When I sit at the piano to compose, it feels like opening a hidden pair of eyes that look inward. Time becomes fluid as I tune in to my creativity, placing my fingertips onto the still, silent keys and beginning to create something new. This feeling of getting lost in the music is what I love so much. Music inspires me, challenges me, and connects me to other passionate musicians who push me to grow. As a musician, I’ve spent much of my time singing in chorus and school musicals, playing piano collaboratively with vocalists, and composing my own music. My big dream is to write and direct a full-length musical that touches the lives of people worldwide. I believe that as a musician and a composer, this is my way to connect with as many people as I can- to tell stories through music and maybe even to be a source of inspiration and hope. In 2024, I premiered the first version of my original musical, “Starbound”. Starbound is set in a future where drastic climate change threatens life on Earth, and tells the story of three teens who blast into space searching for a way to save Earth from destruction. Having the opportunity to premiere my show at my high school gave me my first true taste of connecting to musicians, actors, designers, and members of the community through my music. Of course, that was just the first draft of my show. After that, Starbound continued to grow and evolve. In individual composition lessons for my music studies, we focus on each song, one at a time, making each one stronger and more relatable. In the past two years I’ve written five new Starbound songs and a brand new second act. This year, the newest version of the show will be finished! This spring I will collaborate with another student composer to showcase our two musicals and I can’t wait to learn and grow through that opportunity! This musical that I have written is what connects me to the musicians around me as I write, rehearse, and edit the music with their help and support. I truly couldn’t have come this far without my peers in the composition program, the supportive faculty, and the friends and teachers from before my college years too. Right now, being an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia is giving me access to highly accomplished faculty and fantastic state-of-the-art facilities to aid my studies. However, being an out-of-state student from NC at a prestigious university also has significant costs. While I do have some funding from scholarships and my parents’ savings, I am also accruing student loan debt and working part-time as a collaborative pianist to help make ends meet. In order to self-fund my next few years of college, I would need to find additional part-time work which would take my focus and energy away from studying and composing. This scholarship would allow me to continue to put my energy into my music without the burden of additional stress or loans. Ideally, I would love to have funds for engraving software, digital music-making platforms, and audio technology to help me premiere my music at its best. Additionally, after UGA, I plan to go to graduate school to earn a masters degree. Therefore, any help will allow me to move forward without the burden of student debt. Thank you for your time and consideration in helping me accomplish my dreams!

When I sit at the piano to compose, it feels like opening a hidden pair of eyes that look inward. Time becomes fluid as I tune in to my creativity, placing my fingertips onto the still, silent keys and beginning to create something new. This feeling of getting lost in the music is what I love so much. Music inspires me, challenges me, and connects me to other passionate musicians who push me to grow. I believe that being a composer is my way to connect with as many people as I can- to tell stories through music and to be a source of inspiration and hope. Right now, being an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia is giving me access to highly accomplished faculty and fantastic state-of-the-art facilities to aid my studies. However, being an out-of-state student from NC at a prestigious university also has significant costs. While I do have some funding from scholarships and my parents’ savings, I am also accruing student loan debt and working part-time as a collaborative pianist to help make ends meet. In order to self-fund my next few years of college, I would need to find additional part-time work which would take my focus and energy away from studying and composing. This scholarship would allow me to continue to put my energy into my music without the burden of additional stress or loans. Ideally, I would love to have funds for engraving software, digital music-making platforms, and audio technology to help me premiere my music at its best. Additionally, after UGA, I plan to go to graduate school to earn a masters degree. Therefore, any help will allow me to move forward without the burden of student debt. Thank you for your time and consideration in helping me accomplish my dreams!

