Back in the third grade, students were questioned, “what instrument do you want to play?”. My first thought was of Squidward from Spongebob and I favored trying out the clarinet. Yet by some random instinct, a violin was grabbed instead. Nothing extraordinary went through my mind when beginning to pluck simple major scales and bow “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. To me, it was just a fun hobby to get out of class and spend time with my friends playing these “wacky” old instruments. Subsequently being a part of and leading dozens of ensembles and organizations, here I am almost a decade later ready to pursue my dream career in music. Regardless of my age, throughout my life music was there for comfort. Since I was able to speak, sleeping was not an option unless music was filling my room all night. The launch of my violin career at age nine instantly introduced the idea to learn the songs that were a big part of my childhood. My entire family would request songs and expect me to fluently perform for them. Just as middle school entered my life, one of my more vital responsibilities converted to starting and leading music clubs. Music was not a big department in school and that irked me. Most turned to sports when choosing an extracurricular activity. Not me, though. My orchestra teacher understood the mindset I had and urged me to start an orchestral quartet. My twelve-year-old self's initial feeling was eagerness and excitement. I wanted to help spread the message that music should not be overlooked and needs to be more appreciated. My three close friends soent five years devoted to our district's unique ensemble! For every piece we performed, I never forget to smile when they look to me to cue them in. I invariably admire the amount of communication the four of us have constantly when we perform. We repeatedly joke about the funny facial expressions we make to address one another to better and further enhance our piece. Needing contentment is what brought the world of music into my life. On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chamber groups; leading high school rehearsals; performing for my county and state; and much more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating to me. Today, as I prepare to start my sophomore year at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music, I continue to have such a fullfilling journey of the music world. In my first year of majoring in Music History and Violin Performance, I have earned the opportunities to travel to Ireland to study traditional Irish fiddle music, become a teaching assistant where I designed a music appreciation college course, perform in our symphony and other chamber groups, and much more. The music and arts world has been such a special place throughout my entire life. From elementary school where we played a D major scale at my first ever concert to performing contemporary works in a symphony, performing solos at weddings, designing college courses, and traveling to the other side of the world, I am still only at the beginning of my musical journey.

I took ten classes during junior year to have a relaxing year before college. Especially learning at home, stress is beyond what I tackled last year. Life was seven hours of school, my part-time job for four hours, going home, and restarting. This was on repeat for eight months. It was beyond worth it. I bought my first car all by myself and got ahead of my classes. As a first-gen college student. This is what I needed to accomplish to make my life much more easier. Having a car and many credits, I could save more money. But, this year isn’t relaxing. No, it isn’t entirely to do with the stresses of applying to college. It's what's happening currently at my high school. We have not executed our normal activities in almost two years. This school year, in the first two months alone, our staff has reintroduced spirit week, in-person sports events, and... only virtual music concerts? I have been Orchestra president for the two years. Last year, I couldn’t achieve much. I was fully remote for eight months of my junior year. After the reelection, I knew I could take charge and accomplish more. Though abruptly, our department was put forth with some news. After volunteering at our first full-house, in-person, live football game in two years; this powerful, yet simple word was presented to our department a week later regarding the Optimist Concert: Virtual. It’s about three weeks before the concert was scheduled. Hearing that word, that too familiar of a word from last year, it was silent. My conductor was only informing us. Knowing this woman for almost a decade, I knew her tone was unsettled. My face turned scarlet under my deep charcoal facemask as I just attended an in-person football game with hundreds of strangers. Yet, my final concert was forced to be recorded and put on the website. Be quiet about this? I couldn’t. I wrote a letter. A letter describing how thankful I am, yet heartbroken at the current situation our school is in. Resided in that envelope are the words of a young woman encouraging decisions that would brighten dozens of morale's in our small department. How could we have hundreds of people at a sports event, yet students aren't allowed to perform in front of an audience? My conductor wept knowing she had someone who was sticking up for the forgotten music department. I stood up during rehearsal opening up to everyone. Then sang the bell and a peer approached me and asked where they could sign. As I motioned to a stand outside, dozens of other students crowded to endorse. I had gained enough signatures to fill five pages. Though my ideas were turned down and our department was met with great disappointment, my letter is still out there on someone’s desk. Everyone saw disappointment. I saw a shimmer of light. I perceived this as success. That’s who I am. Yet, I’m terrified. This part of myself, that does not rest until I do something that others won’t, terrifies me. I’ve always struggled with leading and speaking voluntarily. Here I am, as a high school senior conducting entire orchestra rehearsals and being trained on how to teach. Failure or success, I will stand up quivering in fear alone. Because it is who I am. At times It is difficult to accept this characteristic of mine. I heard my teacher comment to my father, “she was born to lead”. Scoffing was my instinct. Though she is right. I lead with confidence. Little does anyone know, I lead with fear, too.

I come from a family who began their occupations as young as thirteen years old in the world of retail. Unfortunately, college was not an option for them. Some did not graduate high school, others had children before they could attend college, and some (like my parents) did not have the funds nor the time to pursue college while raising two young girls. More recently, my retail working parents have announced their separation and the divorce will be finalized once I move away for college. Now all eyes are on me. I am the very first to move away. I am a first-generation student. Since I began high school, my father has been persistently affected by my preferences for a career. He was shaky at first when I addressed to him I want to peruse music. I will use the money awarded to me strictly for my college tuition. My parents, especially during their separation and upcoming divorce, are struggling financially. When I leave for college in August, the house I walk out of will not be my home when I return for Thanksgiving break The money will be used to help my father trying his best to help me afford my higher education degrees I am earning.

Back in the third grade, students were questioned, “what instrument do you want to play?”. My first thought was of Squidward from Spongebob and I favored trying out the clarinet. Yet by some random instinct, a violin was grabbed instead. Nothing extraordinary went through my mind when beginning to pluck simple major scales and bow “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. To me, it was just a fun hobby to get out of class and spend time with my friends playing these “wacky” old instruments. Subsequently being a part of and leading dozens of ensembles and organizations, here I am almost a decade later ready to pursue my dream career in music. Regardless of my age, throughout my life music was there for comfort. Since I was able to speak, sleeping was not an option unless music was filling my room all night. The launch of my violin career at age nine instantly introduced the idea to learn the songs that were a big part of my childhood. My entire family would request songs and expect me to fluently perform for them. Just as middle school entered my life, one of my more vital responsibilities converted to starting and leading music clubs. Music was not a big department in school and that irked me. Most turned to sports when choosing an extracurricular activity. Not me, though. My orchestra teacher understood the mindset I had and urged me to start an orchestral quartet. My twelve-year-old self's initial feeling was eagerness and excitement. I wanted to help spread the message that music should not be overlooked and needs to be more appreciated. Today, my three close friends and I are five years into our district's unique ensemble! For every piece we perform, I never forget to smile when they look to me to cue them in. I invariably admire the amount of communication the four of us have constantly when we perform. We repeatedly joke about the funny facial expressions we make to address one another to better and further enhance our piece. Needing contentment is what brought the world of music into my life. On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chamber groups; leading high school rehearsals; performing for my county and state; and much more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. My orchestra teacher, Mrs. Ruggio, has been one of the closest people in my life. She has always given me so many opportunities to help further my knowledge of music and show me what the life of an instructor is really like. Earning the title of a college professor and aiding pupils to continue their drive for understanding music is my goal. Helping others musically inclined needs to be a part of my life forever. And one day, I hope to look a student in the eyes and propose to them, “how would you like to create an orchestral quartet?”.

