Hobbies and interests
Band
Music Composition
Music
National Honor Society (NHS)
Flute
Baking
Drawing And Illustration
digital art
Mental Health
Photography and Photo Editing
Reading
Romance
Adult Fiction
I read books multiple times per week
Anne Carlson
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FinalistAnne Carlson
2,855
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FinalistBio
Hello!
I am an undergrad at University of Indianapolis (UINDY) and am majoring in music (flute) and biology (cell and molecular concentration).
I've gone to ILMEA all-district twice during my high school band career. I've also been in the Augustana Honor Band and the TRACC Honor Band. I was section leader my junior and senior year of high school. I played in the pit for the OHS musical, and it was a paid gig. I also did a solo performance with the OMS 6th grade choir, which was a lot of fun! I received the John Philip Sousa Award and was voted "Most likely to run into a burning building to save her instrument." I also love to compose and created two pieces for my school to perform.
I was in the National Honor Society in high school and am currently in the Honors College at UINDY. In high school I was an Illinois State Scholar and I received the Illinois State Commendation Towards Biliteracy. I was on the high honor roll every year of my middle and high school career, and am currently on the Dean's List at UINDY.
Alongside my undying love for flute, I am also an artist. I enjoy sketching and digital drawing.
I like cooking and I love to bake. According to my dual-credit speech professor, I make the best cakes.
I like playing video games with my little brother, and my favorite games are Pokémon and Minecraft.
I started Taekwondo when I was five and got my black belt when I was 15.
I'm a mental health advocate because of my own struggles with mental illness. I'm also an advocate for LGBTQIA+.
Thank you and have a blessed day!
Education
University of Indianapolis
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Biology, General
- Music
Orion High School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Music
- Biology, General
Career
Dream career field:
Medicine
Dream career goals:
Epidemiologist
Team Member
Pizza Hut2023 – Present1 yearTutor
2020 – 20222 years
Sports
Marching Band
Club2018 – 20224 years
Awards
- John Philip Sousa Award
Taekwondo
2010 – 202212 years
Awards
- Black Belt
Research
Mental Health
https://carlson-mentalillness-eng102.weebly.com/ — Researcher2021 – 2022
Arts
Orion High School Jazz Band
Jazz Band2020 – 2022Orion High School Drama
TheatreNewsies2022 – 2022Orion Band
Music2015 – 2022
Public services
Volunteering
Through the Staff — Teacher2022 – 2023Volunteering
Rock Island County Animal Shelter — I would walk the dogs or hang out with the cats.2021 – 2022Volunteering
Rock Island County Animal Shelter — I would walk the dogs or hang out with the cats.2018 – 2019
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Creative Arts Scholarship
My first band director was terrible to me. They would bully me alongside my peers at every chance they could get. It was constant jokes about my so-called 'lack of talent.' It wasn't lack of talent, it was lack of trying.
I wanted to quit so badly. I remember sitting with my mom in the car after a marching band practice, and we talked about me quitting. I was so tired of getting made fun of. My mom convinced me to just deal with it, so I did, but it got worse. The director would yell at me in front of the entire band. They would point out every mistake I made. They even screamed at me during a lesson because I didn't understand triplets. After that, every time I made a mistake I would hear them yell at me in my head. I would leave every lesson crying.
The summer after that dreadful year became a turning point for me. That band director said that she was going to take a different job, and that we'd have a new teacher. I remember everyone else crying and getting emotional. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get a single tear to shed.
My new band director came at the beginning of my sophomore year. Because of how badly my freshman year went, I was pretty messed up. I was so scared to make any mistakes. I was scared to play in front of anyone alone.
I had a lesson with the new band director and I remember feeling that fear again. I was shaking when I played. She was encouraging and nice. She started building me up instead of tearing me down.
I played a few bars, and then I relaxed. She hadn't yelled at me yet. I started realizing that she wasn't going to yell at me. When I made mistakes, I would stop and make comments about it. She never did. After that first lesson, she told me I was doing great and that I'd do amazing at the all-district competition. I left the room and I cried. I cried because no one had ever been that nice to me about music besides my family. She gave me the courage to try again, so I did. With her help, I became an amazing musician.
One of my private teacher's once told me, "Stop treating yourself like you're still that freshman who can't play. You don't make those mistakes anymore. You're very good." That was a big moment of realization for me. Her words stuck with me as I continued my high school journey. Eventually, I started believing what she said.
My band director and I have gotten very close over the past 3 years. She's been a constant encourager and motivator for me. I would take every opportunity she would give me. She's never said one bad thing about me or anyone else. She was the first person who believed in me, and that was what I needed to become a great musician.
My favorite experience was getting to perform solo with the middle school choir. The choir director sought me out to play with them, and it was really fun. I liked seeing all of the kids surprised by my playing (apparently it was mind-blowingly beautiful to some 10 year olds). It was a great experience that I'll never forget.