When I sit at the piano to compose, it feels like opening a hidden pair of eyes that look inward. Time becomes fluid as I tune in to my creativity, placing my fingertips onto the still, silent keys and beginning to create something new. This feeling of getting lost in the music is what I love so much. Music inspires me, challenges me, and connects me to other passionate musicians who push me to grow. As a musician, I’ve spent much of my time singing in chorus and school musicals, playing piano collaboratively with vocalists, and composing my own music. My big dream is to write and direct a full-length musical that touches the lives of people worldwide. I believe that as a musician and a composer, this is my way to connect with as many people as I can- to tell stories through music and maybe even to be a source of inspiration and hope. In spring 2024, I premiered the first version of my original musical, “Starbound”. Starbound is set in a future where drastic climate change threatens life on Earth, and tells the story of three teens who blast into space searching for a way to save Earth from destruction. Having the opportunity to premiere the show during my senior year gave me my first true taste of connecting to musicians, actors, designers, and members of the community through my music. The show was put on in May 2024 and was a huge success! After that, Starbound continued to grow and evolve. In individual composition lessons for my music studies, we focused on each song, one at a time, making each one stronger and more relatable. In the past year I’ve written three new songs to add to the collection and my goal is to write many more. The script has undergone major edits as well, including adding a new second act. Last year, I premiered several of the Starbound songs at composition recitals and this year my goal is to have a new complete draft of Starbound. This musical that I have written is what connects me to the musicians around me as I write, rehearse, and edit the music with their help and support. I truly couldn’t have come this far without my peers in the composition program, the supportive faculty, and the friends and teachers from before my college years too. Right now, being an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia is giving me access to highly accomplished faculty and fantastic state-of-the-art facilities and technology to aid my studies. However, being an out-of-state student at a prestigious university also has significant costs. While I do have some funding from scholarships and my parents’ savings, I am also accruing student loan debt and working part-time as a collaborative pianist to help make ends meet. In order to self-fund my next few years of college, I would need to find additional part-time work which would take my focus and energy away from studying and composing. This scholarship would allow me to continue to put my energy into Starbound and building connections with my peers without the burden of additional stress or loans. In an ideal world, I would love to have funds for engraving software, digital music-making platforms, or audio technology to help me premiere my music at its best. Additionally, after UGA, I plan to go to graduate school to earn a masters degree. Therefore, any help will allow me to move forward without the burden of student debt. Thank you for your time and consideration in helping me accomplish my dreams!

When I sit at the piano to compose, it feels like opening a hidden pair of eyes that look inward. Time becomes fluid as I tune in to my creativity, place my fingertips onto the still, silent keys and begin to create something new. This feeling of getting lost in the music is what I love so much. Music inspires me, challenges me, and connects me to others. I sing in choirs and school musicals, play piano collaboratively with vocalists, and compose my own music. This year, I have been given the opportunity to study sound abroad in Italy and it’s a dream come true. However, I need help to get there. In order to fully focus on my college studies this next semester and not have to worry about also balancing a job with my busy schedule, I need support. The idea of traveling to Italy to professionally record natural sounds and work with accomplished music faculty and students internationally is a thrilling opportunity. To connect what I’ve learned in recording studios and classes during my undergraduate studies at UGA with real field work couldn’t be more exciting. As I’ve delved into coursework for the second year of my music composition degree, I’ve fallen in love with the art of recording sounds to create electroacoustic music. Our projects have us finding everyday objects to create found-sound music, recording our instruments in new ways, and working in Digital Audio Workstations to manipulate our recorded sounds. The opportunity that this study abroad trip presents is a chance to truly put what I’ve learned to use as we select the best audio equipment for new, unique environments, collect sound samples from all over Italy, and work in professional studio spaces at renowned music conservatories. Additionally, the pieces we compose and workshop over the three weeks abroad will add to my portfolio of repertoire and prepare me for the next step in my academic career: to continue on to graduate school so that I can learn everything I can about composing digital music! Being an out-of-state student at a prestigious university has significant costs. While I do have some funding from scholarships and my parents’ savings, I am currently accruing student debt and working part-time as a collaborative pianist to help make ends meet. In order to self-fund this Maymester trip, I would need to find additional part-time work which would take my focus and energy away from studying and composing. This scholarship would allow me to participate in an enriching educational and creative experience without the burden of additional stress or loans. I look forward to traveling around northern Italy to collect new sounds- from the urban soundscapes of Milan, to the mountain ambiences of the Dolomites and the lapping water of Venice’s canals. Between days spent capturing soundscapes we will have workshops with music students at conservatories and build lasting connections while learning from one another. Composing new music will push me towards my career goal of becoming a freelance composer. After the Maymester I’m excited to bring back what I’ve learned and gain valuable feedback which will pave the way for future collaboration and peer-review. This scholarship will be instrumental in getting me to Italy so I can truly spread my wings. Thank you for your time and consideration!