I come from a family who began their occupations as young as thirteen years old in the world of retail. Unfortunately, college was not an option for them. Some did not graduate high school, others had children before they could attend college, and some (like my parents) did not have the funds nor the time to pursue college while raising two young girls. More recently, my retail working parents have announced their separation and the divorce will be finalized once I move away for college. Now all eyes are on me. I am the very first to move away. I am a first-generation student. Since I began high school, my father has been persistently affected by my preferences for a career. He was shaky at first when I addressed to him I want to peruse music. As top of my class and notable leadership skills, I have been lucky to be accepted into all college that I applied for. I will use the money awarded to me strictly for my college tuition. My parents, especially during their separation and upcoming divorce, are struggling financially to make sure I have a decent place to call home. When I leave for college in August, the house I walk out of will not be my home when I return for thanksgiving break. I can not go back as they must sell the house. The money will be used to help my father who is paying entirely for my college bills.

On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chambers groups; leading high school rehearsals; performing for my county and state; and much more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. Helping others musically intrigued needs to be a part of my life forever. What about this is important about loving myself? I never stop. I always keep finding ways to fuel my love of music. I learn new life lessons, I help others, and I always make myself happy accomplishing all that I do. I would not ever want to do anything else with my life.

I come from a family who began their occupations as young as thirteen years old in the world of retail. Unfortunately, college was not an option for them. Some did not graduate high school, others had children before they could attend college, and some (like my parents) did not have the funds nor the time to pursue college while raising two young girls. More recently, my retail working parents have announced their separation and the divorce will be finalized once I move away for college. Now all eyes are on me. I am the very first to move away. I am a first-generation student. Since I began high school, my father has been persistently affected by my preferences for a career. As top of my class and notable leadership skills, I have been lucky to be accepted into all colleges that I applied for. I will use the money awarded to me strictly for my college tuition. My parents, especially during their separation and upcoming divorce, are struggling to make sure I have a decent place to call home. When I leave for college , the house I walk out of will not be home when I return for break. The money will be used to help my father who is paying entirely for my college bills. Since I began high school, my father has been persistently affected by my preferences for a career. He suggested being a lawyer with those grades of mine and my “gift of persuasion”. Yes, it is hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of debt. And yes, it is almost a decade of college. But, being a doctor of music will not only make my family proud, but it will fulfill my most desired goal in this life.

I come from a family who began their occupations as young as thirteen years old in the world of retail. Unfortunately, college was not an option for them. Some did not graduate high school, others had children before they could attend college, and some (like my parents) did not have the funds nor the time to pursue college while raising two young girls. My sister Marissa was the first to break our family’s cycle in 2021 when she graduated from SUNY Polytechnic Institute with a bachelor’s in biology in only three years. With an immense extended family, this reached every house of the Spina’s and was considered a significant achievement for our family. More recently, my parents have announced their separation and the divorce will be finalized once I move away for college. Now all eyes are on me. I am the first to move away. I am the first to want more than a bachelors. I am a first-generation student and the second in my family to fully attend a college. Since I began high school, my father has been persistently affected by my preferences for a career. He suggested being a lawyer with those grades of mine and my “gift of persuasion”. As a dedicated and efficient workaholic, I know what I want. Yes, it is hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of debt. And yes, it is almost a decade of college and the career is heavily looked down upon for financial reasons. But, being a doctor of music history will not only make my family proud, but it will fulfill my most desired goal in this life and truly demonstrate overcoming the obstacles I am facing with my family.

On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chambers groups; leading high school rehearsals; performing for my county and state; and much more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. Helping others musically intrigued needs to be a part of my life forever. What about this is important about loving myself? I never stop. I always keep finding ways to fuel my love of music. I learn new life lessons, I help others, and I always make myself happy accomplishing all that I do. I would not ever want to do anything else with my life.

Desiring to enter music education, I’m beginning to shadow children learn about music. Thankfully, I was awarded this opportunity through an internship. Throughout the months of this internship, I’ve noticed characteristics about all the kids that I view once a week. I cheer them on playing a ukulele chord for the first time, smile at them performing carols in the halls, and I see them sing their hearts out performing Footloose. While some of these kids adore the spotlight, I prioritize to seek out and acknowledge talents of those who are introverted. One of the young, shy men always entered class grazing his hands upon the white keys of the grand piano. He always brought something small, new, and unique to practice the few moments before the bell rang for class to begin. Not many truly listened to this boy, but I always sought to listen and admired his posture, phrasing, and passion for learning music outside of the classroom. Another young girl new to the area had a fear of singing alone. When she decided to audition for a festival, she ended up being one of the few who had the experience of sight-reading a piece almost effortlessly. It’s critical in the field of education to acknowledge all kids. It’s your career to assist them find their passion, talents, and help them earn what they dream of. That is my dream. To take individuals passionate towards music to admire, help, teach, and fulfill their dreams. That is my goal in mentoring others. I want to appreciate all that desire to learn music. Especially since it is not a common career choice and heavily looked down upon for numerous reasons. Many young musicians enter outside their comfort zone to practice music. It is my goal to admire them all.

As being elected president of the Whitesboro high school Orchestra for two consecutive years (and a year of orchestra secretary prior), our team has given me numerous opportunities to demonstrate and uphold my notable leadership skills. My orchestra conductor has had to be absent from school numerous times because of personal events occurring in her life. Sometimes for a week straight. I will immediately step up and act as a substitute conductor if needed regardless of any short notice. Beginning in middle school, I had encouraged my teacher to begin a junior chamber orchestra group and lead it as a thirteen-year-old. Additionally, that same year we also created a quartet that is still together to this day. We have performed professionally towards our community including for the Business of the Year awards in December 2021 at Twin Ponds. We have even been offered to play at weddings! This July, I am performing a solo for a bride while she walks down the aisle. One of my friends instantly thought of me when this bride was requesting a violinist to perform at her wedding. Neighboring schools specifically request that my conductors "talented string kiddos" be involved in their string portion of their concerts. Unfortunately, my school district is one of the three nearby with a string program. So, when these schools have requests to perform pieces with strings, I am ready to volunteer and perform! As I type this, I am preparing to leave for Waterville tomorrow to perform in one of their biggest concerts of the year! Outside of my musical lifestyle, I have been an active National Honors Society member. I currently serve as an active tutor at both the middle and high school in my district. The Honors Society Instructor could not find any stable tutors to help these two young boys. I volunteered and have been tutoring them once a week since January! Being an active and positive leader is one of my most notable attributes to which I take most seriously. It is an honor to be the person most go to when there are any questions about music or volunteering around my community. Along my path of becoming a leader, starting and leading musical clubs, and volunteering to help others, I have developed life-long friendships and memories I will cherish forever. Being a leader is crucial to me because I know I can award success to not only my team of people, but to those around them as well. I do not like to think of myself receiving the awards we accomplish. I think of my teammates and their families being proud of them.

