As I prepare myself for my upcoming graduation, I reflect upon the decision I made to pursue a career in music education. Seeing first hand the positive impact music education has on students, I know that I have made the best choice for a challenging, but rewarding career. I have had the privilege to student teach at two different schools, teaching K-5th general music and 7th-8th grade band. During my student teaching experience, I witnessed how music can transform a students behavior and performance in and out of the music classroom. Being truly driven about teaching gives me an opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of my students. I would not be where I am today without the support and care of my past educators who had a great passion for teaching music, which inspired me to pursue it as a career. I believe that in order for my students to have an authentic connection and love for what they are learning, I must love what I am doing. This is easy for me because I have a deep love and passion for both music and teaching. Music is universal, and I find joy in knowing that I am able to share that with future generations. Being able to connect with my students includes getting to know my students. This includes adapting to relevant lessons, adhering to student interests, and emphasizing important life skills such as: empathy, understanding, discipline, communication, collaboration, and accountability. Creating a safe space for learning and fostering creativity is such an important aspect for my music classroom. Most of what we do as musicians is very personal and often vulnerable because we are tapping into our emotions and creating something new. Music is a different subject because of this. In order to have your students feel welcomed and willing to participate, there needs to be an environment in which your students can grow. By emphasizing respect, inclusivity, perseverance, and kindness, students will have the opportunity to foster their creativity and learning into their music. Having my students understand that mistakes are just opportunities to grow is crucial to make the point of respect and perseverance in the music classroom. As not only an educator, but an avid performer, I know what it takes to persevere through challenging situations and to adapt to your environment. Having dealt with some traumatic experiences in my own life, I know how much they can impact your learning, and what a difference an empathetic teacher who is willing to work with a student’s needs can make. By incorporating trauma-informed practices, I make an effort to recognize and respond to my students in a non-judgmental and empathetic way. This encourages to establish a sense of trust and safety in the classroom. Every student comes with their own challenges, learning styles, and strengths, and it is imperative to be adaptable to meet them where they are. Having awareness of their progress helps your students to be successful. In music, it is easier to identify when a student is excelling or struggling. Being flexible promotes an understanding of practice and perseverance, as well as building their confidence. Ultimately, my role as a music educator is to help foster the skills of student musicians on their journey of learning. My students will understand the value of music, creativity, and how to be a good person. Teaching offers me the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of my students, and I am excited to continue to make a positive impact in my music classroom.

The idea that music is healing coincides with Longfellow’s quote about how music is a universal language. I believe these to be true. Music has saved me from so many hardships in my life thus far. In high school, the music classrooms were my safe space. I struggled a great amount in high school because of my parents' separation. Music class gave me a judgment-free place to foster creativity, be myself, find friends, collaborate, share ideas, and share a passion for music. It also gave me a place to work on important life skills; like how to practice, how to collaborate, fine motor skills, and so many more. The skills that music classes give you are often overlooked. This is why I believe in the importance of music education. Music also helped me grieve. My Grammy passed away this past September and it was the hardest thing I had to go through in my life. When I found myself struggling with my loss, I turned to music. I can play a song that we used to sing to together, and it feels like she is still with me. Before she passed away, she told me that she wanted me to play one of her favorite songs (Amazing Grace) at her funeral. I still remember how I felt when I played that dreadful day. I was able to pour the pain and grief into the music and it felt like she was there listening to me. It felt like I was able to give her one last gift. I think these reasons are why I believe music to be such a powerful tool for healing. It connects us to our emotions in a way that is indescribable and gives us opportunities to grieve. I believe that music is universal in that it connects us to the simplicity of life. Music connects us without the challenges of human bias, language barriers, and culture barriers. Even if you don't understand the language of the song, you can still understand the message behind the song. You can tell if a song is about something sad or happy just by listening to the musical ideas like the tempo or key signature. Everyone can enjoy listening to music from anyone or anywhere. I have had so many great memories and experiences studying music in college thus far. My classes and student teaching opportunities have solidified studying music education. I envision that someday I will make as great of an impact as a music educator as my past teachers did for me. I hope to create a safe space for my future students to be able to share a passion for music in a welcoming environment and to inspire them to continue to create music outside of school.

