Hello I decided to pursue a career in violin making because I was drawn to the tradition. To the idea of passing on a craft to your family. And in a way I decided to become a violin maker due to the sense of community it provides us. My Grand Uncle passed on two instruments to me that he had inherited from his mother. These violins were very beat up and I desired to return them to functionality. I wanted to pass them along one day. While looking for ways to fix them I came across violin making and I fell in love with it. Not only could I fix these instruments myself, I could pass on the art itself. So I applied to attend the VMSA with my family's support and have been attending for the last year and a half. I have not yet restored these instruments but it will be a part of my journey to honoring this tradition. My family's support has been the only thing keeping me going in school. They have supported me through my highs and lows. Allowing me a feeling of peace in an otherwise tumultuous journey. Having become such a part of me and my instruments I don't know what I could have done without them. But it hasn't just been my family that has supported my journey. My teachers are a constant backbone. They have taught me how to think of the ways in which a part can be saved when I wallow in despair. Classmates help to reinforce my and each other's knowledge base. Supporting each other through huge wins like closing their first box or having to console someone who cut off their button. Community is felt and embraced, one that I would have never known about had I never learned about this career. But community and family is not the only reason I have pursued violin making. When I began I struggled with patience. I made mistakes that would not have happened if I had just gone slower. So as I have been here longer I came to the development of patience. Of peace in myself. Now where there used to be frustration and speed, I can slow down enough to slip into this meditative flow like state. When I am making I am at complete equilibrium and happy. One day I will pass on this craft and so hopefully they will as well. In a way the violin making community itself will become a part of me and my family. As this craft inspires me to become a more well rounded and patient person one day it will be passed by me. To leave a legacy is to be remembered forever and if mine is patience and hard work I couldn't be happier.