Throughout my time as a Music Education major at the University of Nevada, Reno I have found I have explored my artistic capabilities as a performer and as an educator. My involvement in leadership roles, performing, auditioning, and getting the opportunity to learn how to teach has fostered an unbreakable dedication for music. As a music education major I have explored music pedagogy and classroom management which has built me into the musician I am today. Although the balance between excelling in my music education classes and my goals as a performer were always challenging, learning to balance both allowed me to explore the many aspects of music, effectively improving upon each other. My passion for teaching has brought me more excitement as a performer. Throughout my degree I was able to connect with young musicians in the public schools, create a private studio, and be a woodwind coach. These experiences have only made me a better flutist and taught me skills that I will forever apply to myself in the practice room and as a performer. This path has led me to not just see myself as a teacher, but as a person who is always a student that is learning and adapting to an ever changing environment around me. Throughout my undergraduate years I have made it a goal to be involved in my community, in both Reno and in Las Vegas. Going to a Title 1 school in Las Vegas meant there were a myriad of resources my school lacked and it was extremely evident in our music classrooms. The lack of private lessons, career representation and recruitment, and time to pursue musical studies made it difficult for people in my classroom to truly enjoy their music education, let alone their academics outside of music. In order to pay for private lessons I sold cookies at school, this was the only way I was able to further my studies on the flute besides band class. During my time as the University of Nevada, Reno’s National Association for Music Education Collegiate Chapter President I was determined to help out where our chapter could. I worked with many University programs to give Title 1 students in Las Vegas the opportunity to fly to Reno to tour the University campus for free, as it usually was a resource that many counterparts back home could not afford. It was an opportunity that I was never given and I wanted to give low income students the ability to experience life as a music major at the University of Nevada, Reno. As a person who came from a single parent household, my mom never had consistent work. This meant resources, particularly musical opportunities, were always limited as I was in public schools and I insisted on finding a way to make change. My future goal is to continue to empower and educate the community through musical opportunities. As a performer and teacher, I am devoted to bringing what I can to the community around me. I know that as a person who wants to use music to reach not only the audience members, but the community around me, I must continue to strive towards my career as an artist and pedagogue. As I am applying for my masters in Flute Performance, I want to continue to explore flute performance, pedagogy, and how to positively impact my community.