I have felt most inspired by the song Underground by Lindsey Stirling. This song has been on my list of favorites since it came out in 2019, and I can attribute much of where I am today to Lindsey. When I first heard this song, I was star-struck because I had always dreamed of creating beautiful music that combined orchestra with EDM. Hearing this song lit a fire within me so great that I had no other choice but to follow my passion for music. I began my music production journey in 2020, and in 2021 I decided that music was without a doubt the right career for my life. I was determined to learn everything there is to know about music composition and production, so I began to research colleges, and that's when I found Berklee College of Music. With just two completed semesters under my belt, I have never felt more fulfilled in my entire life than I do now. Words can express only a portion of how passionate I feel about music, and I am so grateful for the events that led up to where I am now. I am beyond excited to continue my education, and I am so eager to enter the music industry. I want to create beautiful art that inspires others just as Lindsey inspired me.

1. Education equals freedom and opportunity, which increases the probability of success. I want to complete my degree so that I can gain the skills and qualifications necessary for me to work in a competitive videogame or film production company, and/or a record label. Music composition and production bring me an incredible amount of joy and I am determined to earn my spot working with the finest composers, producers, and sound engineers of this day and the future. 2. I believe that the best way I can honor my talents and pursue my deepest passions is to learn everything that I can about them. Talent can only take me so far, and my desired level of success will require many years of education in music. If I want to work with prodigies such as Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, and John Williams, I need to become extremely well-versed in music theory and music production. I have also found a large amount of talented students within my school network that I may end up working with in the future; which only adds to the many reasons why college is such a great tool for success. 3. I am an intensely motivated person and I desire more than anything to reach my fullest potential. I also get such a rush from reaching tough goals that I set for myself and I love pushing my mind to new heights and overcoming challenges. College is such a wonderful opportunity for me in this light, and the joy that learning brings me is unmatched. School has always been an exciting activity, and I may even miss it when I graduate, but becoming the widely intelligent and skilled professional that I imagine my future self to be is the most important goal that I could ever reach for myself. 4. I am determined to build a career that over time provides more than enough for me, my family, my friends, mental health organizations that need donations, and other causes that I want to contribute financially to. Earning a large income would allow me to live the fulfilling, adventurous, long, and healthy life that I desire for myself. I want to work in many different parts of the world besides the U.S., such as the Netherlands, Australia, Ireland, and Canada. I want to make a positive impact on society by sharing my mental health story, I want to financially contribute to people in need of mental health treatments, and I want to have access to all of the equipment and resources that I need to create beautiful art that can be enjoyed by the world.

My lifelong struggle with bipolar disorder and PTSD has shaped my life and how I view the world. I have always felt like an outsider - too different and too broken to be a valuable member of society. I ended up in a mental facility after a traumatic event nearing my high school graduation, at which I was supposed to perform one of my songs with my band. I almost didn't make it. When I returned to school, people were asking me where I had gone and I lied to all of them. I felt that if they knew, then I would lose the few friends that I had. In my parent's religion, I was always told that the reason I could not feel the spirit was because of my mental disorder, which worsened how I felt about myself. My parents were so focused on 'fixing' me with God and told me that I was feeling so depressed or anxious because I just wasn't trying hard enough. I carried guilt for my bipolar for years, even though I did my absolute best to do everything my parents told me to do. It's sad because I never had anyone that accepted me or tried to help me the correct way until I met my current therapist. She has changed my life and has helped me develop coping skills that have expanded what I am capable of. She's the reason I had the ability and motivation to go to college, get a job, and take care of myself. I now know that my mental illness is not my fault, that it can be managed, and that I am not inherently broken. If only I could have met her sooner! It's the lies, the stigma, and the lack of support that causes lives to be lost to mental illness. It's a real war, and no one should have to suffer in silence. I love that people are getting more serious about bringing this topic to light; the fact that this scholarship even exists warms my heart. I think that for people like me, relationships, motivation...and just everyday life is so incredibly hard. If we could all have access to the resources that I now have, so many valuable lives would be saved. My biggest passion is music; it's my creative outlet and my platform where I can share my experiences and have a voice. I want to expand my platform to where I can fight the stigma at a worldwide level and acquire the resources to donate to people who struggle and people who save lives. Many people don't have the money for the treatments they need, and many people are in denial of their mental struggles because their family and peers are judgmental of them. I want to educate, protect, and support them and create a safe space where people know that they can ask for help. And I want to be a light for people in the dark through my music. My war has been painful, draining, and even life-threatening, but it gave me my current beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations, and now I can use my experiences to save others.

My lifelong struggle with bipolar disorder and PTSD has shaped my life and how I view the world. I have always felt like an outsider - too different and too broken to be a valuable member of society. I ended up in a mental facility after a traumatic event nearing my high school graduation, at which I was supposed to perform one of my songs with my band. I almost didn't make it. When I returned to school, people were asking me where I had gone and I lied to all of them. I felt that if they knew, then I would lose the few friends that I had. In my parents' religion I was always told that the reason I could not feel the spirit was because of my mental disorder, which worsened how I felt about myself. My parents were so focused on 'fixing' me with God and told me that I was feeling so depressed or anxious because I just wasn't trying hard enough. I carried guilt for my bipolar for years, even though I did my absolute best to do everything my parents told me to do. It's sad because I never had anyone that accepted me or tried to help me the correct way until I met my current therapist. She has changed my life and has helped me develop coping skills that have expanded what I am capable of. She's the reason I had the ability and motivation to go to college, get a job, and take care of myself. If only I could have met her sooner! It's the lies, the stigma, and the lack of support that causes lives to be lost to mental illness. It's a real war, and no one should have to suffer in silence. I love that people are getting more serious about bringing this topic to light; the fact that this scholarship even exists warms my heart. I think that for people like me, relationships, motivation...and just everyday life is so incredibly hard. If we could all have access to the resources that I now have, so many valuable lives would be saved. My biggest passion is music; it's my creative outlet and my platform where I can share my experiences and have a voice. I want to expand my platform to where I can fight the stigma at a worldwide level and acquire the resources to donate to people who struggle and people who save lives. Singers that talk about their battles with mental illness make me feel like I belong and like there are others like me. I want to be a light for people in the dark through my music. My war has been painful, draining, and even life-threatening, but it gave me my current goals, relationships, and understanding of the world, and now I can save others.