I love math because it is a critical part of what I do. I may not be a mathematician or an auditor or an accountant or a programmer, but much of what I do involves counting and calculating. All that was required for my college degree in the math department was college algebra which I earned an A in almost without a cinch. I am a musician, and I use math probably more than I realize. When I am transcribing a song's rhythms, it invigorates me to figure out where the subdivisions of the beat lie that I am hearing. I can't help but conduct when I hear music, whether it's a song I hear on the radio or even something as random as the bell tower striking twelve times to signify twelve o'clock. When I dabble in producing, it's a fun challenge to figure out how many cents need to be added or dropped to make the pitch more in tune. When I am composing a song and want to use a jazzy chord, I love being able to count up the scale to figure which chord extension is being used (7th, 9th, 11th, or 13th). When I am analyzing the form of a classical piece, I often have to count measures to determine how long sections are. As Gottfried Leibniz once said, "Music is the pleasure the human mind experiences from counting without being aware that it is counting."

Mental health is important to me as a student because without the proper management of it, a college career can go south very fast. Since tenth grade, I have lost two friends/acquaintances to suicide and multiple friends have had to change majors, take a break from school, or drop out of school completely because of their battles with mental health. The value of a support system is so important because we never truly know what anyone else is going through. All of the suicides were a big shock to me, and I felt guilty for not being more present in their lives. I advocate for mental health in several ways. The first way is simply educating myself. Fortunately, there have been quite a few sessions at my church where I learned more about mental health. I have also talked with people who have mental health challenges to try to understand their world a little better so that I do not discount the impact of things like anxiety and depression. Another way is by being a positive influence on social media. I frequently share things that encourage positivity, laughter, and being uplifted. This ranges anywhere from positive quotes to funny posts to Scriptures. Multiple people have told me I should be a motivational speaker or pastor just based on that alone. A third way, probably the most difficult of them all, was sharing my own personal struggles. I have not been diagnosed as having long-term depression, but I have had two major bouts with it in my life. Both of them revolved around forks in the road, figuratively speaking. I was not happy where I was for my academic studies, and those feelings of being unhappy mixed with not knowing what to do took a toll. I started by sharing with a select handful of fellow students and faculty. Once I made my decision (to change schools in the first instance and to change majors in the second instance), I made it public. I felt a big release. I didn't feel better overnight, but a load had surely been lifted. And an outpouring of love and support came in that helped me along. So I advocate for mental health because I don't want anyone to be in the same position I was in or worse. I advocate for mental health because it is more than just a stigma. It is real. I advocate for mental health because it is vital to a college student's success. Battles with mental health have strengthened my faith in God. There were multiple Christian songs and Scriptures that kept me encouraged when times got dark. Battles with mental health have helped me discover who my close circle is and who doesn't deserve to be a part of that circle. Battles with mental health made me more resilient in finding my true career calling after I had been pursuing the wrong one for too long. Through mental health challenges, I have become the man I am today.

Mental health is important to me as a student because without the proper management of it, a college career can go south very fast. Since tenth grade, I have lost two friends/acquaintances to suicide and multiple friends have had to change majors, take a break from school, or drop out of school completely because of their battles with mental health. The value of a support system is so important because we never truly know what anyone else is going through. All of the suicides were a big shock to me, and I felt guilty for not being more present in their lives. I advocate for mental health in several ways. The first way is simply educating myself. Fortunately, there have been quite a few sessions at my church where I learned more about mental health. I have also talked with people who have mental health challenges to try to understand their world a little better so that I do not discount the impact of things like anxiety and depression. Another way is by being a positive influence on social media. I frequently share things that encourage positivity, laughter, and being uplifted. This ranges anywhere from positive quotes to funny posts to Scriptures. Multiple people have told me I should be a motivational speaker or pastor just based on that alone. A third way, probably the most difficult of them all, was sharing my own personal struggles. I have not been diagnosed as having long-term depression, but I have had two major bouts with it in my life. Both of them revolved around forks in the road, figuratively speaking. I was not happy where I was for my academic studies, and those feelings of being unhappy mixed with not knowing what to do took a toll. I started by sharing with a select handful of fellow students and faculty. Once I made my decision (to change schools in the first instance and to change majors in the second instance), I made it public. I felt a big release. I didn't feel better overnight, but a load had surely been lifted. And an outpouring of love and support came in that helped me along. So I advocate for mental health because I don't want anyone to be in the same position I was in or worse. I advocate for mental health because it is more than just a stigma. It is real. I advocate for mental health because it is vital to a college student's success.