When I sit at the piano to compose, it feels like opening a hidden pair of eyes that look inward. Time becomes fluid as I tune in to my creativity, placing my fingertips onto the still, silent keys and beginning to create something new. This feeling of getting lost in the music is what I love so much. Music inspires me, challenges me, and connects me to other passionate musicians who push me to grow. As a musician, I’ve spent much of my time singing in chorus and school musicals, playing piano collaboratively with vocalists, and composing my own music. My big dream is to write and direct a full-length musical that touches the lives of people worldwide. I believe that as a musician and a composer, this is my way to connect with as many people as I can- to tell stories through music and maybe even to be a source of inspiration and hope. In fall 2023 I took the first step toward my big dream. In order to prepare for the daunting task of writing a musical, I started by writing my first choral piece, A Place in My Mind. After the successful premiere at my high school in December 2023, with the guidance of my choir and theater teachers I wrote and composed my first musical, “Starbound”. Starbound is set in a future where climate change threatens life as we know it, and tells the story of three teens who blast into space searching for a way to save Earth from destruction. Having the opportunity to premiere the show during my senior year gave me my first true taste of connecting to musicians, actors, designers, and members of the community through my music. The show was put on in May 2024 and was a huge success! This year, I’m continuing my work on Starbound. I learned so much from rehearsing and performing the show and now I’m inspired to make it better. At an upcoming recital, I will be showcasing two songs: the first one brand new and the second one improved and ready for a new set of eyes and ears. The process of teaching the songs to new singers gives me experience in teaching and directing, and it also gives me valuable compositional feedback about the music as we overcome challenges in the rehearsal process as a team. Additionally, I now have lasting connections with my peers and have opened doors to new opportunities and collaborations in the future. Right now, being an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia is giving me access to highly accomplished faculty and fantastic state-of-the-art facilities and technology to aid my studies. However, being an out-of-state student at a prestigious university also has significant costs. While I do have some funding from scholarships and my parents’ savings, I am also accruing student loan debt and working part-time as a collaborative pianist to help make ends meet. I would love to have funds for composition resources like engraving software and digital music-making platforms, or audio technology to help me premiere my music at its best. I’d like to be able to focus my time and energy on studying and composing, rather than worrying about whether all of my expenses will be covered. Additionally, after UGA, I plan to go to graduate school to earn a doctoral degree. Therefore, any help is deeply appreciated because it will mean that I can focus on being successful with my courses and projects in college and later, graduate school. Thank you for your time and consideration in helping me accomplish my dreams!

When I sit at the piano to compose, it feels like opening a hidden pair of eyes that look inward. Time becomes fluid as I tune in to my creativity, placing my fingertips onto the still, silent keys and beginning to create something new. This feeling of getting lost in the music is what I love so much. Music inspires me, challenges me, and connects me to other passionate musicians who push me to grow. As a musician, I’ve spent much of my time singing in chorus and school musicals, playing piano collaboratively with vocalists, and composing my own music. My big dream is to write and direct a full-length musical that touches the lives of people worldwide. I believe that as a musician and a composer, this is my way to connect with as many people as I can- to tell stories through music and maybe even to be a source of inspiration and hope. In fall 2023 I took the first step toward my big dream. In order to prepare for the daunting task of writing a musical, I started by writing my first choral piece, A Place in My Mind. After the successful premiere at my high school in December 2023, with the guidance of my choir and theater teachers I wrote and composed my first musical, “Starbound”. Starbound is set in a future where climate change threatens life as we know it, and tells the story of three teens who blast into space searching for a way to save Earth from destruction. Having the opportunity to premiere the show during my senior year gave me my first true taste of connecting to musicians, actors, designers, and members of the community through my music. The show was put on in May 2024 and was a huge success! This year, I’m continuing my work on Starbound. I learned so much from rehearsing and performing the show and now I’m inspired to make it better. At an upcoming recital, I will be showcasing two songs: the first one brand new and the second one improved and ready for a new set of eyes and ears. The process of teaching the songs to new singers gives me experience in teaching and directing, and it also gives me valuable compositional feedback about the music as we overcome challenges in the rehearsal process as a team. Additionally, I now have lasting connections with my peers and have opened doors to new opportunities and collaborations in the future. Right now, being an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia is giving me access to highly accomplished faculty and fantastic state-of-the-art facilities and technology to aid my studies. However, being an out-of-state student at a prestigious university also has significant costs. While I do have some funding from scholarships and my parents’ savings, I am also accruing student loan debt and working part-time as a collaborative pianist to help make ends meet. I would love to have funds for composition resources like engraving software and digital music-making platforms, or audio technology to help me premiere my music at its best. I’d like to be able to focus my time and energy on studying and composing, rather than worrying about whether all of my expenses will be covered. Additionally, after UGA, I plan to go to graduate school to earn a doctoral degree. Therefore, any help is deeply appreciated because it will mean that I can focus on being successful with my courses and projects in college and later, graduate school. Thank you for your time and consideration in helping me accomplish my dreams!