Music has always been an important aspect of my life. From an early age, being involved in the band, orchestra, and choir, the music department has been a safe space for me. It allowed me to lead, make lifelong friends, collaborate, and so much more. Music has helped me through my hardest life challenges from elementary through my current college experience. It has given me many opportunities to fail but an immense amount of opportunities to succeed. Despite the ups and downs, I was able to grow with the love of music. Currently, I am involved in many different ensembles and organizations at the college level at Penn State University. This semester I have working and performing with the Penn State Symphonic Band, Inner Dimensions Jazz Band, PSU Sax quartet, Blue Band, Penn State Saxophone Studio, 92^2 Saxophone Duet, and numerous solo pieces. These opportunities have pushed me to be the greatest musician and person I can be. One of the greatest opportunities I have been given was to be able to march and play saxophone with the Blue Band in front of 110k people. That feeling is indescribable and nothing short of amazing. I would not have any of these opportunities without my high school band and director. My high school career was pretty difficult. There were a lot of events in my personal life that made it challenging to concentrate and put effort into school. I had a hard time fitting in and wasn’t doing very well academically. If it wasn’t for my high school music department, I do not think I would be where I am today. The band room became my home away from home and in a way, sheltered me from the hardships I was facing at home. My high school band director has been one of my biggest inspirations and motivators. He saw my potential and pushed me to be the greatest musician I could be at the time. I couldn’t afford lessons, so he came to school and gave me private lessons every Monday morning during my junior year. He created this open and welcoming space for over 200 students who used it as an escape from the terrors and struggles of our school day. He made sure that students knew that they belonged and that they were important. He used the power of music to be able to relate to his students and allowed creativity to blossom. Seeing how music had affected so many students positively, I realized that music education was something I could see myself doing. I am now finishing up my second year of the music education program and I couldn’t be happier. Although it is challenging, I find it extremely rewarding and I am excited for more opportunities in the classroom. The impact I hope to make would be to create a close-knit, safe space for kids in a public school. I want to share my love of music to create a fun learning space where students can have the freedom to be creative and know that my classroom is judgment free and welcome to everyone. I cannot wait until I can share my passion for music with students and have them excited to learn!

My dream future self would be happy, successful, and working a job that I find meaning and passion in.

My biggest career goal would be to teach music and Spanish. I hope to create an environment in which students can have a safe space and close knit community that may be difficult to find in school. Music has always been an escape for me. It allowed me to be creative, learn leadership skills, learn the importance of hard work and dedication, to be a team player, to express myself, and how to analyze great works and pieces of music. I strongly believe that it is imperative to keep music in schools and to be able to give students the opportunity to have a creative outlet through musical expression. I chose to study music education because I know that I will be able to create a safe and inclusive space for my students where they can share ideas, create long lasting friendships, and share a bond with the creation of music. On top of music education, I am also continuing my foreign language education by minoring in Spanish. The Spanish language has also been a huge part of my life. I was a part of my school districts Spanish Immersion program. The Spanish Immersion Program was one of the most influential experiences I’ve ever had in my life. Ever since joining this program in first grade, most of my general education classes through elementary school were taught in Spanish instead of English. It has taught me cultural appreciation from a very young age and has shaped me into the person I am today. My Spanish immersion teachers from 1st to 11th grade not only taught me how to speak, read, and write in Spanish, but also how to respect and appreciate the hispanic culture and its diverse lifestyles. However, though it has provided me with a lot of great experiences and instilled in me a lot of great values, being a student of the Spanish Immersion class wasn’t always easy. From 1st to 6th grade we were in the same classes with the same people. We didn’t get to know anyone outside of the Spanish group and that took a toll on my social skills when I was younger. I was afraid to talk to the other kids during recess and felt very isolated from the other kids in my school. Despite all this, I still believe that this program has an immense amount of benefits and has left a positive mark on me. I have a stronger ability to overcome obstacles by being exposed to a more challenging path in education. We live in an incredibly diverse country, and yet it is typical for people to only learn English as a child, when there is a large percentage of the population that does not know English and have difficulty learning it. Whether you learn a new language, style of music, or study a culture, it is incredibly important to expand your horizons on different lifestyles and learn the importance of identity within cultures. I, as a future educator, hope to teach students to be open to learning the wonders of the World’s cultures and to be more inclusive in our society. I hope to spread my love for music and Spanish with my future students and hope to instill creativity, passion, hard work, dedication, and respect to them as well.

