My name is Athena DeMera, and my dream job is to be a teacher of music to young children. I love music, and my goal is to earn a degree in Music Education and use that to teach children music, whether that is privately at a studio or at a school. In my wildest dreams, I see myself married with children, and using my degree to make money to aid in the financial needs of my family. I would also be able to teach my children as well. My goals to shape the world for the better is to teach children that music is not boring and repetitive but is a way that they can express their personalities and glorify God. I plan to make and keep lasting friendships in college that can better my future life. Amazingly, I am happy to say that I am a freshman at Evangel University in Springfield, MO where I am pursuing Music Education and playing soccer. Homeschooling has done what no other form of school can, it taught me to be an independent thinker, an avid learner, and a skilled listener, so that I may better be prepared for college and for a career in teaching others. All of this to say, my ultimate goal is to glorify God in all that I do, and by playing and teaching music, I will bring honor to His Name! Education is important to me, because the way we educate or kids will determine their worldview and their outlook on life. I so enjoy teaching children, it brings an excitement to me that nothing else can. This scholarship will help me to pay for my schooling, and help me to reach my goal of eventually being able to teach music, and not just music, but also important life skills that every child will need in life.

Ever heard of someone moving from the Southern California beaches to the Ozarks of Missouri? Well, that is me, the girl who grew up with palm trees, In-and-Out, and the beach, and then moved across the country with her family and now lives in the trees and hills of southern Missouri. My name is Athena DeMera, and I was born in San Diego, CA. For high school, I was a part of a co-op where I was able to help teach children music and theory, and this is what lead me to pursue Music Education in college. These years of teaching children music were definitely the years in which music played an important role for me. Teaching helped me to find a way to bless others and still do something that I love. Music helped me decide what I was going to do with the rest of my life, and I learned that my avenue to glorify God was through music. My goal is to earn a degree in Music Education and use that to teach children music, whether that is privately at a studio or at a school. In my wildest dreams, I see myself married with children and using my degree to make money to aid in the financial needs of my family. I would also be able to teach my children as well. My goal to shape the world for the better is to teach children that music is not boring and repetitive, but is a way that they can express their personalities and glorify God. By getting a degree in Music Education, I can go on to other things in the area of music, such as helping at a music shop or teaching adults even. I could use my skills to play in a symphony too! There is nothing besides God that has such a lasting impact on people, besides music. Music speaks to all people all places, and this scholarship would give me a greater chance to help others, and to be a role model for other women musicians to look up to. I hope to impact the music industry by showing people that music is a way of life for many, and through music, we can all become better people. With this scholarship, college life will be easier for me, and I will be able to focus my time and money on things that really matter, such as my instrument. All of this to say, my ultimate goal is to glorify God in all that I do, and by playing and teaching music, I will bring honor to His Name!

If money was no issue, there would be so much I could do! My name is Athena, and I am about to be a freshman at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. I am going to study music education while attending Evangel. My goal is to be able to help children learn how to play piano and violin. This will help make them better people and will allow them to honor God with their talents! If money was no issue, I would buy a building where I could start teaching children music. My goal is to one day be able to own a studio, so that I may teach music to others. In my spare time, I would work on making myself better at both piano and violin, so that I can better help others. With the money from this scholarship, I could buy a new violin that would help me with my skills and make me a better teacher. I would also use the money to help buy music books, seeing is these are necessary for learning but also kind of expensive! I love music, and whether I get the scholarship or not I will continue to learn it in order to help children to better understand their purpose in life. Music is for all peoples and all places, and I will use my talents to further music, that many more people may learn to play. In doing this, I will teach others to praise their Creator, Jesus Christ!

God is good! That is a phrase I hear all the time, and yet, do we really understand what this means? I grew up in La Habra Heights, California and my family hardly ever attended church when I was young. We began attending AWANA Club around 2006 at my grandparent’s church, and one night when I was home, I decided to pray to God. I have no memory of what I prayed, but from then on, I thought I was saved. Fast forward 7 years, and my family and I now live in Missouri. We enjoyed church and attended regularly, and I honestly thought that I was saved. Then, thoughts started coming to me every night, that I never really got saved, and that I would not go to heaven. I attended Sagmount Baptist Youth Camp of the Ozarks in 2018 and we had a guest speaker named Daniel Webster who preached for an hour on Tuesday June 17th. There were over 20 kids that gave their life to Christ that night, including me. I was 15, and that night changed my life forever. Since then, I have never had a doubt in my mind as to where I will go when I die. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. I realized that I had never told anyone about what I thought was my salvation when I prayed in my room, and I was to young to realize if I was saved or not. But on that night at camp, I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior, to forgive me of my sins, and to come into my heart. That night, I confessed with my mouth that I was His! I know there was great rejoicing in heaven for those of us that turned to God that night. Since then, I have grown tremendously and am so grateful for mentors in my life. I strive to read the Word of God every evening before bed, and I have memorized verses from God’s Word and enjoy telling these to people. My family loves doing Bible study, and my Dad has taught me much from God’s Word. I now knew what God expected of me, and I knew right and wrong. My sins were forgiven, but I still sin just like every other Christian. Home schooling has helped me to keep God as my focus, and therefore I am striving to go to a Christian college, such as Evangel University to continue my Christ-centered education. I enjoy sharing the love of Christ through music and have since learned many hymns on my piano and violin. At our Christian music co-op, I have helped teach young children the joy of making music for their Creator! I have grown so much, and my hope is that I can continue growing as I attend Evangel. Christ is the center and no matter what, He is first in my life. God has been good, and I am blessed to be His child. Jesus changed my life, and I will never be the same!