When I sit down at the piano to start composing, it feels like opening a hidden pair of eyes that have the ability to look inward instead of outward. Time becomes fluid as I tune in to my creativity. I imagine reaching into my pocket and pulling out a key that opens the door to my musical mind. I place my fingertips onto the still, silent piano keys, and I begin to create something new. Time slips away. This feeling of getting lost in the music is what I love so much. I am passionate about a lot of different things, but music stands out because of how it inspires me, challenges me, and can capture my full attention for hours at a time. I have been a musician for my whole life, spending much of my time playing the piano, taking voice lessons, playing saxophone in band, singing in chorus and school musicals, and most recently, composing my own music. My goal is to learn as much as I can about music composition so that I can accomplish my big dream: to write and direct a full-length musical that has the potential to be performed in theaters worldwide. I have always loved watching and participating in musicals, and ever since I started composing music, I’ve wanted to write my own musical. I believe that as a musician and a composer, this can be my way to touch the lives of as many people out in the world as I can- to tell stories through music and maybe even to be a source of inspiration and hope. In fall 2023 I took the first step toward my big dream. In order to prepare for the daunting task of writing a musical, I started by writing my first choral piece, called A Place in My Mind. This piece premiered at my high school in December 2023 and also won the NCMEA Young Composer Showcase Award in November 2024. After the successful performance of A Place in My Mind at my high school, I decided to start on my first musical. With the guidance of the theater and chorus teachers at my high school, I wrote and composed my first musical, “Starbound”. Starbound is set in a future where climate change threatens life as we know it, and tells the story of three teens who blast into space searching for a way to save Earth from destruction. After writing the script and music, I made arrangements to direct, teach, and rehearse the show in the spring 2024 semester. With the sci-fi theme of the musical, writing the music was challenging and fun and completely new for me, as I was using digital composition software for the first time. The show was put on in late May and was a huge success! In fall 2024, I decided to continue working on the musical I wrote in high school. I learned so much from rehearsing and performing the show and now I’m inspired to make it better. The 1.5-hour show from last year is now just Act 1 of the complete version of Starbound. Recently I have been working on brand new songs and scenes for Act 2, as well as editing and improving my previous work. At an upcoming composition recital, I plan to showcase two songs from Starbound: the first one brand new and the second one improved and ready for a new set of eyes and ears. The process of teaching the songs to new singers gives me experience in teaching and directing, and it also gives me valuable compositional feedback about the music as we overcome challenges in the rehearsal process as a team. Right now, being an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia is giving me access to highly accomplished faculty and fantastic state-of-the-art facilities and technology to aid my studies. However, being an out-of-state student at a prestigious university also has significant costs. While I do have some funding from scholarships and my parents’ savings, I am also accruing student loan debt and working part-time as a collaborative pianist to help make ends meet. I would love to have funds for composition resources like engraving software and digital music-making platforms, or audio technology to help me premiere my music at its best. I’d like to be able to focus my time and energy on studying and composing, rather than worrying about whether all of my expenses will be covered. Additionally, after UGA, I plan to go to graduate school to earn a doctoral degree. Therefore, any help is deeply appreciated because it will mean that I can focus on being successful with my courses and projects in college and later, graduate school. Thank you for your time and consideration in helping me accomplish my dreams!