My passion for music has helped me through the biggest struggles in my life. When I play my instrument, I don't worry about anything but the notes I have to play. Music, to me, is an escape from reality. A chance to get out of my head and put my emotions into the beautiful melodies. In elementary school my Mother forced me to play an instrument. I dreaded going to music classes and I disliked playing music in general. Ironically enough, I was going to quit in sixth grade. Switching my primary instrument of flute to saxophone changed my attitude towards music entirely. I fell in love with the euphonious sound of the instrument. Learning to play sweet notes and lovely melodies fulfill me with joy. I focus on the music and making the musical story come alive. In the future, I hope to create an environment in which students can have a safe space and close knit community that may be difficult to find in school. Music has always been an escape for me. It allowed me to be creative, learn leadership skills, learn the importance of hard work and dedication, to be a team player, to express myself, and how to analyze great works and pieces of music. My main goal is to not only construct a strong music department, but to create a safe space for students where they can share ideas, create long lasting friendships, and share a bond with the creation of music. I know that I will be able to make a huge impact on my community by having an inclusive environment for high school students.

The interest in music education sparked during Freshman year. Like many other students' experiences of Freshman year, it didn’t go as smoothly as I anticipated. I was the worst saxophone player in my high school band and I dreamed of being in the top jazz ensemble. While I did not make the jazz group or any other ensembles that year, I wanted to improve and impress my band director. My band director is one of the most influential and inspiring people I’ve ever become acquainted with. He makes sure to have a personal connection with each of his 100+ students and takes time out of his day to talk to everyone. He dedicates his time and efforts to building our music department to be as inclusive and involved as possible. Educating is something that I have been passionate about since I was little. I enjoy helping other students learn the material in classes, but most importantly, I loved teaching music. I was given the opportunity to be the Saxophone Section leader this year and it has been a very rewarding experience. Being able to work through music with other students and listening to the final product is something I want to continue doing as a career. It is an amazing feeling to be able to hear the outcome of hard work and practice. My passion for music has helped me through the biggest struggles in my life. When I play my instrument, I don't worry about anything but the notes I have to play. Music, to me, is an escape from reality. A chance to get out of my head and put my emotions into the beautiful melodies. In elementary school my Mother forced me to play an instrument. I dreaded going to music classes and I disliked playing music in general. Ironically enough, I was going to quit in sixth grade. Switching my primary instrument of flute to saxophone changed my attitude towards music entirely. I fell in love with the euphonious sound of the instrument. Learning to play sweet notes and lovely melodies fulfill me with joy. I focus on the music and making the musical story come alive. I started reading Barry Green's The Inner Game of Music. The book is about the principles of natural learning while playing music. This is used to combat nervousness, self doubt, and self interruption while performing. This book affected me in a personal way because I struggle with my self esteem, especially with playing my instrument. I tend to overthink too much instead of enjoying myself when I play. This has affected my overall performance. I would overthink about the fear of failure that in the end, I drive myself to that failure. This book has helped me by explaining techniques used to overcome these issues as an instrumentalist. I use the techniques everyday in my practices and performances. My purpose in life is to share music with students I hope to create an environment in which students can have a safe space and close knit community that may be difficult to find in school. Music has always been an escape for me. It allowed me to be creative, learn leadership skills, learn the importance of hard work and dedication, to be a team player, to express myself, and how to analyze great works and pieces of music. My main goal is to not only construct a strong music department, but to create a safe space for students where they can share ideas, create long lasting friendships, and share a bond with the creation of music. I know that I will be able to make a huge impact on my community by having an inclusive environment for high school students.

My grandfather plants a large garden in his backyard every year. In a normal year, a myriad of corn, cucumbers, beans, and Gram’s juicy red tomatoes would lay before my eyes, dancing in the summer breeze. I decided to take on a portion of the garden, not realizing that the growth in a garden was familiar. A garden cannot grow itself. My band director, Mr. Fisher, helped plant the seeds to find my self-worth. I still lacked the confidence I needed to succeed. I struggled to have a good perspective in life, and I often found myself relying on other people to make me happy. My self hatred for myself got in the way of my music performances and friendships. I was so miserable that I pushed away all of my close friends and family. Mr. Fisher pushed me to be the greatest person I could be. “Keep your head up, think positive. Everything will work out in the end.” His guidance helped me realize my worth. Although I had to realize I needed to love myself, I would not be where I am today without his help. He has taught me to never give up and to never take anything for granted because life is so short. Just as a sunny summer day can give the seed a chance to grow, I was fortunate enough to have an inspiring teacher who helped me grow to be a happier person. Accepting who I am as a person and realizing that I deserve to live happy was a huge eye opener. I was able to rekindle relationships, start therapy, and succeed as a musician because I no longer relied on others to make me feel loved. I know my worth and I have a new found love for all the little things in life. The things that make me happy overweigh the things that make me miserable, and being able to live with a smile on my face every day is something I will never take for granted. As I ponder what my life was four years ago, I never would have imagined accomplishing everything that I have. I hope someday I will be able to do what my teacher did for me and inspire students to work hard and know their self worth. I aspire to help navigate students to their true potentials and plant the seeds to their garden of personal growth.