My most popular video on YouTube is a video of me singing. The story of making that video is a testimony of how I praised God and trusted God through pain. The story starts with a voice lesson I had in college. My collegiate journey began with a year of community college. Then I transferred to Howard University for my second year. In the spring semester of that year, I had a voice lesson that did not go so well. My exact memory of that day is fuzzy, but basically, my voice teacher asked me to try something in a song I was working on. Without question, I did it, and what came out felt weird. Throughout the rest of the lesson, my throat started to hurt. I didn’t say anything; I just rode it out for the last 20 minutes or so. For the rest of the day and in the days following, it still hurt to sing. Talking was fine, but once I tried to sing, pain would ease its way in. I even had to sing my vocal jury (singing one or more songs before a jury of voice faculty as a final exam) in that condition. I was told to take Advil, gargle saltwater, and rest as much as possible, but nothing was working. I even gave the go ahead for an ENT specialist to do a laryngoscopy, putting a tube with a camera down my throat to examine my vocal cords. No nodules or signs of vocal damage were found. No one knew what was wrong. As time passed, some days were better than others. So with that bit of hope, I kept singing, and I sang a lot that summer. I sang with my vocal group, I sang for special music at church, and I sang at concerts. Even when the pain came, I would still sing because it was something I loved to do and I never wanted to go a day without it. Not every note that came out of my mouth was properly and naturally produced or in tune, but I still had hope that everything was going to be okay. That summer, I also made three of what are known as multitrack videos, and I posted them to YouTube. Various computer software and mobile apps give users the capability to record multiple vocal parts separately that can be combined together. Therefore, I was able to sing choral songs all by myself. One of the songs I decided to do as a multitrack video was “A Believer’s Prayer” by Sally DeFord, a prolific songwriter in the Mormon community who has composed and arranged over 400 songs. This song has a version for male chorus which is what I decided to do. The same pain prevailed through recording that video, but I didn’t let it stop me, and it turned out to be a blessing to others. What really encourages me as I reflect back on that story are the lyrics of the song. Fast forward, within my first two weeks of voice lessons at UTSA the next fall, my voice was whipped back into shape like nothing had ever happened. I will never know what happened for my voice to feel that way as long as it did, but I kept the faith and believed that I would be able to sing pain-free again. And I am!

My dad said that when he was in grade school, one of his teachers wrote the word "professor" on the board. He immediately grew attracted to that word. He went on to be a professor for over half of his life. The same thing happened to me, although much later in life. I had just graduated with my master's degree. My graduation was December 2020, smack dab in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. So for the next few months, I was applying to all kinds of jobs just hoping to get a position as soon as possible. I eventually landed a position teaching at a community college. Walking in every day gave me a lot of pride. To be called a professor, to be called faculty, to be teaching at the college level, it all felt surreal and I had this growing feeling that this was something I could do for life happily. My impact will be directly in the classroom. Teachers have so much impact on everyone's lives. They shape how we learn, what we learn, and how we can apply that knowledge to the near and distant future. I aim to have that same impact. Teaching a student something and seeing that moment when it "clicks" or when they are able to apply gives me joy. My impact will also come through innovation. Whether it is something as small as an original definition of a key term or something as big as a book I write pertaining to the subject of the course, the faculty and the students will both be looking for what I personally bring to the table. I am currently in school and aim to finish in five years. By then, I will have my doctorate. I believe that a terminal degree plus the experience I already have teaching at the college level will make me more than qualified to achieve my professional goal of teaching at the college level full time. Being in college at the moment is subconsciously helping me to achieve my goal too. I taught at the community college for three years before returning to school. It was a great learning experience for knowing which teaching methods worked and which ones didn't. Fast forward to now, I am learning how my professors teach and it will more than likely have an effect on how I teach. I am learning in real time what works and what doesn't because I am experiencing it myself. Finally, I am pursuing this profession because I truly believe it is my life's purpose. What started as an anxious job search turned into me finding my passion. I love teaching, I have fun doing it, and it feels natural to me. I want to share my knowledge with the next generation in hopes of being a positive light and an impact in their lives.