I come from a family who began their occupations as young as thirteen years old in the world of retail. Unfortunately, college was not an option for them. Some did not graduate high school, others had children before they could attend college, and some (like my parents) did not have the funds nor the time to pursue college while raising two young girls. My two dogs, Luna, a Siberian Husky, and Koda, a German Shepard, are six and four years old. These dogs are my children as I was the one who trained them. More recently, my retail working parents have announced their separation and the divorce will be finalized once I move away for college. My parents, especially during their separation and upcoming divorce, are struggling financially to make sure I have a decent place to call home. When it comes to my dogs, my parents are unsure as to what will happen since they both work retail and cannot afford a house with a good fence. On the bright side, my parents promised they will not be put in a shelter and will be together. When I see Luna and Koda everyday, I stop and think about how they have no idea what is in store for them this year. And I can not be by their side as I will have to move away. When I leave for college in August, the house I walk out of will not be my home when I return for thanksgiving break. I can not go back as they must sell the house. My dogs may be jumping from apartment to apartment wondering why our family is not together anymore. My father, a retail worker who is paying entirely for my college bills, has assured me that he will work hard to have a house suitable for my two big fur babies. The money if awarded to me will be used strictly for my college bills to make this situation any bit easier for my father in attempting to get us a home not only for the two of us, but for our dogs who have no idea what the next year will be looking like.

I come from a family who began their occupations as young as thirteen years old in the world of retail. Unfortunately, college was not an option for them. Some did not graduate high school, others had children before they could attend college, and some (like my parents) did not have the funds nor the time to pursue college while raising two young girls. More recently, my retail working parents have announced their separation and the divorce will be finalized once I move away for college. Now all eyes are on me. I am the very first to move away. I am a first-generation student. Since I began high school, my father has been persistently affected by my preferences for a career. As top of my class and notable leadership skills, I have been lucky to be accepted into all college that I applied for. I will use the money awarded to me strictly for my college tuition. My parents, especially during their separation and upcoming divorce, are struggling financially to make sure I have a decent place to call home. When I leave for college in August, the house I walk out of will not be my home when I return for thanksgiving break. I can not go back as they must sell the house. The money will be used to help my father who is paying entirely for my college bills.

School: SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music (With Honors) Major: Musical Studies with a concentration in History Minor: Spanish Studies I come from a family who began their occupations as young as thirteen years old in the world of retail. Unfortunately, college was not an option for them. Some did not graduate high school, others had children before they could attend college, and some (like my parents) did not have the funds nor the time to pursue college while raising two young girls. More recently, my parents have announced their separation and the divorce will be finalized once I move away for college. Now all eyes are on me, especially being a first-generation student. Regardless of my age, music was there for comfort. Since I was able to speak, sleeping was not an option unless music was filling my room all night. The launch of my violin career at age nine instantly introduced the idea to learn the songs that were a big part of my childhood. And I did! My entire family would request songs and expect me to fluently perform for them. On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. My orchestra teacher, Mrs. Ruggio, has been one of the closest people in my life. She has always given me so many opportunities to help further my knowledge of music and show me what the life of an instructor is really like. Earning the title of a college professor and aiding pupils to continue their drive for understanding music is my goal. Helping others musically inclined needs to be a part of my life forever.

As a devoted musician for over a decade, I have studied many eras of music with the dozens of subcategories that unfold throughout these time periods of music. One that has stroked me the most is the impressionist era of music in the late nineteenth through the early twentieth centuries. Claude Debussy was the first impressionistic musician and was the star of the show. He took the average laws of western-styled music and disregarded almost every one. He still continued to compose some of the most moving, sentimental, and memorable pieces of music that awe individuals around the world everyday. In the early months of 2021, I was in my high school Music Theory II class studying impressionist styled music. After learning about triads, common progressions, and many variations of key signatures, I was awed when my teacher played Debussy's "La Cathedrale Engloutie". Viewing the sheet music while it was playing, I was awed at the absence of rules this piece followed. Yet, the story it was based after was so prominently audible in every beat of the piece. The piece is meant to mimic a secret, hidden Cathedral that is sunken under water. The dissonant, high-pitched chords sound like bells are trapped underwater, the low-pitched C towards the end of the piece reminds the listener of the tense situation of this sunken Cathedral. The piece tells a story. This piece is one of the reasons I am choosing to study the theories and histories of music as a profession. This piece inspires to me to further into understanding music rather than only performing it.

As a devoted workaholic, I have suffered from serious effects of major stress throughout my life. Especially since I am a musician who strives to be perfect. Over my senior year of high school, I have had to deal with the critical stress of applying to colleges, acing my music auditions, and work to begin my dream life for the next academic year. Late 2021, my stress worsened to the point where my body began to shut down. I then realized I needed to practice some self-care for my benefit to save myself from these horrific feelings and side effects of major stress. I found some things to ease tension and help me enjoy life more. I have practiced: Opening up to friends and spending time with them more. I love seeing musicals with them, have relaxed study sessions, and go out to eat. It seems small, and what an average person may do. But, the littlest things help the most. Being a musician, I am constantly preparing repertoire for my many gigs, concerts, and solos. What I have learned is that it is okay to take breaks from these pieces and practice pieces that I enjoy performing. Hearing the music (and performing it myself) eases me from the difficult music I am rehearsing almost everyday. I have learned to take breaks, take mental health days, and even take a long time to cook a fresh, homemade meal for myself when I have had a long day. I take pride in having experience cooking since I was seven. It relaxes me and rewards me in the end. Adding these small things into my everyday routine has not only restored my mental health, but it has also brought my physical health back to normal. Self-care, though overlooked, is essential.

I have been my Orchestra’s president for the past two years. Now for the 2020-2021 academic year, I couldn’t achieve much. I was remote for eight months of my junior year. After the reelection, I knew I could take charge and accomplish more. I kicked off with fundraising. A typical method to help a department. Though abruptly, our department was put forth with some news. Usually, Whitesboro Highschool’s first and biggest concert is the Optimist Concert which is always hosted in October. After volunteering at the concession stand at our first full-house, in-person, live football game in two years; this powerful, yet simple word was presented to our department a week later regarding the Optimist Concert: Virtual. It’s about three weeks before the concert was scheduled on our district's calendar. After hearing that word, that too familiar of a word from last year, it was silent. No one said a word. My conductor was only informing us. I’m sitting first chair violin, my face turning scarlet under my deep charcoal facemask as I just attended an in-person football game with hundreds of strangers from neighboring towns. Yet, my final Optimist Concert was forced to be only recorded and put on our school’s website for a night or two. Be quiet about this? No. I couldn’t. I have never been known to be quiet when something is wrong. I wrote a letter that described how thankful I am, yet heartbroken at the current situation our school is in. I pleaded that we are finally returning to a form of normality. Yet, we are prioritizing one side when we need to care about all sides. How could we have hundreds of people at a sports event, yet our biggest ensemble holding sixty-six students not be allowed to perform in front of a small, live audience? It did not make sense. I researched. I wrote. I then carried this to my orchestra instructor. She wept knowing that I took the time to put this together and she had someone who was sticking up for the easily forgotten music department. I stood up during rehearsal and opened up to everyone about my ideas. A peer approached me and asked where they could sign. As I motioned to a music stand in the hallway, immediately followed dozens of other students crowding to endorse. I was the voice for the music department. Four days after leaving the petition to be signed I had gained enough signatures to fill almost five pages. Though my ideas were turned down and our department was met with great disappointment, my letter is still out there on someone’s desk. Our Superintendent is discussing our department. Everyone else saw disappointment. But I saw a shimmer of light. I perceived this as a form of success. Why is this important? That’s who I am. Yet, I’m terrified. This part of myself, that does not rest until I do something that others won’t, terrifies me. I’ve always struggled with leading and speaking voluntarily. Here I am, as a high school senior conducting entire orchestra rehearsals and being trained on how to teach. I’m still terrified. Failure or success, I will stand up quivering in fear alone. But, I will do it. Because it is who I am. At times It is difficult to accept this characteristic of mine. Beginning violin as a taciturn middle schooler, I heard my teacher comment to my father, “she was born to lead”. Scoffing was my instinct for that comment. Though she is right. I lead with confidence. Little does anyone know, I lead with fear, too.