I was always inspired by the legacy of my High School band director. My band director is one of the most influential people I’ve ever become acquainted with. He makes sure to have a personal connection with each of his 100+ students and takes time out of his day to talk to everyone. He dedicates his time and efforts to building our music department to be as inclusive and involved as possible. This gave me the motivation to continue my education as a music education major. To leave a legacy is to pass on with a purpose. My purpose in life is to teach. I realized this when I became the saxophone captain of my high school band. I was able to see the progress in the students and it gave me the wonderful feeling of accomplishment and feeling rewarded. The legacy I want to leave behind is to be known as a caring teacher that always puts the needs of her students first. I want to create a close knit community within the school district and to create a safe space for students where they can share ideas, create long lasting friendships, and share a bond with the creation of music. I know that I will be able to make a huge impact on my community by having an inclusive environment for high school students. I hope to carry on the legacy of my band director who has given his life to his teachings and to help create a strong music department in which students have a place to learn important life skills such as; leadership skills, hard work, dedication, and commitment.

I thoroughly enjoy my time volunteering and partaking in community activities within my school district. Being involved in my community gave me a sense of purpose and gave me opportunities to learn leadership skills, team work, dedication, and discovering interests. This summer, I started volunteering at a local food pantry. We volunteered once a month to create food packages for families in need. It was extremely rewarding when we were able to help over 80 families to have Thanksgiving dinners on their tables. I also had the opportunity to help middle school prospective band students learn how to march. This experience gave me the realization that I wanted to become a teacher. Seeing the progress made within the students performance as well as the friendships they made with each other was very gratifying. Outside of volunteer work, I have had many opportunities within my music ensembles to give back to our community. We give back to the community by performing concerts and musicals for the public. We host several concerts and festivals each year to bring music into the community. The performances are great ways to gather our community and share the creation of music. My personal favorite is our annual Jazz night where people show up to listen to the jazz bands perform, eat good food, and enter the raffle. Events like these keep our community stronger. My future career goal is to create a community for students to get involved in community service and to be able to make long lasting friendships. For me, my high school band was my home for all four years of my high school career. It gave me such a close knit community, that otherwise would have been difficult to find in high school. My main goal is to not only construct a strong music department, but to create a safe space for students where they can share ideas, create long lasting friendships, and share a bond with the creation of music. I know that I will be able to make a huge impact on my community by having an inclusive environment for high school students. I also want to encourage students to help their communities by being good neighbors, getting involved in community projects, and developing important life skills. I am positive that I will be able to give back to my community by advising school fundraisers and volunteering.

My dream in education is to pursue a career in music education and graduate with a Bachelors of Music Ed. The interest in music education sparked during Freshman year. I was the worst saxophone player in my high school band and I dreamed of being in the top jazz ensemble. While I did not make any ensembles that year, I wanted to improve and impress my band director. My band director is one of the most influential and inspiring people I’ve ever become acquainted with. He makes sure to have a personal connection with each of his 100+ students and takes time out of his day to talk to everyone. He dedicates his time and efforts to building our music department to be as inclusive and involved as possible. Educating is something that I have been passionate about. I enjoy helping students learn the material in classes, but most importantly, I loved teaching music. I hope to create an environment in which students can have a safe space and close knit community that may be difficult to find in school. Music has always been an escape for me. It allowed me to be creative, learn leadership skills, learn the importance of hard work and dedication, to be a team player, to express myself, and how to analyze great works and pieces of music. My main goal is to not only construct a strong music department, but to create a safe space for students where they can share ideas, create long lasting friendships, and share a bond with the creation of music. I know that I will be able to make a huge impact on my community by having an inclusive environment for high school students. I am driven by hard work and dedication. Before the pandemic, I was managing two part time jobs while maintaining high honors grades, and participating in numerous ensembles in the music program. I am highly dedicated to many programs within my high school as well as within the community. I am not a stranger to persevering through adverse situations, and I am familiar with struggling through them. As a future teacher, I believe that I am able to relate more to students because I have faced so many roadblocks and have learned to overcome them. I am so grateful to be considered for this scholarship, and if I am selected, it will be used to further my education to become a teacher.