I love the "world" writing takes me to. Often, it just starts with a couple of sentence ideas. Before long, I have paragraphs, even pages in front of me. It's like I escaped from reality in a care-free environment where I could just express myself in whatever manner I wanted. I love that writing helps me reminisce the good times in my life. Regardless of what I am writing, be it an academic paper, a blog post, a journal entry, or a draft for a book, I often find ways to bring up the past. It feels good to relive those moments and write them down on paper. This has been an effective tool for me to remember moments like that. Otherwise, I may not remember the key details of those stories. I often wish I had a personal video camera rolling infinitely to capture every single moment of my life. But through writing, I can keep those memories figuratively etched in stone and refer back to them as much as I want. I love that I have the freedom in writing. I can write about whatever I want and market it to whoever I want. There is no limit to genre, fiction or non-fiction, or audience. Creativity and imagination go hand in hand, and to be able to share those things with others is a true gift. To be able to transport my reader to a fictional or non-fictional word is a powerful thing. I love the challenge writing gives me to express something that cannot be easily said. I learn new words that I can utilize. I challenge my brain to think deeper which doesn't automatically happen. I do research which helps me grasp the concept even deeper and express it without doubt or hesitation. I love writing because it gives me a chance to express myself. I am also a songwriter, so that sentiment is twofold. I first discovered a love for writing in late elementary and middle school. My school encouraged us yearly to submit poetry for potential publication. I had poems published three consecutive years. Then came the high school and college assignments that involved writing. With each paper and essay, I got better and more natural at it. But I am not perfect, and that is where education comes in. I'm not expecting to become the next Jane Austen or Charles Dickens or J.K. Rowling. But I do want to make a change with my writing. I do want to inspire with my writing. I do want to encourage with my writing. I do want to be a positive influence with my writing. And I want to be the best I can be to make those things happen.

As a kid, my dad saw the word "professor" written on the chalkboard and became infatuated with that word. It attracted him so much that he set out to become one one day. He did, and he did so for over half of his life before retiring. I now find myself in the same predicament. I am infatuated with the word professor, and I have a strong desire to become one. I actually have the experience of being one already. Having graduated in the middle of COVID looking for employment, I applied to jobs of various kinds. And who hired me? A community college. I would spend the next three years working there. Both intentionally and unintentionally, I was in this position to see if it was something I wanted to do as a career. I can confidently say yes. But community college is just the beginning. I want to be a university professor. So what is my plan to get there? My plan is already in motion. I left my community college position to pursue a second master's degree to be immediately followed by a doctorate degree. I have completely confidence that my doctorate will be paid for through an assistantship, so budget will not be an issue there. As for the master's program I am in now, I currently do not have an assistantship. But I am working on campus, and I still do have a chance to get an assistantship. I am keeping in touch about that regularly. If that falls through, I have my eyes on higher paying jobs that I heard about in job listings from my school. What will be my specialty in this university professor position? It will be my field of study- music composition. In the beginning of my third year teaching at the community college, I had a student ask me if he could teach him how to compose even though our class was not related to music composition. I saw this as a sign from God, and I look forward to making that a reality. Aside from my career, I also have goals of getting married and eliminating my student debt. My plan for getting married is also in motion. I am dating a wonderful girl who I am in premarital counseling with, and we have regular conversations about our future. As for student debt, my plan is to pay it off more regularly, which I admit I have not done. I will not make the excuse of how high my income is because the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. So I vow beginning next year to regularly chip away at my student debt. Overall, my goals will help me to make something out of myself. And I will persevere with the right gameplan to make them happen.

I believe abortion is murder and child sacrifice, and it should not be legal with very few exceptions. This is a stance I took based on what my church teaches. It is even part of our denominational handbook. But I came to believe it even more so hearing the story of Abby Johnson on television. She used to work at Planned Parenthood, a women's health clinic that specialized in birth control and abortion when needed. She came in as a volunteer escort while in college. While enraged citizens would be outside loudly berating mothers for their decision to abort, it was Abby's job to drown those voices out with her voice as she escorted the mother inside. Planned Parenthood preached the message, especially to Abby, that their abortions were safe and legal as opposed to something more risky like a coat-hanger abortion. Abby eventually began working there full-time, rising up the ranks to clinic director. However, this role was administrative; she was not a nurse or doctor or in any role that would actually be involved in the abortion procedures. She was more of an overseer and budget manager and the like. But a day came when she ended up in the procedure room. Not only that, an ultrasound was used which is unusual for an abortion clinic. This happened because a visiting physician came that day, and he wanted to use the ultrasound as a teaching opportunity. Abby was called in because the doctor needed someone to hold the ultrasound in place as he did the procedure. As she watched the ultrasound monitor, she saw a thirteen-week old baby fighting for its life, trying to avoid the vacuum tube used for the abortion. Just like the lie of the procedures being safe and legal, another lie she believed was that a baby still inside the womb is just undeveloped tissue. Therefore, they can't and won't feel anything. But once Abby saw that baby literally fighting for its life and losing that fight, she was never the same. She left the clinic for good a week later. Unfortunately, abortion isn't going anywhere. Just like cancer, it is a money-making industry. But little by little, we can decrease the trend of abortion. I have signed many petitions in efforts to stop abortion, both personal and national. I have a video series on YouTube that addresses the negatives of society. I will plan to post a video addressing abortion in the near future. When I see friends post about abortion rights on social media, I usually just frown and move on. But the time is now for me to be bold, to stand up, and and to sell the idea that abortion is wrong. If I can convince at least one person to change their mindset, I've done something good. All human beings have value, including the unborn.