When I sit down at the piano to start composing, it feels like opening a hidden pair of eyes that have the ability to look inward instead of outward. Time becomes fluid as I tune in to my creativity. I imagine reaching into my pocket and pulling out a key that opens the door to my musical mind. I place my fingertips onto the still, silent piano keys, and I begin to create something new. Time slips away. This feeling of getting lost in the music is what I love so much. I am passionate about a lot of different things, but music has always been my greatest passion because of how it inspires me, challenges me, and can capture my full attention for hours at a time. I have been a musician for my whole life, spending much of my time playing the piano, taking voice lessons, playing saxophone in band, singing in chorus and school musicals, and most recently, composing my own music. My big dream is to write and direct a full-length musical that has the potential to be performed in theaters worldwide. I have always loved watching and participating in musicals, and ever since I started composing music, I’ve wanted to write an entire musical from start to finish. I believe that as a musician and as a composer, this is my way to touch the lives of as many people in the world as I can- to tell stories through music and to be a source of inspiration and hope. I first envisioned myself achieving my big goal while I was attending the Berklee College of Music’s immersive High School Composition Intensive program in summer 2023. During this program, I had the opportunity to write three new compositions under the guidance of professors and musicians from around the world. I was so inspired after completing the program that after I got home I spent several months writing my first choral composition, A Place in My Mind, which was performed at my high school in December 2023. These experiences helped me realize that I have a chance to make a mark in the musical world, and my dream was born. This year I decided to give my goal a trial run. I wrote a proposal to write, cast, and direct an hour-long mini-musical called “Starbound”. Starbound tells the story of three teens who blast into space searching for a way to save Earth from ecocide. I wrote the script and music and made arrangements to direct, teach, and rehearse the show in the spring 2024 semester. With the sci-fi theme of the musical, writing the music was challenging and fun and completely new for me, as I was using digital composition software for the first time. The show was put on in late May and was a huge success! Now I am more determined than ever to chase my dream. I am studying music composition at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia. After that I plan to go to graduate school. I’m going to make the most of every moment and keep taking steps towards my big dream to write a musical that can be seen around the world. Receiving this scholarship would be a huge honor and would help me achieve my dream. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

When I sit down at the piano to start composing, it feels like opening a hidden pair of eyes that have the ability to look inward instead of outward. Time becomes fluid as I tune in to my creativity. I imagine reaching into my pocket and pulling out a key that opens the door to my musical mind. I place my fingertips onto the still, silent piano keys, and I begin to create something new. Time slips away. This feeling of getting lost in the music is what I love so much. I am passionate about a lot of different things, but music has always been my greatest passion because of how it inspires me, challenges me, and can capture my full attention for hours at a time. I have been a musician for my whole life, spending much of my time playing the piano, taking voice lessons, playing saxophone in band, singing in chorus and school musicals, and most recently, composing my own music. My big dream is to write and direct a full-length musical that has the potential to be performed in theaters worldwide. I have always loved watching and participating in musicals, and ever since I started composing music, I’ve wanted to write an entire musical from start to finish. I believe that as a musician and as a composer, this is my way to touch the lives of as many people in the world as I can- to tell stories through music and to be a source of inspiration and hope. I first envisioned myself achieving my big goal while I was attending the Berklee College of Music’s immersive High School Composition Intensive program in summer 2023. During this program, I had the opportunity to write three new compositions under the guidance of professors and musicians from around the world. I was so inspired after completing the program that after I got home I spent several months writing my first choral composition, A Place in My Mind, which was performed at my high school in December 2023. These experiences helped me realize that I have a chance to make a mark in the musical world, and my dream was born. This year I decided to give my goal a trial run. I wrote a proposal to write, cast, and direct an hour-long mini-musical called “Starbound”. Starbound tells the story of three teens who blast into space searching for a way to save Earth from ecocide. I wrote the script and music and made arrangements to direct, teach, and rehearse the show in the spring 2024 semester. With the sci-fi theme of the musical, writing the music was challenging and fun and completely new for me, as I was using digital composition software for the first time. The show was put on in late May and was a huge success! Now I am more determined than ever to chase my dream. I am studying music composition at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia. After that I plan to go to graduate school. I’m going to make the most of every moment and keep taking steps towards my big dream to write a musical that can be seen around the world. Receiving this scholarship would be a huge honor and would help me achieve my dream. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

