. The more choices we have the more control we have over our lives and the more control we have over ourselves the closer we can be to being free. It's a simple concept but my dad has trained me to live my life by it, whether we are talking about the choices I have in eating healthy, or college choices, or choices for my career I know that its vital to have those choices so my life is my own.

My father once told me "Now that you're older I need you to understand that I support you no matter what, but my money no longer supports hobbies it only supports love". There were many ways to take this as he had paid for everything from soccer to dance to judo, and I had, for the most part, done well in all of these. However at a certain point, I think he was trying to tell me that moving forward I needed to begin to understand the difference between interest and passion. From that point on my focus universally shifted from everything to one thing, and that was music. To be fair, I had always been interested in music; I went to parochial schools from kindergarten through eighth grade and sang in choirs for most of my life. However, my father, again in an effort to teach began to allow me to go from what I thought was loving music to what I now know is loving musicianship. It's the difference between focusing on being a star and focus on being an artist. I immersed myself in all things music from that point until now. Over the past 7 years I have learned to play the guitar, learned to play the piano, and become a much more well-rouned vocalist. Through study and love I have learned as much as I could from professionals and teachers alike. To date I have been accepted and complete an Intensive Vocal program at a major university (which accepted only 20% of people who applied), I have interned with a music engineer for two summers where I have learned technology and production techniques, and I have honed my guitar and piano skills. This has led me to begin applying to conservatories and music schools with piano being my primary interest. I will be focusing on commercial music programs that allow me to study performance, the music industry, production/technoloy, and composition which will hopefully prepare me for a career in the industry where I can pursue each of these disciplines. This is a career that I look forward to, but for me music isn't just a career, its therapy. I have a family history of mental illness which culminates in anxiety and depression, I've been to therapy, I've dealt with being removed from one school, and through all of these adverse situations I've had music. It keeps me grounded, it keeps me hopeful, and its the reason I know the difference between interest and passion, my dad gave me lots of gifts, but through his teachings he gave me music and that's my passion.

As the structure of our workforce continues to shift because of current changes to the workplace there is an opportunity to decrease the effect of intersectionality on certain disadvantaged classes. As our workplaces become more flexible and, through necessity, become more mobile we can use this as an opportunity to provide opportunities to introduce more diverse teams and more objective measures of individual performance. By creating programs within companies that are focused on analyzing results by decreasing the effect of personal bias we can create fairer initiatives that allow people to progress based on their ability. If remote workspaces continue to become normal then there is an opportunity for the hierarchy of companies to change, if promotions, bonuses, and general mobility can be judged from central points instead of at the local level it may be easier to be fairer with mobility. This may mean that bias and prejudice have less of an impact so people don't continue to be judged on the multitude of individual characteristics that continue to hold people back. Specifically, we could see the manifestation of these programs in how we hire people. By instituting more digital interviews where physical factors play less of a part, managers can rely on the skills of people rather than preconceived notions. While physical interaction is a necessity in many cases, the use of systems that hold a decision-maker accountable for those people selected in the top 10 in terms of hireability may mean that a manager falls in love with a candidate before seeing them. This may mean that even if there is bias, the manager is attracted to the candidate's resume and this possibly could decrease the effect of bias on the decision. While not a perfect system the goal should be to create tools that decrease the presence of bias as its elimination is impossible. Another way of addressing these challenges is through the simple act of inclusion at the management level. This comes by increasing representation in the targeted pool of applicants for a particular company, so if a company recruits heavily from a certain pool of schools, then providing the disadvantaged classes at that school more accessible to the recruiters. This also means increasing inclusion as it pertains to business owners, and this is where the Federal and State governments play their part as well as private investors. By creating incentives (either tax or subsidies) to private investors to fund appropriate businesses we can change the face of who is making the hiring decisions and that is the most effective way to meet some of these challenges. Bias is a constant for everyone, as long as this is true then it will play a part in all types of decision-making. The goal shouldn't be to fix the impossible but to instill systems that increase the potential of decision-makers to create a fairer workplace, and there may be some ways to do this.