I was born into a musical family and I started piano lessons with my mom when I was four years old. Although I considered other professions as I grew up, music was always the top option. The specific journey to composition though is quite interesting. I can remember practicing piano at home at the age of seven or eight. My dad briefly interrupted me to say that he was going out to run some errands. He challenged me to write a song by the time he got back. This was quite a tall order, but I accepted the challenge. From that day, one of my gifts was unlocked, although I did not initially tap into it often. For the next five years or so, my focus was more on poetry. Once I got to college where I planned to major in music with a concentration in Vocal Performance, my music theory class reinvigorated my interest. A notation software called Finale was available on all of the computers in the music lab, and I spent many afternoons composing and arranging (making my own version of a previously written song). Although arranging came easier to me, composing was back on my radar. Fast forward to my master's degree, I came to a fork in the road when I realized I didn't want to pursue vocal performance anymore. I tried applying for the composition department, but I was turned down. Although I settled for another major concentration, I did not let my dream die. I continued to compose and arrange. After graduation and three years of working for a community college, I decided to get a second master's degree with a focus in music composition. A few months before submitting my application, I wrote a choral composition in response to indicated interest from the choir director where I was working. The composition put music to Langston Hughes' words: "Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams, for it dreams go, life is a barren field frozen with snow." The choir performed it at their fall concert, and I included it in my grad school application, introspectively declaring that I would not let my dream of composing die. I was accepted to a music composition program and am in my first semester. Events like writing a four-minute song in two days and people asking me to teach them how to compose are what I believe to be signs that I am on the right path. I have aspirations to write music that changes the world. There is a lot of "filth" out there in the music industry. Music overall has lost its moral compass. But I hope to write music that inspires, motivates, and uplifts in our ever-changing world. And as I simultaneously compose, I hope to become a teacher to other budding composers. While I cannot teach every composition student on the planet, if I've touched one, I've made a difference.

It was my senior year of high school. I had been in choir all four years and I would be entering the All-State process for the third time. In tenth grade, I placed very high in the first round of auditions but could not go on due to academic ineligibility. In eleventh grade, I also qualified for the second round but academic ineligibility struck again. So when the process began in twelfth grade, I was determined to keep my grades up. I placed high in the district round and was able to audition for the second round for the first time. There, I placed high enough to pass region level. The third round was pre-area in which I also placed. This qualified me for the final round, the area audition, which would take place in the beginning of the spring semester. Enter my grandmother. Due to her living in Canada and my parents and I living in Texas, my mom was very intentional about seeing her as much as possible. This either meant taking vacations to Canada or buying plane tickets for her to visit us. We were debating whether we should bring her here for Christmas break or my high school graduation a few months later. We decided on Christmas break. So alongside spending time with her, I would sneak away to my room almost daily to practice my repertoire for the upcoming area audition. My grandmother's trip was scheduled to end almost two weeks into the new year, but by January 1st, my grandmother suddenly decided she was ready to go home. So begrudgingly, we bought her an earlier flight, and she went back to Canada. A few days later, I had my area audition. Some of the best high school choral singers in the city came to this audition. After hours of suspense, it was announced that I had made fourth chair, the last eligible spot. I had made the Texas All-State Choir! I spent the next month preparing for the trip to the TMEA music convention where all of the All-State ensembles perform. I was scheduled to leave on a Wednesday. But things came to a halt Tuesday night when my family got the shocking news that my grandmother had passed. My parents and I contemplated if we should even make the trip. But we decided to go and take care of business after we got back. The day before the official performance, the choir sang for the general assembly of all of the convention attendees. After the national anthem, we sang "Battle Hymn of the Republic". Discovering that this was one of my grandmother's favorite songs, I sang it with pride. Making the All-State Choir was the final factor in my decision to major in music. My grandmother always had a song in her heart. I went on to college with a similar goal- to keep a song in my heart. My grandmother had a bigger influence on my musical tastes and preferences than I will probably ever realize, but I hope to honor her every time I make music.