Music was not a big department in school and that irked me. Most turned to sports when choosing an extracurricular activity. Not me, though. My orchestra teacher understood the mindset I had and urged me to start an orchestral quartet. My twelve-year-old self's initial feeling was eagerness and excitement. I wanted to help spread the message that music should not be overlooked and needs to be more appreciated. Today, my three close friends and I are five years into our district's unique ensemble! For every piece we perform, I never forget to smile when they look to me to cue them in. I always spot in every performance how their eyes follow the scroll of my instrument bounce as I cue us in. I invariably admire the amount of communication the four of us have constantly when we perform. We repeatedly joke about the funny facial expressions we make to address one another to better and further enhance our piece. I will never forget getting notified of the last-minute performance we were offered a few years ago. My quartet had about ten minutes to rehearse a small piece to then perform in front of all of our school faculty. In the end, we managed great success considering the tight time frame and high pressure faced by us. Our senior year of high school, we have played professionally a award ceremonies, honors recognition, and even at weddings! It is a dream come true that began a reality because four twelve-year-old's wanted to do more with music in middle school!

I come from a family who began their occupations as young as thirteen years old in the world of retail. College was not an option. Some did not graduate high school and some (like my parents) did not have the funds nor the time to pursue college while raising two young girls. My sister broke our family’s cycle in 2021 when she graduated with a bachelor’s in only three years. This reached every house of the Spina’s and was considered a significant achievement for our family. Now, it’s my turn. Since I began high school, my father has been persistently affected by my preferences for a career. He suggested being a lawyer with those grades of mine and my “gift of persuasion”. As an efficient workaholic, I know what I want. Yes, it is hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of debt. And yes, it is almost a decade of college. But, being a doctor of music will not only make my family proud, but it will fulfill my most desired goal in this life. Though, my future is filled with uncertainty. Especially since my parents announced their divorce occurring after I leave. When I walk out of my house in late August to move away to college, I will come back to that house no longer being my home. I will see my mother living in an apartment continuing to work retail, and my father moving away to find a better occupation. What about this shows growth? My drive to excel in college will be motivated by the luck and thankfulness I feel being the first to move away for college to study my dream career. Growth and change is essential for my future. And while the amount of change I am going through is rough, I am thankful.

I come from a family who began their occupations at thirteen years old in retail. College wasn't an option. Some did not graduate high school and some (like my parents) did not have the funds nor the time to pursue college while raising two young girls. My sister broke our family’s cycle in 2021 when she graduated with a bachelor’s in only three years. This reached every house of the Spina’s and was considered a significant achievement for our family. Now, it’s my turn. Since I began high school, my father has been persistently affected by my preferences for a career. He suggested being a lawyer with my grades and my “gift of persuasion”. As an efficient workaholic, I know what I want. Yes, it is hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of debt and it is almost a decade of college. But, being a doctor of music will not only make my family proud, but it will fulfill my most desired goal in this life. Being the first in my family to ever move away for college (and second to go to college), my future is filled with uncertainty. Especially since my parents announced their divorce occurring after I leave. When I walk out of my house in late August to move away, I will come back to that house no longer being my home. I will see my mother living in an apartment continuing to work retail, and my father moving away to find a better occupation. What will change about me? My drive to excel in college will be motivated by the luck and thankfulness I feel being the first to move away for college to study my dream career. My drive will be for my family who sacrificed everything to help me get to my dream.

As elected president of my high school orchestra for two consecutive years, our team has given me opportunities to demonstrate and uphold my notable leadership skills. Beginning in middle school, I had encouraged my teacher to begin a chamber orchestra group and lead it as a thirteen-year-old. Additionally, we also created a quartet that's still together. We have performed professionally towards our community. We have even been offered to play at weddings! This July, I am performing a solo for a bride while she walks down the aisle. I have also been an active National Honors Society member. I currently serve as a tutor at both the middle and high schools in my district. Being an active and positive leader is my most notable attribute which I take seriously. Leadership to me is to hold a team together to where we will efficiently achieve a goal given to us. It's an honor to be the person most go to when there are any questions about music or volunteering around my community. I can recall my orchestra instructor bragging to my parents about my leadership skills and how I must put them to use one day. Being a leader is crucial to me because I know I can award success to not only my team of people, but to those around them as well. I do not like to think of myself receiving the awards we accomplish. I think of my teammates and their families being proud of them. What about this is my best skill? I always keep finding ways to fuel my love of music. I learn new life lessons, I help others, and I always make myself happy accomplishing all that I do. I would not ever want to do anything else with my life.

I come from a family who began their occupations as young as thirteen years old in the world of retail. Unfortunately, college was not an option for them. Some did not graduate high school, others had children before they could attend college, and some (like my parents) did not have the funds nor the time to pursue college while raising two young girls. My sister Marissa was the first to break our family’s cycle in 2021 when she graduated from SUNY Poly with a bachelor’s in only three years. With an immense extended family, this reached every house of the Spina’s and was considered a significant achievement for our family. Now, it’s my turn. Since I began high school, my father has been persistently affected by my preferences for a career. He suggested being a lawyer with those grades of mine and my “gift of persuasion”. As a dedicated and efficient workaholic, I know what I want. Yes, it is hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of debt. And yes, it is almost a decade of college. But, being a doctor of music will not only make my family proud, but it will fulfill my most desired goal in this life. As being elected president of the Whitesboro high school Orchestra for two consecutive years (and a year of orchestra secretary prior), our team has given me numerous opportunities to demonstrate and uphold my notable leadership skills. I will act as a substitute conductor if needed regardless of any short notice. Beginning in middle school, I had encouraged my teacher to begin a junior chamber orchestra group and lead it as a thirteen-year-old. Additionally, that same year we also created a quartet that is still together to this day. We have performed professionally towards our community including for the Business of the Year awards in December 2021 at Twin Ponds.We have even been offered to play at weddings! This July, I am performing a solo for a bride while she walks down the aisle. One of my friends instantly thought of me when this bride was requesting a violinist to perform at her wedding. Outside of my musical lifestyle, I have been an active National Honors Society member. I currently serve as an active tutor at both the middle and high school in my district. Being an active and positive leader is one of my most notable attributes to which I take most seriously. Leadership to me is to hold a team together to where we will efficiently achieve any goal given to us. It is an honor to be the person most go to when there are any questions about music or volunteering around my community. Since middle school, I can recall my orchestra instructor bragging to my parents about my leadership skills and how I must put them to use one day. Being a leader is crucial to me because I know I can award success to not only my team of people, but to those around them as well. I do not like to think of myself receiving the awards we accomplish. I think of my teammates and their families being proud of them. On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. Helping others musically inclined needs to be a part of my life forever. What about this is important about loving myself? I never stop. I always keep finding ways to fuel my love of music. I learn new life lessons, I help others, and I always make myself happy accomplishing all that I do. I would not ever want to do anything else with my life. Being the first in my family to ever move away for college, my future is filled with uncertainty. Especially since my parents announced their divorce occurring after I leave. When I walk out of my house in late August to move away to college, I will come back to that house no longer being my home. I will see my mother living in an apartment continuing to work retail, and my father moving away to find a better occupation. What will change about me? My drive to excel in college will be motivated by the luck and thankfulness I feel being the first to move away for college to study my dream career. My drive will be for my family who sacrificed everything to help me get to my dream.