When I sit down at the piano to start composing, it feels like opening a hidden pair of eyes that have the ability to look inward instead of outward. Time becomes fluid as I tune in to my creativity. I imagine reaching into my pocket and pulling out a key that opens the door to my musical mind. I place my fingertips onto the still, silent piano keys, and I begin to create something new. Time slips away. This feeling of getting lost in the music is what I love so much. I am passionate about a lot of different things, but music has always been my greatest passion because of how it inspires me, challenges me, and can capture my full attention for hours at a time. I have been a musician for my whole life, spending much of my time playing the piano, taking voice lessons, playing saxophone in band, singing in chorus and school musicals, and most recently, composing my own music. My big dream is to write and direct a full-length musical that has the potential to be performed in theaters worldwide. I have always loved watching and participating in musicals, and ever since I started composing music, I’ve wanted to write an entire musical from start to finish. I believe that as a musician and as a composer, this is my way to touch the lives of as many people in the world as I can- to tell stories through music and to be a source of inspiration and hope. (Just like I draw inspiration from contemporary composers like Jacob Collier, Elane Hagenburg, and Steven Sondheim.) I first envisioned myself achieving my big goal while I was attending the Berklee College of Music’s immersive High School Composition Intensive program in summer 2023. During this program, I had the opportunity to write three new compositions under the guidance of professors and musicians from around the world. I was so inspired after completing the program that after I got home I spent several months writing my first choral composition, which was performed at my high school in December 2023. These experiences helped me realize that I have a chance to make a mark in the musical world, and my dream was born. This year I decided to give my goal a trial run. I wrote a proposal to write, cast, and direct an hour-long mini-musical called “Starbound”. Starbound tells the story of three teens who blast into space searching for a way to save Earth from ecocide. I wrote the script and music and made arrangements to direct, teach, and rehearse the show in the spring 2024 semester. With the sci-fi theme of the musical, writing the music was challenging and fun and completely new for me, as I was using digital composition software for the first time. The show was put on in late May and was a huge success! Now I am more determined than ever to chase my dream. I am studying music composition at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia. After that I plan to go to graduate school. I’m going to make the most of every moment and keep taking steps towards my big dream to write a musical that can be seen around the world. Receiving this scholarship would be a huge honor and would help me achieve my dream. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

I am a musician. I have been a pianist for thirteen years, a singer for six years, and a composer for two years. Whenever I think about the future, I have this dream. I want to write and direct a full-length musical that has the potential to be performed in theaters worldwide. I love watching and participating in musicals, and ever since I started composing music, I’ve wanted to write my very own musical. I believe that as a musician and as a composer, this is my way to touch the lives of as many people out in the world as I can- to tell stories through music and to be a source of inspiration and hope. In order to accomplish this big goal, I plan to go to college to study music composition and after that I plan to go to graduate school. I first envisioned myself achieving this dream while attending the Berklee College of Music’s immersive High School Composition Intensive program in summer 2023. During this program, I had the opportunity to write three new compositions under the guidance of professors and musicians from around the world. I was so inspired after completing the program that after I got home I spent several months writing my first choral composition, which was performed at my high school in December 2023. These experiences helped me realize that I have a chance to make a mark in the musical world, and my dream was born. This year I decided to give my goal a trial run. I wrote a proposal to write, cast, and direct an hour-long mini-musical called “Starbound”. The chorus and theater teachers at my high school agreed to help with the project. I made arrangements to direct, teach, and rehearse the show in the spring 2024 semester. The show was put on in late May and was a huge success! Now I am more determined than ever to chase my dream. I auditioned at 6 music schools and got accepted into my top school, the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia. I’m going to make the most of every moment and keep taking steps towards my big dream to write a musical that can be seen around the world. Receiving this scholarship would be a huge honor and would help me achieve my dream. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