Everyone can play a part in living sustainably to reduce the impact of climate change, and I have taken steps to do my part. For starters, I am in college for my second master's degree. I do have a car, but I don't use it often. I take the bus to campus, and once I'm on campus, I walk everywhere. My main uses for a car are church and errands. So instead of driving every day (to get to and from school), I use my car two days a week at most. I am just one person, but that is still a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Most of my traveling in the last year has been by car as opposed to plane. "Reduce, reuse, recycle" is also something I practice regularly. I buy only what I need. I visit thrift stores often and am pleased with the items I get. We keep a recycle bin at home. Biggest of all, my diet helps reduce my carbon footprint. All of my life, I have been either vegan or vegetarian. Meat alternatives are a normal part of my diet. I go many days without dairy. I am very intentional about eating vegetables, whole grains, and beans every day. And now that I live on my own, I am even more intentional about eating all of my food and not wasting any as food waste is another big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. It is important to reduce my carbon footprint because the environment is my home. As greenhouse gases increase, the sun's heat is trapped, leading to climate change. And the ultimate concern with climate change is survival. Another reason it is important to reduce my carbon footprint is so that I can lead by example. I have already observed occurrences of this. My dad eats meat regularly. My girlfriend eats meat regularly. But eating with them often requires us to go to a place that is either vegetarian-specific or accommodating to any diet. There have been multiple instances where they tried plant-based food and ended up liking it! So it may seem pointless to be so intentional about living sustainably if my neighbor isn't and if so many other people aren't, but this change will not happen overnight. And the small impact I have on other people's lifestyles can multiply. How we grow our food, how we travel and live, and the products we consume all have an impact on our environment. I have been living sustainably before I even knew I was, and I am proud to continue that tradition.

"The principal mark of genius is not perfection, but originality." These words were once said by one of my favorite composers, Robert Schumann. I want to make originality my life. I want to make composition my life. I want to become a professional composer. Actually, my desired career path is twofold. As I pursue a personal career in music composition, I also want to teach composition at the university level. This dream did not come overnight. But when it did initially come, getting the ball rolling was not easy. I grew up in a musical family, and the desire to be a musician has been engrained for a long time. I started piano lessons at the age of four. I began voice lessons in eleventh grade which continued as the concentration of my major in undergrad. I went on to graduate school with the plan to continue majoring in Vocal Performance. But in the midst of my degree as I increasingly felt the need to switch my major, I tried applying for the composition department at my school, but I was turned down. Although I settled for another major concentration, I continued to compose and arrange. After getting my master's degree, I landed a position at a community college where I would work for the next three years. It was there where I discovered how much I enjoyed teaching and how much I enjoyed doing so at the college level. In the midst of this venture, I dare say that I got a sign from God which happened in the beginning of my third year with one of my students. Although I was his voice teacher, he had heard one of my compositions and asked me on multiple occasions if I would teach him how to compose. That same semester is when I began applying for school, one step in my plan to achieve my goal. A few months before submitting my applications, I set out to write a choral composition in response to indicated interest from the choir director at the community college. I completed the song in just two days. The composition put music to Langston Hughes' words: "Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams, for it dreams go, life is a barren field frozen with snow." The choir performed it at their fall concert, and I included it in my grad school applications, introspectively declaring that I would not let my dream of composing die. I was accepted to LSU where I am currently pursuing a second master's degree, this time in composition. The next steps are ongoing and upcoming. One is to simply get my music out there. I have made multiple attempts to get my compositions published which will continue. And here at LSU, I have multiple opportunities for my music to be performed, which I will take. Two is to simply write more. As I continue to write, I'll not only have more compositions, but get better and better in the process. After I graduate from LSU, I plan to jump straight into a doctoral program in music composition. By the time I graduate with a doctorate, I figure that my education plus the teaching experience I've had will make me fully qualified for a university position. I wrote my first composition around the age of seven. Composition used to be difficult for me, but now it feels easier and more natural. Thus, I want to make it my life.