As I see my senior year of high school concluding, I’m anxious and grateful about what comes next. Walking into the first day of this academic school year, my eyes were set on one thing. My college music auditions. Scheduled in February, I had six months to develop music that would determine my future. Speaking to dozens of students attending these universities, the information I obtained was, “don’t worry”, “it’s not that scary”, and “it’s only fifteen minutes of your life”. With this stubborn, arcane personality I possess, it demands to comprehend these individuals attempting to aid my anxiety. How can I be calm? Raised in a family of retail, I plan to be a first-gen college student, the first one in my family to move away from home, and the first person in my family to desire more than a bachelor's degree (my sister achieved our family’s first bachelor's). I am terrified. My desires encourage me to go the farthest possible in the higher fields of music education. Everything I am driving towards is a first in my family. Many around me have questioned me about my goals. I share that my goal is to earn a doctorate in music theory. Unrelated to whoever I am speaking with, I invariably prepare myself for the regular response, “that is a lot of school” and “are you sure about that?”. Then follows the game where I guess every word exiting their mouth, alerting me to aim for something smaller. Growing up, my grades have been who I am. Every day I pushed myself to earn the top seven percent of my class. Where did that land me? “Go into STEM”, “be a lawyer with those grades”, and “you gotta be a doctor”. Sure, I will be a doctor. A doctor of music theory. In early March, I had received the news that I was accepted into all schools that I applied for and encouraged to join their music programs. I was free. After weeping, I drove into an empty parking lot to where I screamed, "I made it". My hard, dedicated work of nine years has finally paid off. I get to start my dream this year. I am passionate about working hard, earning my degrees, and understand that this opportunity for education is never given. It is earned. I plan to continue to earn my right to have the privilege to be a first-generation music student

As I approach the last stretch of my senior year of high school, I’m anxious about what comes next. Walking into the first day of this academic school year, my eyes were set on one thing. My college music auditions. Scheduled in February, I had six months to develop music that would determine my future. Speaking to dozens of students attending these universities, the information I obtained was, “don’t worry”, “it’s not that scary”, and “it’s only fifteen minutes of your life”. With this stubborn, arcane personality I possess, it demands to comprehend these individuals attempting to aid my anxiety. How can I be calm? Raised in a family of retail, I plan to be a first-gen college student, the first one in my family to move away from home, and the first person in my family to desire more than a bachelor's degree (my sister achieved our family’s first bachelor's). I am terrified. My desires encourage me to go the farthest possible in the higher fields of music education. Everything I am driving towards is a first in my family. Many around me have questioned me about my goals. I share that my goal is to earn a doctorate in music theory. Unrelated to whoever I am speaking with, I invariably prepare myself for the regular response, “that is a lot of school” and “are you sure about that?”. Then follows the game where I guess every word exiting their mouth, alerting me to aim for something smaller. Growing up, my grades have been who I am. Every day I pushed myself to earn the top seven percent of my class. Where did that land me? “Go into STEM”, “be a lawyer with those grades”, and “you gotta be a doctor”. Sure, I will be a doctor. A doctor of music theory. I learned that both schools have accepted me for their music program. What a weight lifting off of my shoulders. I felt free. I remember driving to an empty parking lot and screaming that I made it. The first in my family. My hard work for almost a decade has paid off. I can live the start of my dream. Throughout my high school years, I have read books not typical for my age. As reading gradually becomes less and less known as a hobby and more known as a chore, I have found joy in reading literature depicting music history. We had had numerous research papers for high school. Though most were dreading to read, I would rush to the library and grab as many books as I could carry. I would skim to a page where I discovered a new technique, instrument, or era of history to absorb all of the new information. On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chamber groups; leading high school rehearsals; performing for my county and state; and much more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. What about this is important about loving myself? I never stop. I always keep finding ways to fuel my love of music. I learn new life lessons, I help others, and I always make myself happy accomplishing all that I do.

On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chambers groups; leading high school rehearsals; performing for my county and state; and much more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. Helping others musically inclined needs to be a part of my life forever. What about this is important about loving myself? I never stop. I always keep finding ways to fuel my love of music. I learn new life lessons, I help others, and I always make myself happy accomplishing all that I do. I would not ever want to do anything else with my life. I adore this trait about myself because not only am I fulfilling my passion for music, but I am also helping others learn more about the world of music. Helping others awards me with the best feeling regardless if it is something as simple as correcting a bowing technique on violin.

Back in the third grade, students were questioned, “what instrument do you want to play?”. My first thought was of Squidward from Spongebob and I favored trying out the clarinet. Yet by some random instinct, a violin was grabbed instead. Nothing extraordinary went through my mind when beginning to pluck simple major scales and bow “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. To me, it was just a fun hobby to get out of class and spend time with my friends playing these “wacky” old instruments. Subsequently being a part of and leading dozens of ensembles and organizations, here I am almost a decade later ready to pursue my dream career in music. Most turned to sports when choosing an extracurricular activity. Not me, though. My orchestra teacher understood the mindset I had and urged me to start an orchestral quartet. My twelve-year-old self's initial feeling was eagerness. I wanted to help spread the message that music shouldn't be overlooked and must be more appreciated. Today, three close friends and I are years into our district's unique ensemble! Every piece we perform, I never forget to smile when they look at me to cue them in. I always spot in every performance how their eyes follow the scroll of my instrument bounce as I cue us in. I invariably admire the amount of communication the four of us have constantly when we perform. We repeatedly joke about the funny facial expressions we make to address one another to better and further enhance our piece. Playing an instrument has not only been my passion, but music has also been there to ease my life whenever I desire it to. It is there to fall asleep, to drive to work, or even to distress from my busy, workaholic lifestyle. Music makes me happy.

I deserve this scholarship because I want to get as far away from my parents as possible for as cheap as possible. Wanting to be the first in my family to go into higher education, I need money to leave my family behind! I'd be the first in my family EVER to move out for college! My career goal is to be a college professor of music. I cannot stand young kids and teens my age. They don't listen or respect their teachers. So, earning a position in higher education will reduce the amount of babysitting I will need to do to teach pupils! Since I began high school, my father has been persistently affected by my preferences for a career. He suggested being a lawyer with those grades of mine and my “gift of persuasion”. He seems to believe it is his career we are choosing though he has been in retail since the ripe age of thirteen. Thankfully, my dedication and expression of love for music has convinced him in the slightest to allow me to do what I wish for a career.

