When I was in elementary school, my mom would tell me that boredom generates creativity, and she had never been more correct. For a six-year-old, taking a nap is never the most exciting thing to be doing with their day, but thank the Lord that my mom sent me to my room to sleep that afternoon. I never fell asleep, but instead spent forty-five minutes at my desk with a pen and paper, writing my very first song. I sang the lyrics to myself, writing out what little I knew about song form, eventually sprinting out of my room to show my mom what I had created. Little did I know that the simple idea I had that day would turn into a lifelong dream of becoming a professional songwriter. Music is something that influences our day-to-day lives more than we realize. The song we pick on the car ride to school can change our mood completely, encouraging us and making us feel like we're seen and heard. And that's what I want to do as a songwriter. The songs I create can give a person who feels alone something and someone to relate to. It can bring a smile to the person who is going through a rough time. It can bring life to someone who doesn't want to get up in the morning. Music is powerful. Not only is it an outlet for me as the songwriter, but it is also a place for other people to feel understood, even if they don't know the songwriter personally. I want to study music deeper, learning how the melodies and lyrics I create can change people's lives for the better. My dream is to attend Liberty University and double major in Songwriting and Audio Engineering, eventually obtaining a career in selling songs. I have a passion for connecting with people and encouraging them through the sound of instruments, and I believe that my music can make a difference. It's going to be hard work, but it is worth every hour I'll spend in the recording studio or at my desk thinking of lyrics. And I know that eventually, I'll be able to pitch a song and have an artist cut it. I've written songs about my own circumstances, turning all the joy, sadness, loneliness, and pain into something other people can listen to and be encouraged by. I've received compliments about my song telling me how beautiful it was, but I could tell it encouraged them deeper than they'd admit. In the future, I want to go further. Not only do I want my friends and family to feel spoken for, but I want the world to feel spoken for. Whether it's one song or a thousand, I know that I can change the world through my gift of songwriting. Any dream career takes dedication, drive, and determination to never give up or stop writing. The next song I write could be the one that gives that one person hope in a rough time. And better yet, it could be the song that brings a soul to Christ's love and salvation.

The ping of a handbell is a sound that carries through the air, going directly to people's ears. It draws people to the sound, no matter what it is. It is a pure and beautiful ring that makes any song heavenly and pleasing to the ear. When a person hears a bell, they hear a sound that they can't help but want more of. They'll rise from their seat and draw towards the heavenly ping, simply listening to the sound that's been created. Handbells were always something I looked forward to in elementary music class. We didn't pull them out as often as I had preferred, but I cherished them whenever we were handed them. We all lined up, one bell to each student, our eyes glued to the page on the music stand to ensure we played the correct note. The sound was too beautiful to mess up. I remember swaying to the music as the seventeen kids in my class played together for various audiences. Back then, we played "Ode to Joy" and "Jingle Bells." But now, many years later, we play "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen and "Defying Gravity" from the Broadway show "Wicked." I have always loved playing music and creating different sounds with instruments. I started playing the piano when I was five years old, writing music and performing it throughout my elementary years. And even in college, I am very involved with music, as I plan to double major in Audio Engineering and Songwriting at Liberty University. But there is something different about creating a team and playing handbells with them because you have to trust that everyone else will do their part if you do yours. But when everyone comes together to create this beautiful, heavenly song, it's like the air is changed. It's almost like the sound is so pure and elegant that any negativity in the room vanishes, and all that remains is the sound of the bells. That's why, during my time at Liberty University, I want to continue the art of handbells. They are a unique and underused instrument that is too beautiful to go to waste. Through my music, I want to incorporate the sound of bells to advance the art. When a person hears the chorus of bells, they go towards the sound, listening to it until they are too far away to hear. It is a sound of joy, not only played during Christmastime but also throughout the year. No matter what season it is, the bells have always been there to bring a smile to someone's day. The unique sound can't be replicated by something other than itself, and I want to continue playing them and spreading the knowledge of them. I believe that the sound of music can make someone's day, and it's why I'm going to pursue a career in it. But not only big bands an orchestras. I also believe that an instrument so small to hold in your hand can bring the same joy to a person that they never thought they needed.