The attribute of black excellence I believe I embody the most is being a continual learner. I am currently in school for a second master's degree with plans to pursue a doctorate immediately after. Not everyone can say that. In school itself, I am very inquisitive. I ask a lot of questions, sometimes to clarify something a teacher said that I didn't understand, but more often to think about the topic at hand on a deeper level. I also have a video series on YouTube which was born during the Covid pandemic. There is not a single video I have posted without doing some research first. The foundation of the series has been learning knowledge that is so critical, I just feel the need to share it with someone else. Also, I am a teacher. I have teaching experience on my resume, and teaching has been confirmed as one of my spiritual gifts per a written assessment based on 1 Corinthians 12. And in order to be a teacher, you have to know something. You have to have learned something. But even in the classes I've taught where I was very familiar with the material, I was still very much a learner. I was learning different methods for teaching the material. I was learning how to define and explain terms to beginners that I've known for most of my life. I was re-learning aspects that I wasn't as confident or familiar with. And I was learning more in general about those topics. Even in the classroom, I have experienced multiple moments where a student brought up a point that made me think about the material in a different way, and that became a learning experience too. To sum this part of the essay up, I crave learning. I crave knowledge. And I will probably be in the pursuit of learning for the rest of my life. The attribute of black excellence I believe is my greatest area for improvement is striving for servant leadership. I am an only child, not literally because I have two half siblings, but they are much older, so I grew up by myself. I never had to share food or toys or bunk beds or blankets with a brother or sister. I never had to nurse a brother or sister when they got hurt. I never had to help a brother or sister with homework. So even if I don't like to admit it, I am quite spoiled and quite selfish. I make sure my needs are met with little or no regard for others'. I put myself first. But as I get closer and closer to getting married and having children, there is no way to have a successful marriage and family as a selfish person. So my plan for improving borrows from the twelve-step process of Alcoholics Anonymous. The first step is acceptance/admission. I have admitted that I have a problem (including on this essay!). The second step is hope, belief that God can help me to overcome my selfishness. Another step is disclosure. Using my girlfriend as an example, I have had conversations with her about things I did (or did not do), why they were considered selfish, and what I could have done (or not done) differently. The disclosure step is infinite and is something I will be doing a lot, but hopefully less often as I get older and wiser. Another step is humility. I have prayed to God several times (and will continue to pray) that he would help me to be less selfish and more selfless and to be the kind of boyfriend (and husband) my girlfriend needs me to be. Another step, the last step in my plan, is continued inventory. Most of the issues I have had with my girlfriend so far revolved around my selfishness. As we had those tough conversations, I took notes in my phone which I refer back to on occasion. Learning from my mistakes is something I value highly in all aspects of life. In any future conversations we have about this issue, I will take notes. As I continue to implement these five steps, I believe that I will become a servant leader. Yes, those words can belong in the same sentence. As I "lead" my household, I will aim to serve them and put their needs before mine. I can and I will attain servant leadership.

One of the most helpful online resources I have used recently is Music Theory for the 21st Century Classroom. It is essentially an online music theory textbook. Being a music major coming back to school after taking a break, there were some concepts I needed to brush up on and review. As a prerequisite to my first semester in the master's program, I was tasked with having to take a music theory diagnostic exam (as well as a music history diagnostic exam) to assess my ability to take higher level courses in both of those areas. I had half of the summer to prepare for the music theory exam. With a list of possible topics to be covered by the exam as a guide, I perused Music Theory for the 21st Century Classroom almost daily. This proved to be a great resource. It explains each concept in great detail. It gives several musical examples that demonstrate the concept both from the classical side and the contemporary side. It had plenty of visual images as well. At the end of each module, there were several practice exercises, one or two homework assignments, and practice tests. I was given plenty of chances to review and retain the material all from one source. For the concepts I had already learned but did not remember, I got to the point where I remembered again. For the concepts I had little to no knowledge of, my knowledge increased. Needless to say, I passed the music theory diagnostic exam. Even after school has begun, there have been a couple of moments where I needed to refer to that website to brush up on a concept. Within minutes, I got the understanding I needed. In several instances of writing papers, one resource I can always count on is Academic Search Complete. This online database is one of the most comprehensive and universal databases when it comes to finding scholarly articles and publications for research. Although the vast majority of papers I have written were music-related and there are plenty of music-specific resources, Academic Search Complete is always a good place to start. Tools within the database are helpful too. You can filter what kind of publication you want. You can put keywords that you want emphasized or avoided in your search. You can choose English or your preferred language for the results. You can choose your range of publication dates. By the time all these filters are applied, you have a quality handful of publications right at your fingertips. As I think back on all that earlier generations must have had to do to seek information, I am thankful for all that technology has made possible so that I can get a good education.

Simone Biles would have to be my choice. I have three reasons in one to vote for her. We were both raised in the Houston area, so it makes me proud to root for someone not just from my country, but from my specific hometown and also someone who is colored. How early she began her gymnastics career is very inspirational. I know the value of starting in your craft early. I myself am a musician; I began piano lessons at age four. She is a prime example of how starting early pays off. She has several gymnastic moves named after her. That is the ultimate inspiration. To see my name on a building would feel like the ultimate accomplishment. She currently holds 11 Olympic medals-- all before the age of 30. That just inspires me to be a go-getter, to work hard for what I want, and to give each performance my all no matter the circumstance. After facing some injuries and subpar performances in 2020 leading to withdrawing from the 2020 Olympics, she came back to the 2024 Olympics and won three gold medals and one silver medal. Even before this, she was named the Comeback Athlete of the Year but earned it more so after her Olympic performance this year. This is a prime example of overcoming adversity and coming back strong in pursuit of your goals. In summary, I cheer on Simone Biles because she is a great example of following dreams and achieving accomplishments as a result.