Back in the third grade, students were questioned, “what instrument do you want to play?”. My first thought was of Squidward from Spongebob and I favored trying out the clarinet. Yet by some random instinct, a violin was grabbed instead. Nothing extraordinary went through my mind when beginning to pluck simple major scales and bow “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. To me, it was just a fun hobby to get out of class and spend time with my friends playing these “wacky” old instruments. Subsequently being a part of and leading dozens of ensembles and organizations, here I am almost a decade later ready to pursue my dream career in music. Since I was able to speak, sleeping was not an option unless music was filling my room all night. The launch of my violin career at age nine instantly introduced the idea to learn the songs that were a big part of my childhood. And I did! My entire family would request songs and expect me to fluently perform for them. Just as middle school entered my life, one of my more vital responsibilities converted to starting and leading music clubs. Music was not a big department in school and that irked me. Most turned to sports when choosing an extracurricular activity. Not me, though. My orchestra teacher understood the mindset I had and urged me to start an orchestral quartet. My twelve-year-old self's initial feeling was eagerness and excitement. Today, three close friends and I are five years into our district's unique ensemble! For every piece we perform, I never forget to smile when they look to me to cue them in. I always spot in every performance how their eyes follow the scroll of my instrument bounce as I cue us in. I invariably admire the communication we have when we perform. We repeatedly joke about the funny facial expressions we make to address one another to enhance our piece. I will never forget getting notified of the last-minute performance we were offered a few years ago. My quartet had ten minutes to rehearse a piece to then perform in front of our school faculty. We managed great success considering the time frame and pressure faced by us. On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chamber groups; leading high school rehearsals; performing for my county and state; and much more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping to improve something small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling. This hobby has transformed my life and I am eager to begin to pursue it as my future career in the fall.

Regardless of my age, throughout my life music was there for comfort. Since I was able to speak, sleeping was not an option unless music was filling my room all night. The launch of my violin career at age nine instantly introduced the idea to learn the songs that were a big part of my childhood. And I did! My entire family would request songs and expect me to fluently perform for them. Just as middle school entered my life, one of my more vital responsibilities converted to starting and leading music clubs. Music was not a big department in school and that irked me. Most turned to sports when choosing an extracurricular activity. Not me, though. My orchestra teacher understood the mindset I had and urged me to start an orchestral quartet. My twelve-year-old self's initial feeling was eagerness and excitement. I wanted to help spread the message that music should not be overlooked and needs to be more appreciated. Today, my three close friends and I are five years into our district's unique ensemble! For every piece we perform, I never forget to smile when they look to me to cue them in. I always spot in every performance how their eyes follow the scroll of my instrument bounce as I cue us in. I invariably admire the amount of communication the four of us have constantly when we perform. We repeatedly joke about the funny facial expressions we make to address one another to better and further enhance our piece. I will never forget getting notified of the last-minute performance we were offered a few years ago. My quartet had about ten minutes to rehearse a small piece to then perform in front of all of our school faculty. In the end, we managed great success considering the tight time frame and high pressure faced by us. On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chamber groups; leading high school rehearsals; performing for my county and state; and much more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. My orchestra teacher, Mrs. Ruggio, has been one of the closest people in my life. She has always given me so many opportunities to help further my knowledge of music and show me what the life of an instructor is really like. Earning the title of a college professor and aiding pupils to continue their drive for understanding music is my goal. Helping others musically inclined needs to be a part of my life forever. As a female first-generation college student, attempting to positively change the world is pretty difficult. Though I cannot change the world and how it works, what I can do is change others views on music. I want to demonstrate to them that music is essential to live in this life. We cannot function correctly without music some way or form in our lives. Being a professor and teaching students who have the same drive as me will change the world in our we view music.

As a seventeen-year-old playing violin for almost a decade, I have grown a notable unbreakable bond with music. Especially, the education parts of the music world. With the honor of tutoring violin students, it is rewarding to have patience as a strong attribute. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. With tutoring, some students do not understand certain all of the aspects learning a piece. The technique, the phrasing, the releasing of tension, the theories, etc. Helping these students understand what they are playing, better ways to perform the piece, and also assisting their comprehension towards the theory aspect in a slow, diverse way for each student not only will make them feel accomplished, but also reward me in showing a student the ways of music.

On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chambers groups; leading high school rehearsals; performing for my county and state; and much more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. Helping others musically inclined needs to be a part of my life forever. What about this is important about loving myself? I never stop. I always keep finding ways to fuel my love of music. I learn new life lessons, I help others, and I always make myself happy accomplishing all that I do. I would not ever want to do anything else with my life. By staying true to what I love, I not only help myself and make myself proud, but I also assist others in fueling their dreams and expressing the essentialness of music in our lives.

My name is Alyssa Spina. I've been a devoted, self-taught violinist for nine years. I have had the honor of being awarded notable leadership awards even as a twelve-year-old girl. I also have had the honor of playing professionally around my community and for New York State. This upcoming chapter in my life forces great pressure upon me. My family's occupations began at thirteen in retail. Unfortunately, college wasn't an option. Dropouts and parents at eighteen, my parents didn't have funds or time to pursue college while raising kids. My sister received her first bachelor's. That news hit every household of the Spina family. Now, it’s my turn. I have received a lot of questions about my career choice. Specifically, my father suggested a lawyer with my grades and “gift of persuasion”. I know what I want. It's hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. It is almost a decade of college. But, being a doctor of music will make my family proud and fulfill my most desired goal in this life.

My name is Alyssa Spina. I've been a violinist for nine years. This upcoming chapter in my life forces great pressure upon me. My family's occupations began at thirteen in retail. Unfortunately, college wasn't an option. Dropouts and parents at eighteen, my parents didn't have funds or time to pursue college while raising kids. My sister received the first bachelors. Now, it’s my turn. My father suggested a lawyer with my grades and “gift of persuasion”. I know what I want. It's hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. But, being a doctor of music will make my family proud and fulfill my most desired goal in this life. Back in 2018 (I was in middle school at the time), my sister, Marissa, came home from the high school where I now attend. It was an average, spring day. But the following morning, Marissa would be signing a memorial dedicated to three students who would suddenly pass away. The three students, carpooling together, were smashed into by a drunk driver. They were in her grade. They did not get to walk the stage, shaking the hand of administration to receive their diploma. Why does this affect me? I didn't know them, right? When I finally entered the high school as a freshman, I would like any first-year get lost in the halls entering a notably larger building than what I was used to. I came to a halt when I saw the updated memorial. Right near the center, I saw a familiar name, "Marissa Spina" with her unique endorsement consisting her "i" with a bubble above it, not a simple dot. This name, surrounded by hundreds of others with a large sign in the middle. "Don't Drink and Drive" followed by the students names. I see it everyday. I could not imagine walking into school one day to not see three of my peers gone forever, their dreams ripped away from them because of someone's choice to drink and then drive. When I began to drive, I was terrified. You never know who the other person is in the car next to you, or even worse, behind you. Learning to drive, I prioritized paying attention to all cars surrounding me. When my friends or my boyfriend drives ANYWHERE, I invariably message them to alert me when they have arrived to their destination. Why? I do not think I could handle endorsing a memorial for them. A memorial which would hang on a wall due to someone out there drinking and driving. If that day does gloomily arrive, I will be sure to sign right in the middle, just like Marissa did.