For eighteen years, volleyball has always had a special place in my life; I don't remember a time when I didn't play. From learning the game as a Kindergartener to being a sand volleyball setter in high school, the court has always been a place where I can be free to do what I love, doing my best to glorify God through my ability, no matter the game's results. Every player knows the ups and downs of a sport. The wins and losses. I remember set after set where I would finish with sand burns and bruises from diving after every ball. There were games where there was pain involved, many times tears. But through all the frustration, that perseverance is what brought me to the place I am today. I can't count how many hours I spent practicing my passing, setting to a wall, or running an approach over and over again. I spent years running, lifting, and practicing to get to the skill level I am at today. And when I step on the sand to play the game that I've worked so hard for, I have confidence and determination to do my best and win the game. In college, I plan to double major in audio engineering and songwriting at Liberty University, multiple states away. I want to enter the music industry and create music that people listen to and resonate with. Females, especially in audio engineering, aren't very common and are underestimated. I know that before I go in there will be many people believing that I can't do it. That I won't be good enough. But just like a volleyball game, I'm going to persevere and work my hardest to win the game that seems unwinnable. I know the work I have put into my abilities as a musician, and I know that all I have to do is play the game with confidence and that I can do all things through Christ. For me, beach volleyball has been there too many times for me to give up on it. College is a stage of life where things change. Degrees are gained. But in those times of stress and homesickness, I know that I can count on that sport to refresh me. In high school, the game, whether indoor or outdoor, has been there for me to rely on as a source of happiness. It gives me so much joy to work hard and run after every ball with my teammates, and I want to continue that throughout my college career. After I graduate high school, I'm going to walk onto the field of music and the beach volleyball courts with confidence. I know the next couple of years are going to be stressful. I know I'm going to be tempted to quit. But I'm going to play the game anyway, pouring my whole heart and soul into whatever I do. And above all, I'm going to continue to be a light to others, on and off the sand.

There was a story about a man who lived across the street from a bridge, and every day he would watch as people lingered around it, their heads down and hands in their pockets. He knew exactly what they were contemplating, as the bridge was high, and a simple jump was a clear way to end their suffering. But each time someone lingered for too long, he would walk across the street and offer them a cup of tea. He invited them into his house to give them a warm drink and hospitality, something that would save their lives. A speaker at a songwriting conference told the assembly that songs can be like that cup of tea. A lyric from a verse can be exactly what they need to hear at that moment, stopping them from ending their lives. One song can make the listener feel known, loved, cared for, and let them know that they’re not alone in anything they’ve done. A melody can put into words what people can’t, and their feelings and thoughts can be explained through music. That’s any songwriter’s job: to put to words what others are feeling. We are the man giving the people their cup of tea, and we do it every day. Each song we write relates to another person, or even a couple of people. It makes them have the notion that they truly are never alone, all because of a song they heard on the radio. And that’s what I want to do when I’m out of college. I want to be the one giving out tea. I’ve been writing songs since I was six years old. I remember sitting in my room writing that first song, and it filled me up with this passion that I’ve clung to ever since. Being from a small town, I was alone with my passion. No one I found shared it. But my plans to go to university specifically for that passion have given me such excitement that I can’t put into words. So I don’t. I put it to music. Eventually, I hope to let others hear that music. I hope to write others’ feelings and put them into a song that they can hear on their playlists every day. The impact that music makes saves marriages, relationships, lives, and more, and even just puts a smile on people’s faces. I know songwriters can make a living off of reaching other people, and that’s my dream. I dream about using the gift God gave me every day, writing and composing hundreds of songs in the hopes that just one of them will be that cup of tea. Music has shaped my world and is shaping my world constantly. I’m more confident in my beliefs because there was a song whose writer shared the same beliefs. I have healthy relationships with my friends and family because there are writers who create songs about their relationships. It inspires me to keep working as hard as I can, to not give up, to remain optimistic, and most importantly to never give up my dream. It’ll be a tough road coming up to write for the masses, but that’s what drives me. My song could be their cup of tea, and I will write for years just to provide it for them.