I am passionate about a lot of different things, but music has always been my greatest passion because of how it inspires me, challenges me, and can capture my full attention for hours at a time. I am a lifelong musician - spending much of my time playing the piano, taking voice lessons, playing saxophone in band, and singing in chorus and school musicals. During this past year, I have discovered my love of composing. When I sit down at the piano to start composing, it feels like opening a hidden pair of eyes that have the ability to look inward instead of outward. Time becomes fluid as I tune in to my creativity. I imagine reaching into my pocket and pulling out a key that opens the door to my musical mind. I place my fingertips onto the still, silent piano keys, and I begin to create something new. Time slips away. This feeling of getting lost in the music is what I love so much. That’s why I am going to college to study music composition and after that I plan to go to graduate school. I want to learn as much as I can about music composition so that I can accomplish my big dream: to write and direct a full-length musical that has the potential to be performed in theaters worldwide. I have always loved watching and participating in musicals, and ever since I started composing music, I’ve wanted to write an entire musical from start to finish. I believe that as a musician and as a composer, this is my way to touch the lives of as many people out in the world as I can- to tell stories through music and to be a source of inspiration and hope. I first envisioned myself achieving my big goal while I was attending the Berklee College of Music’s immersive High School Composition Intensive program in summer 2023. During this program, I had the opportunity to write three new compositions under the guidance of professors and musicians from around the world. I was so inspired after completing the program that after I got home I spent several months writing my first choral composition, which was performed at my high school in December 2023. These experiences helped me realize that I have a chance to make a mark in the musical world, and my dream was born. This year I decided to give my goal a trial run. I wrote a proposal to write, cast, and direct an hour-long mini-musical called “Starbound”. I made arrangements to direct, teach, and rehearse the show in the spring 2024 semester. With the sci-fi theme of the musical, writing the music was challenging and fun and completely new for me, as I was using digital composition software for the first time. I even got to make some of my own sound effects for the show which has inspired me to learn more about digital music and sound design in college. The show was put on in late May and was a huge success! Now I am more determined than ever to chase my dream. I auditioned at 6 music schools and got accepted into my top school, the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia. I’m going to make the most of every moment and keep taking steps towards my big dream to write a musical that can be seen around the world. Receiving this scholarship would be a huge honor and would help me achieve my dream. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

I am passionate about a lot of different things, but music has always been my greatest passion because of how it inspires me, challenges me, and can capture my full attention for hours at a time. I am a lifelong musician - spending much of my time playing the piano, taking voice lessons, playing saxophone in band, and singing in chorus and school musicals. During this past year, I have discovered my love of composing. When I sit down at the piano to start composing, it feels like opening a hidden pair of eyes that have the ability to look inward instead of outward. Time becomes fluid as I tune in to my creativity. I imagine reaching into my pocket and pulling out a key that opens the door to my musical mind. I place my fingertips onto the still, silent piano keys, and I begin to create something new. Time slips away. This feeling of getting lost in the music is what I love so much. That’s why I am going to college to study music composition and after that I plan to go to graduate school. I want to learn as much as I can about music composition so that I can accomplish my big dream: to write and direct a full-length musical that has the potential to be performed in theaters worldwide. I have always loved watching and participating in musicals, and ever since I started composing music, I’ve wanted to write an entire musical from start to finish. I believe that as a musician and as a composer, this is my way to touch the lives of as many people out in the world as I can- to tell stories through music and to be a source of inspiration and hope. I first envisioned myself achieving my big goal while I was attending the Berklee College of Music’s immersive High School Composition Intensive program in summer 2023. During this program, I had the opportunity to write three new compositions under the guidance of professors and musicians from around the world. I was so inspired after completing the program that after I got home I spent several months writing my first choral composition, which was performed at my high school in December 2023. These experiences helped me realize that I have a chance to make a mark in the musical world, and my dream was born. This year I decided to give my goal a trial run. I wrote a proposal to write, cast, and direct an hour-long mini-musical called “Starbound”. The chorus and theater teachers at my high school agreed to help with the project. I made arrangements to direct, teach, and rehearse the show in the spring 2024 semester. With the sci-fi theme of the musical, writing the music was challenging and fun and completely new for me, as I was using digital composition software for the first time. The show was put on in late May and was a huge success! Now I am more determined than ever to chase my dream. I auditioned at 6 music schools and got accepted into my top school, the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia. I’m going to make the most of every moment and keep taking steps towards my big dream to write a musical that can be seen around the world. Receiving this scholarship would be a huge honor and would help me achieve my dream. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.