As the first half of my senior year of high school concludes, I’m anxious about what comes next. Walking into the first day of this academic school year, my eyes were set on one thing. My college music auditions. Scheduled in February, I had six months to develop music that would determine my future. Speaking to dozens of students attending these universities, the information I obtained was, “don’t worry”, “it’s not that scary”, and “it’s only fifteen minutes of your life”. With this stubborn, arcane personality I possess, it demands to comprehend these individuals attempting to aid my anxiety. How can I be calm? Raised in a family of retail, I plan to be a first-gen college student, the first one in my family to move away from home, and the first person in my family to desire more than a bachelor's degree (my sister achieved our family’s first bachelor's). I am terrified. My desires encourage me to go the farthest possible in the higher fields of music education. Everything I am driving towards is a first in my family. Many around me have questioned me about my goals. I share that my goal is to earn a doctorate in music theory. Unrelated to whoever I am speaking with, I invariably prepare myself for the regular response, “that is a lot of school” and “are you sure about that?”. Then follows the game where I guess every word exiting their mouth, alerting me to aim for something smaller. Growing up, my grades have been who I am. Every day I pushed myself to earn the top seven percent of my class. Where did that land me? “Go into STEM”, “be a lawyer with those grades”, and “you gotta be a doctor”. Sure, I will be a doctor. A doctor of music theory. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship. As mentioned in my brief essay, I come from a family who began their occupations as young as thirteen years old in the world of retail. Unfortunately, college was not an option for them. Some did not graduate high school, others had children before they could attend college, and some (like my parents) did not have the funds nor the time to pursue college while raising two young girls. My sister Marissa was the first to break our family’s cycle in 2021 when she graduated from SUNY Polytechnic Institute with a bachelor’s in biology in only three years. With an immense extended family, this reached every house of the Spina’s and was considered a significant achievement for our family. Now, it’s my turn. Since I began high school, my father has been persistently affected by my preferences for a career. He suggested being a lawyer with those grades of mine and my “gift of persuasion”. As a dedicated and efficient workaholic, I know what I want. Yes, it is hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of debt. And yes, it is almost a decade of college. But, being a doctor of music will not only make my family proud, but it will fulfill my most desired goal in this life. Being awarded this scholarship will greatly assist me in going somewhere in my family. It is unheard of to go to college and earn more than a bachelors in the Spina's. Going onward to not only positively impact music students like me, but to also achieve my dreams of my occupation solely being to think about music and why it is essential in our lives.

Since I was able to speak, sleeping was not an option unless music was filling my room all night. The launch of my violin career at age nine instantly introduced the idea to learn the songs that were a big part of my childhood. And I did! My entire family would request songs and expect me to fluently perform for them. Just as middle school entered my life, one of my more vital responsibilities converted to starting and leading music clubs. Music was not a big department in school and that irked me. Most turned to sports when choosing an extracurricular activity. Not me, though. My orchestra teacher understood the mindset I had and urged me to start an orchestral quartet. My twelve-year-old self's initial feeling was eagerness and excitement. I wanted to help spread the message that music should not be overlooked and needs to be more appreciated. Today, my three close friends and I are five years into our district's unique ensemble! For every piece we perform, I never forget to smile when they look to me to cue them in. I invariably admire the amount of communication the four of us have constantly when we perform. We repeatedly joke about the funny facial expressions we make to address one another to enhance our piece. I will never forget getting notified of the last-minute performance we were offered a few years ago. My quartet had about ten minutes to rehearse a small piece to then perform in front of all of our school faculty. In the end, we managed great success considering the tight time frame and high pressure faced by us. On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chambers groups; leading high school rehearsals; performing for my county and state; and much more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. Helping others musically motivated needs to be a part of my life forever. What about this is important about loving myself? I never stop. I always keep finding ways to fuel my love of music. I learn new life lessons, I help others, and I always make myself happy accomplishing all that I do. I would not ever want to do anything else with my life. And above all, I am positively influencing many around by expressing what I love to do in life. While I am making my dreams come true, I am also introducing others to the world of music and possibly helping them create their dreams along the road.

I took ten classes during junior year to have a relaxing year before college. Especially learning at home, stress is beyond what I tackled last year. Life was seven hours of school, my part-time job for four hours, going home, and restarting. This was on repeat for eight months. It was beyond worth it. I bought my first car all by myself and got ahead of my classes. As a first-gen college student. This is what I needed to accomplish to make my life much more easier. Having a car and many credits, I could save more money. But, this year isn’t relaxing. No, it isn’t entirely to do with the stresses of applying to college. It's what's happening currently at my high school. We have not executed our normal activities in almost two years. This school year, in the first two months alone, our staff has reintroduced spirit week, in-person sports events, and... only virtual music concerts? I have been Orchestra president for the two years. Last year, I couldn’t achieve much. I was fully remote for eight months of my junior year. After the reelection, I knew I could take charge and accomplish more. Though abruptly, our department was put forth with some news. After volunteering at our first full-house, in-person, live football game in two years; this powerful, yet simple word was presented to our department a week later regarding the Optimist Concert: Virtual. It’s about three weeks before the concert was scheduled. Hearing that word, that too familiar of a word from last year, it was silent. My conductor was only informing us. Knowing this woman for almost a decade, I knew her tone was unsettled. My face turned scarlet under my deep charcoal facemask as I just attended an in-person football game with hundreds of strangers. Yet, my final concert was forced to be recorded and put on the website. Be quiet about this? I couldn’t. I wrote a letter. A letter describing how thankful I am, yet heartbroken at the current situation our school is in. Resided in that envelope are the words of a young woman encouraging decisions that would brighten dozens of morale's in our small department. How could we have hundreds of people at a sports event, yet students aren't allowed to perform in front of an audience? My conductor wept knowing she had someone who was sticking up for the forgotten music department. I stood up during rehearsal opening up to everyone. Then sang the bell and a peer approached me and asked where they could sign. As I motioned to a stand outside, dozens of other students crowded to endorse. I had gained enough signatures to fill five pages. Though my ideas were turned down and our department was met with great disappointment, my letter is still out there on someone’s desk. Everyone saw disappointment. I saw a shimmer of light. I perceived this as success. That’s who I am. Yet, I’m terrified. This part of myself, that does not rest until I do something that others won’t, terrifies me. I’ve always struggled with leading and speaking voluntarily. Here I am, as a high school senior conducting entire orchestra rehearsals and being trained on how to teach. Failure or success, I will stand up quivering in fear alone. Because it is who I am. At times It is difficult to accept this characteristic of mine. I heard my teacher comment to my father, “she was born to lead”. Scoffing was my instinct. Though she is right. I lead with confidence. Little does anyone know, I lead with fear, too.

I took ten classes during junior year to have a relaxing year before college. Especially learning at home, stress is beyond what I tackled last year. Life was seven hours of school, my part-time job for four hours, going home, and restarting. This was on repeat for eight months. It was beyond worth it. I bought my first car all by myself and got ahead of my classes. As a first-gen college student. This is what I needed to accomplish to make my life much more easier. Having a car and many credits, I could save more money. But, this year isn’t relaxing. No, it isn’t entirely to do with the stresses of applying to college. It's what's happening currently at my high school. We have not executed our normal activities in almost two years. This school year, in the first two months alone, our staff has reintroduced spirit week, in-person sports events, and... only virtual music concerts? I have been Orchestra president for the two years. Last year, I couldn’t achieve much. I was fully remote for eight months of my junior year. After the reelection, I knew I could take charge and accomplish more. Though abruptly, our department was put forth with some news. After volunteering at our first full-house, in-person, live football game in two years; this powerful, yet simple word was presented to our department a week later regarding the Optimist Concert: Virtual. It’s about three weeks before the concert was scheduled. Hearing that word, that too familiar of a word from last year, it was silent. My conductor was only informing us. Knowing this woman for almost a decade, I knew her tone was unsettled. My face turned scarlet under my deep charcoal facemask as I just attended an in-person football game with hundreds of strangers. Yet, my final concert was forced to be recorded and put on the website. Be quiet about this? I couldn’t. I wrote a letter. A letter describing how thankful I am, yet heartbroken at the current situation our school is in. Resided in that envelope are the words of a young woman encouraging decisions that would brighten dozens of morale's in our small department. How could we have hundreds of people at a sports event, yet students aren't allowed to perform in front of an audience? My conductor wept knowing she had someone who was sticking up for the forgotten music department. I stood up during rehearsal opening up to everyone. Then sang the bell and a peer approached me and asked where they could sign. As I motioned to a stand outside, dozens of other students crowded to endorse. I had gained enough signatures to fill five pages. Though my ideas were turned down and our department was met with great disappointment, my letter is still out there on someone’s desk. Everyone saw disappointment. I saw a shimmer of light. I perceived this as success. That’s who I am. Yet, I’m terrified. This part of myself, that does not rest until I do something that others won’t, terrifies me. I’ve always struggled with leading and speaking voluntarily. Here I am, as a high school senior conducting entire orchestra rehearsals and being trained on how to teach. Failure or success, I will stand up quivering in fear alone. Because it is who I am. At times It is difficult to accept this characteristic of mine. I heard my teacher comment to my father, “she was born to lead”. Scoffing was my instinct. Though she is right. I lead with confidence. Little does anyone know, I lead with fear, too.