Personally, I am on a mission to build my portfolio. What kind of portfolio? I'm so glad you asked. The portfolio I aim to build is my composition portfolio. That's right; I am a budding composer. The journey to this point has been quite interesting. I was born into a musical family and I started piano lessons when I was four years old (with my mom). Although I considered other professions as I grew up, music was always the top option. But composing specifically was not a dream I had until much later. I can remember practicing piano at home at the age of seven or eight. My dad briefly interrupted me to say that he was going out to run some errands. And he challenged me to write a song by the time he got back. This was quite a tall order, but I accepted the challenge. From that day, one of my gifts was unlocked, although I did not tap into it often. For the next five years or so, my focus was more on poetry. Once I got to college where I planned to major in music with a concentration in Vocal Performance, my music theory class reinvigorated my interest. A notation software called Finale was available on all of the computers in the music lab, and I spent many afternoons composing and arranging (making my own version of a previously written song). Although arranging came easier to me, composing was back on my radar. Fast forward to my master's degree, I came to a fork in the road when I realized I didn't want to pursue vocal performance anymore. I tried applying for the composition department, but I was turned down. Although I settled for another major concentration, I did not let my dream die. I continued to compose and arrange. After three years of working for a community college, I decided to get a second master's degree with a focus in music composition. A few months before submitting my application, I wrote a choral composition in response to indicated interest from the choir director where I was working. The composition put music to Langston Hughes' words: "Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams, for it dreams go, life is a barren field frozen with snow." The choir performed it at their fall concert, and I included it in my grad school application, introspectively declaring that I would not let my dream of composing die. And now here I am in school learning to get better at what I love to do. My composition portfolio is still fairly small, but I will work to make it grow. I have aspirations to write music that changes the world. There is a lot of "filth" out there in the music industry. Music overall has lost its moral compass. But I hope to write music that inspires, motivates, and uplifts in our ever-changing world.

My first concert memory is actually quite amusing. I grew up in a musical family, so going to concerts with them was a regular thing for me, even from an early age. I was only three or four years old at this particular concert, so I am re-telling this story from what my mom has told me. We went to see a performance of Robert Ray's Gospel Mass, which puts a gospel and jazzy twist on the words of the Catholic Ordinary Mass. As is the case with classical music, there were multiple movements in Gospel Mass. And as is the case with classical music, it is custom to refrain from clapping between movements until the entire work is completed. So in the midst of one of those moments when nothing musically was happening, I let out a huge burp. The audience roared in laughter. It is quite difficult to choose a favorite concert memory as I have been to so many concerts in my life, many of which were very enjoyable. But one that sticks out to me is this year when I went to see a performance of The Sound of Music at Houston Grand Opera. I had never seen the musical performed live, and it had been over ten years since I saw the movie. So it felt old and new all at the same time. It felt old because I remembered most of the songs and became able to connect them to their contexts in the story. I am a huge nostalgic, so when I experience something that connects to my past that was positive, it means even more to me. On the other hand, it felt new because I didn't remember a lot of the actual storyline. So in that sense, I was seeing it for the first time. The cast was excellent both as singers and actors and actresses. They all helped the story to come alive. One moment I can remember in particular is the singing of "Climb Every Mountain". I personally have performed this piece several times, and the words are very inspirational to me. Hearing it sung that day became a motivational moment for me. It was sung to me just as much as it was sung to Maria. The growing intensity of the piece felt just right, and the last note on the word "dream" was held for what felt like forever. Music has been a big part of my life, and I am thankful to have had so many fond concert memories.

I want to make a change in my life because I am still suffering from mistakes I made in the past. I have become an expert at learning things the hard way and not thinking before I act. Up to this point in my life, I have tried to pursue multiple career options in the field of music. Two of them in particular turned out to be in compromise with my belief system, and another put me tremendously in debt financially which I am still recovering from. Therefore, the change I am making in my life is not just the specific career option I am pursuing, but also my mindset overall when it comes to my future. I can no longer pursue a field as a career simply because I like it or it sounds interesting or I have fantasies about it. I have to think futuristically and realistically-- will it make me money, can I make a living in this field, can I have a long career in this field, can I support a wife and kids when that time comes regardless of if she is working or not, can I be myself in this field, etc. So the biggest step I have taken so far is to decide on a new, practical career field. I am now in graduate school for music composition. I have my end goal in mind already; I did not wait until I was in the middle of my degree to try to figure out specifically what I want to do. This is my "second chance" to pursue a career that will pay off in the end. This scholarship will help me because as I said, I am still suffering from the financial mistakes I made pursuing the wrong career. I am facing out-of-state tuition and fees with no assistantship or scholarships. My end goal is to teach composition at the university level while simultaneously maintaining a career as an active composer. With this scholarship and the education I receive in my master's degree, I will pay it forward by passing on the knowledge I learned. And who knows, a student may walk into my path ten years from now with a similar story. Maybe he or she bounced between majors or came from a low-income household or didn't do well on standardized testing. I could be their advocate for financial aid as I wish that was something I had in that same position. With all that being said, I thank you for your potential help in my second chance to pursue what I want to do with my life.