I want to study in college because of the new things that I will be able to learn and because of the great friendships I will be able to make. These things are important to me because I love learning new things, and I know that I will never know everything there is to know! College is a place where I can continue to learn from others and teach someone something they may not know. My plan is to study Music Education because on the great impact music has on the world. I want to be able to share my music with children who can make better music than I ever can. My plan is to be able to teach music so that I can show children how to be a better person, and how to glorify God in the ways that they play their instrument. I would also like to become a better musician myself.

Some of my current projects include a deer hoof gun rack, a deer hoof coat rack, and rabbit foot key chains. These projects are important to me because I actually hunted these animals and my family eat the meat, and then I use the extra parts to make cool things. I am making the gun rack out of a set of hooves from a deer that I killed 3 years ago. I have a nice cedar board that I have sanded and will put marine varnish on so that it will look good. I will then attach the hooves with lag bolts and be able to set my gun on it. This is basically the same process as the coat rack I am making, and I will be able to hang jackets and sweaters on that one. The rabbit foot key chains were made with real rabbit feet, as my family and I bred rabbits for meat. After we got all the meat, I would then cut off the back feet to make the key chains out of. I do these projects because to me, it is important to use as much of the animal as you can, and not waste any. My family had to kill for food, but I used the extra parts to make my own things that would benefit me. I also think that it is exciting to be able to keep the deer hooves because they remind me of the fun hunting trips I have taken with my father and friends. My ambitions for the future are to be able to learn how to tan hides so that I can make a rug or blanket with the furs off the animals I have killed. This is all exciting because I am able to see the great detail that God put into ever creature He created.

Ever heard of someone moving from the Southern California beaches to the Ozarks of Missouri? Well, that is me, the girl who grew up with palm trees, In-and-Out, and the beach, and then moved across the country with her family and now lives in the trees and hills of southern Missouri. My name is Athena DeMera, and I was born in San Diego, CA. I was in the public school system through third grade, at which time my dad decided to pull me out and home school me. I have been home schooled ever since, and I love it! My family moved to Missouri during my sixth grade year, and being able to do school on the go was extremely helpful during the move. For high school, I was a part of a co-op where I was able to help teach children music and theory, and this is what lead me to pursue Music Education in college. My goal is to earn a degree in Music Ed. and use that to teach children music, whether that is privately at a studio or at a school. In my wildest dreams, I see myself married with children, and using my degree to make money to aid in the financial needs of my family. I would also be able to teach my children as well. My goals to shape the world for the better is to teach children that music is not boring and repetitive, but is a way that they can express their personalities and glorify God. I plan to make and keep lasting friendships in college that can better my future life. All of this to say, my ultimate goal is to glorify God in all that I do, and by playing and teaching music, I will bring honor to His Name!

My greatest inspiration in life is Jesus Christ. He is my Savior and my life, and I live to worship and obey Him. I am driven to do what His Word commands me to do. Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." God's Word tells me that I am to think on pure and holy things, and this is what drives my everyday life. When I am struggling, I think of righteous and just things and remember that God is my Avenger. When I am hurt, I remember that Jesus is always with me and that no matter what, He is my Best Friend and Savior. God's Word inspires me to read, and to think on the Word contained in it. When I am truly listening, God speaks to me through His holy and inspired Word. Jesus is my great inspiration because in Him, I see a perfect man, and One who is righteous in every way. He is the reason that I can live without fear and with grace to love those around me. Jesus makes it easy for me to love those that are oppressed and to help the poor and needy. God's Truth inspires me to be a better person and to share my love with others that need it. My faith is what drives me to go to college and start a career where I can show others the joy of music and share with them the passion that drives me to do it. I am excited to learn how to teach music to children and share my faith and driving force of Jesus Christ with anyone who will listen.

Have you ever asked your parents for no more chores? Or pleaded with them for something you really wanted? This meme/picture is so funny to me because when I look at it, I see the sign that says, "No More Chores!!!!" and my cute puppy in the front with a hilarious pose. I asked her to look cute and then she rolled over and made that pose as I took the picture. This meme is meaningful because when I look at it I can just imagine a little child going up to their parents and making "puppy eyes" and asking them to take away their chores! This meme brings out the difference between the happy, cheery dog and the angry snowman. The dog just looks so cute, like she is pleading for no more chores!!!!

The song I chose is the theme "Brothers" written by Randy Edelman for the motion picture "Gettysburg." This song has much emotion wrapped up in a few short minutes. Here we see two brothers who find each other after a horrible battle and realize that both are still alive, packing this scene/song with emotion. The crescendo and diminuendos of the music and the change in styles adds to the way this song makes me feel. The other songs were chosen because they are written with emotionally compelling music/lyrics that make me want to get on my feet and do something.