My name is Alyssa Spina. I've been a violinist for nine years. This upcoming chapter in my life forces great pressure upon me. My family's occupations began at thirteen in retail. Unfortunately, college wasn't an option. Dropouts and parents at eighteen, my parents didn't have funds or time to pursue college while raising kids. My sister received the first bachelors. Now, it’s my turn. My father suggested a lawyer with my grades and “gift of persuasion”. I know what I want. It's hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. But, being a doctor of music will make my family proud and fulfill my most desired goal in this life.

Since I was able to speak, sleeping was not an option unless music was filling my room all night. The launch of my violin career at age nine introduced the idea to learn songs that were a big part of my childhood. Family would request songs and I would fluently perform for them. One of my more vital responsibilities converted to starting and leading music clubs. Music wasn't a big department in school which irked me. Most turned to sports when choosing an extracurricular activity. Not me, though. My orchestra teacher understood the mindset I had and urged me to start an orchestral quartet. My twelve-year-old self's initial feeling was excitement. I needed to help spread the message that music should not be overlooked and needs to be appreciated. Today, my friends and I are years into our unique ensemble! Every piece we perform, I never forget to smile when they look to me to cue them in. We repeatedly joke about the funny expressions we make to address one another to further enhance our piece. On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chambers groups; leading high school rehearsals; performing for my state; and more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. Helping others comprehend the world of music needs to be a part of my life forever.

Regardless of my age, throughout my life music was there for comfort. Since I was able to speak, sleeping was not an option unless music was filling my room all night. The launch of my violin career at age nine instantly introduced the idea to learn the songs that were a big part of my childhood. And I did! My entire family would request songs and expect me to fluently perform for them. Just as middle school entered my life, one of my more vital responsibilities converted to starting and leading music clubs. Music was not a big department in school and that irked me. Most turned to sports when choosing an extracurricular activity. Not me, though. My orchestra teacher understood the mindset I had and urged me to start an orchestral quartet. My twelve-year-old self's initial feeling was eagerness and excitement. I wanted to help spread the message that music should not be overlooked and needs to be more appreciated. Today, my three close friends and I are five years into our district's unique ensemble! For every piece we perform, I never forget to smile when they look to me to cue them in. I always spot in every performance how their eyes follow the scroll of my instrument bounce as I cue us in. I invariably admire the amount of communication the four of us have constantly when we perform. We repeatedly joke about the funny facial expressions we make to address one another to better and further enhance our piece. I will never forget getting notified of the last-minute performance we were offered a few years ago. My quartet had about ten minutes to rehearse a small piece to then perform in front of all of our school faculty. In the end, we managed great success considering the tight time frame and high pressure faced by us. Needing contentment is what brought the world of music into my life. On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chambers groups; leading highschool rehearsals; performing for my county and state; and much more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. My orchestra teacher, Mrs. Ruggio, has been one of the closest people in my life. She has always given me so many opportunities to help further my knowledge of music and show me what the life of an instructor is really like. Earning the title of college professor and aiding pupils to continue their drive for understanding music is my goal. Helping others musically inclined needs to be a part of my life forever. And one day, I hope to look a student in the eyes and propose to them, “how would you like to create an orchestral quartet?”.

On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chambers groups; leading high school rehearsals; performing for my county and state; and much more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. Helping others musically inclined needs to be a part of my life forever. What about this is important about loving myself? I never stop. I always keep finding ways to fuel my love of music. I learn new life lessons, I help others, and I always make myself happy accomplishing all that I do. I would not ever want to do anything else with my life.

Just as middle school entered my life, one of my more vital responsibilities converted to starting and leading music clubs. Music was not a big department in school and that irked me. Most turned to sports when choosing an extracurricular activity. Not me, though. My orchestra teacher understood the mindset I had and urged me to start an orchestral quartet. I wanted to help spread the message that music should not be overlooked and needs to be more appreciated. Today, my three close friends and I are five years into our district's unique ensemble where we play professionally around our community! This was the spark of my love for music education. On my trail of growth and involvement in music, I have gained and continually executed proficient communication skills; built remarkable and unbreakable relationships; and found my passion for understanding music. My academic abilities in music involve participating and excelling in solos festivals; chambers groups; leading high school rehearsals; performing for my county and state; and much more. In the multitude of events I have experienced, I attain valuable lessons. Music teachers pointed my peers towards me to demonstrate anything musical. Showing others and teaching them what I love is fascinating. Helping someone improve something even so small and seeing the biggest grin on their face awards me the warmest feeling inside. My orchestra teacher, Mrs. Ruggio, has been one of the closest people in my life. She has always given me so many opportunities to help further my knowledge of music and show me what the life of an instructor is really like. Earning the title of a college professor and aiding pupils to continue their drive for understanding music is my goal. Helping others musically inclined needs to be a part of my life forever. Music Education is important to me because music is underfunded and under appreciated. Yet, music is essential in life. It makes us who we are. It makes us think the way we do. It alters our moods, changes our lifestyles, and can both mentally and physically improve us.

As being elected president of the Whitesboro high school Orchestra for two consecutive years (and a year of orchestra secretary prior), our team has given me numerous opportunities to demonstrate and uphold my notable leadership skills. I will act as a substitute conductor if needed regardless of any short notice. Beginning in middle school, I had encouraged my teacher to begin a junior chamber orchestra group and lead it as a thirteen-year-old. Additionally, that same year we also created a quartet that is still together to this day. We have performed professionally towards our community including for the Business of the Year awards in December 2021 at Twin Ponds. Outside of my musical lifestyle, I have been an active National Honors Society member. Currently serving as an active tutor at both the middle and high school, I also volunteer at concession stands, and other musical concerts where I am available. Because of my leadership skills, I have begun many musical clubs throughout my high school career. Being an active and positive leader is one of my most notable attributes which I take most seriously. Leadership to me is the ability to hold a team together to where we will efficiently achieve any goal or task given to us. It is an honor to be the person most go to when there are any questions about music or volunteering around my community. Since middle school, I can recall my orchestra instructor bragging to my parents about my leadership skills and how I must put them to use one day. Being a leader is crucial to me because I know I can award success to not only my team of people but to those around them as well. I do not like to think of myself receiving the awards we accomplish. I think of my teammates being proud of themselves, and those surrounding them being proud of them as well.