One black leader that has been inspirational to me is Dr. Thomas Freeman. He was most notably known as the coach of the Texas Southern University debate team for more than 60 years. He was also a minister at Mount Horem Baptist Church, and he inspired many greats including Martin Luther King, Jr. and Denzel Washington. Dr. Freeman is said to have been a big influence on Denzel Washington in the making of the movie "The Great Debaters". One thing that inspires me about Dr. Freeman is simply how long he worked. He worked at Texas Southern all the way to the age of 100-- just months before his death, only stopping because of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I strongly believe that his sudden inability to work is what killed him. His work kept him going. I am still fairly young and getting my feet wet in my career, but I have no desire to retire anytime soon. I won't retire just because I've hit the eligible age. I love what I do, and I want to work as long as I can. Every time I think about that, Thomas Freeman comes to mind. Dr. Freeman also inspires me because we had childhoods that were quite similar. As one example, I used to have a big case of stage fright. The first bout I remember having with it was at the age of four. At the end of my pre-kindergarten year, all of the Pre-K students had to present a poem for the other kids, parents, and staff. My poem was about my lunchbox. I practiced it many times at home, but when it came time to give my presentation, I cried through the whole thing. As I got older, my parents often had me sing solos at church. The same thing happened each time. Once I started singing, I started crying. Dr. Thomas Freeman had the same situation growing up. When he had to speak in public, he would burst into tears. He was barely able to finish a sentence sometimes due to frequent interruptions of sobs. There were also times in my pre-teen and teenage years where I presented speeches or sermonettes. There came a day at church when I was asked to give a sermonette, which I would have to deliver for two services, one at 9:00 am and the other at 11:00 am. The 9:00 am attendance filled up maybe a third of the church. But the end result was the same; I cried throughout the sermon. The 11:00 service had full attendance with standing room only and overflow seating created. But to my amazement, I didn’t cry delivering the sermon to the larger audience. I had officially conquered my fear. I have done multiple speeches and vocal solos since that day, and I hardly ever get nervous now. My stage fright didn’t go away overnight. But each time I got on stage, no matter how frightened I was, I became one step closer to conquering that fear. Similarly, as young Thomas Freeman forced himself to keep talking and enunciate each word, he soon conquered his fear. And as he developed his careers as a preacher and professor, Dr. Freeman established, built, and coached the debate team at Texas Southern University who won 34 trophies under his leadership. So in summary, his story is inspirational because he did not let obstacles allow him to quit, and he followed his passion for literally his entire life. I have faced many obstacles, but I fight through them to keep going as I develop into my career.

I don't consider myself to have chronic depression, but I have had two major bouts with it. Both occurred when I was away at school, and both had to do with my studies as a music major specializing in voice. The first time, I became unhappy at the school I was attending. The music department was threatening me to retake some classes I had taken because they refused to take all of my transfer credits from community college. The environment was very clique-ish and I had a few acquaintances but not many "friends". The Internet reliability was poor across campus. The choral program was not to my standard. And it all came to a head when my voice teacher had me do something in a voice lesson that caused pain in my throat every time I tried to sing for the next nearly six months. All the prior things plus more beside had been brewing in my head for quite some time, but once the voice lesson incident happened, I officially decided to transfer again. Fast forward to my master's degree, I was happy where I attended, but now the major was the problem. I had this consistent gut feeling that I shouldn't pursue voice anymore, and it weighed over me for weeks. I stayed in music but eventually changed my specialization. Fast forward again, I am back in school for a second master's degree pursuing music composition. How does all of this tie into my goals? I realized that I need to consider all the pros and cons when considering a field of study. I need to think ahead and consider whether a career in the field I'm considering is realistic, lucrative, practical, long-lasting, and not in compromise with what I believe. I am very happy so far in this new season of my life, and I have confidence that it will lead to a long, practical, and successful career. Mental health also ties into relationships as well. There are people that I have had to remove from my life, both friends and love interests, because they were not beneficial to my mental health. Going back to my second bout with depression, a friend spread gossip about me even though she knew I wanted that brewing decision private. I decided that if I could not trust her with my secrets or my mental health, I couldn't trust her at all. As far as love, I once had a girlfriend who was emotionally abusive. I knew her ex-boyfriend personally, and long story short, I got a carbon copy of him in her. Again, I put my mental health first and decided that it was not worth it to keep things going with her. How all this has shaped my understanding of the world is that I often have to put myself first, even above family, friends, and love interests. You know you better than anyone else, and people will walk over you if you let them. Mental health is key to living.