I was so excited to see my favorite singer Carrie Underwood when I was 6 years old. I went with my mom out to dinner at iHop before the concert. My favorite! It was my first concert, and I was just in awe, and maybe a little scared because the building was so big. It was really crowded and there were so many people that were there. I was a little nervous that we had to go down some really steep steps to get to our seats, and felt like I would fall down to the stage. Once we were in our seats, I was so excited I could hardly wait for it to start. I loved all the lights and lasers, but was a little surprised at how loud it was, and not sure if I liked that or not. I loved how great of a singer she is. She sounded even better in person. I knew every word to every song. My mom says that people who were sitting around us laughed all night, and enjoyed the show even more because I was dancing and singing the whole time. They couldn’t believe that someone so young knew every word. I remember how beautiful Carrie is, and how she changed her clothes a bunch of times. She had a fiddle player, which I thought was cool since I was starting to play the violin. I remember having the best time, but being really tired afterwards. My mom says I fell asleep almost immediately in the car, and my Dad had to carry me in the house when we got home. The next day, I was excited to tell everyone at school about the concert and to wear my Carrie Underwood concert shirt that my mom bought me. I’ve been hooked on concerts since that night! Other than my first concert being a favorite, I have had the chance to volunteer with my brothers band many many times since I was 9 years old. He was in a band called Spectrum. The band had musicians who had autism spectrum disorder. My brother plays guitar, Christopher who couldn’t talk much at all could play the drums really well. Bobby, was great on the piano, and my God Father played bass for them for a long time, until they found someone. I was just so surprised at how talented they are, even though they had a disability. They sometimes had meltdowns which made it a little scary, but it always worked out. They were so good that they didn’t really even need to practice a whole lot. A musician friend who worked with them said they are like a machine. As soon as they got on stage, they just blew the place away. I was always so proud of them, and happy to be a part of it. I loved that I got to be a roadie and help set up a lot of equipment for their shows. I come from a very musical family, and play multiple instruments and sing. I think part of the reason I’m going to college for music is because of my 7 years that I was part of the Spectrum Band shows. I got a lot of experience, and saw how much fun it is to perform. I’ve gone to many concerts since then, but my brother’s smaller shows were really my favorite. Thank you for this opportunity for the scholarship! Brandon Laus

Life is not easy, but my parents have taught me the value of hard work, how to push through the bad stuff, and enjoy the little things in life. They’ve taught me to focus on helping others, and it will make what I’m going through seem less difficult. My family has many medical challenges. My Dad has Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease. My Mom has vascular brain and spinal cord tumors called Cavernous Angiomas. Both of my brothers have autism. Almost a year ago, my parents didn’t hesitate when I asked, and took in a friend of mine who was in a really bad situation. It’s looking like she will be with us indefinitely, but we’ll continue to care for her as long as she needs us. My parents do anything they can to help others, even though they struggle so much on their own, and have taught me to do the same. I’ve volunteered at the Pittsburgh food bank, I help my elderly neighbors with yard work, shoveling snow, and walking their dogs. I drive friends to and from work so they can keep their jobs. I help out any way I possibly can, but what I’m most proud of is my involvement with Band Together Pittsburgh. My older brother with autism is in the band Spectrum. It’s a group of musicians with autism. Some local musicians were so blown away by them, that they formed a non profit organization called Band Together Pittsburgh. My need to help others, and my love of music, led me to be a proud volunteer. I’m so lucky to have been a part of it since the very beginning. I’ve helped bring inclusive music events to people with autism. They have open stages, drum circles and concerts. It’s been a huge part of my life since I was 10. I have traveled with and supported the band to help them perform their shows. I have helped at Band Together events and did whatever they needed me to do. I worked the different stations at events such as the ticket booth, kitchen and snack bar. I’ve helped with set up and tear down of equipment and musical instruments for their performances. I helped collect items to make raffle baskets, and sold merchandise to raise money for the organization. I have met so many special people! I have learned that everyone is valuable in their own way. I was there to help them, but they helped me too. I’ve learned we all have strengths and weaknesses. We all want to fit in and be loved and included. It’s been an awesome thing to be a part of. If you’re interested: https://www.facebook.com/BandTogetherPGH/ https://m.facebook.com/SpectrumBandPgh/ My parents both had good jobs they loved. My Dad worked in IT at Alcoa, and my Mom worked in cardiology at our local hospital. They both had to go on social security disability because of their health. I’m the first in our family to hope to go to college. With the loss of their careers, my parents have zero taxable income. I plan to continue working when I go to college, and will contribute everything I can to my tuition and expenses. I hope you will consider me for your scholarship. Not just for me, but for my parents who are deserving too. I promise I will work hard to make everyone proud. Thank you, Brandon Laus

I’m sorry for your loss of Mr. and Mrs. Schmid. They sound like people I’d like to be like. My family has many medical issues. My Dad has Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s and my Mom has vascular brain and spinal cord tumors called Cavernous Angiomas. Both of my brothers have autism. Life is not easy, but my parents have taught me the value of hard work, how to push through the bad stuff, and enjoy the little things in life. They’ve taught me to focus on helping others, and it will make what I’m going through seem less difficult. Almost a year ago, they didn’t hesitate when I asked, and took in a friend of mine who was in a really bad situation. It’s looking like she will be with us indefinitely, but my parents say they’ll continue to care for her as long as she needs us. They do anything they can to help others, even though they struggle so much on their own, and have taught me to do the same. I’ve volunteered at the Pittsburgh food bank, I help my elderly neighbors with yard work, shoveling snow, and walking their dogs. I drive friends to and from work so they can keep their jobs. I help out any way I possibly can, but what I’m most proud of is my involvement with Band Together Pittsburgh. My older brother with autism is in the band Spectrum. It’s a group of musicians with autism. After seeing how great the band is, some local musicians formed an organization called Band Together Pittsburgh. I’ve been lucky to be a volunteer since it all started when I was 10 years old. I’ve helped bring music events to people with autism. Musicians donate their time and teach music to people with special needs. I do whatever they need me to do. I’ve worked different stations at events like the ticket booth, kitchen and snack bar. I’ve loaded, unloaded, set up and tore down musical instruments and equipment for the stage. I helped collect items to make raffle baskets, and sold merchandise to raise money for the organization. I have met so many great people! It’s been an awesome thing to be a part of. If you’re interested: https://www.facebook.com/BandTogetherPGH/ https://m.facebook.com/SpectrumBandPgh/ I hope to attend West Virginia University to study their Music Business Industry and Performance program. My parents both had good jobs. My Dad worked in IT at Alcoa, and my Mom worked in cardiology at our local hospital. They both had to go on social security disability because of their health. With the loss of their careers, my parents have zero taxable income. I plan to continue working when I go to college, and will contribute everything I can to my tuition and expenses. I hope you will consider me for your scholarship. Not just for me, but for my parents who are deserving too. I promise I will work hard to make everyone proud. Thank you, Brandon Laus

I’m sorry for your loss of the beautiful Kalia. She sounds like a person I’d like to be like. It’s not the same as what you’ve been through with Kalia, but my family has many medical challenges. My Dad has Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease. My Mom has vascular brain and spinal cord tumors called Cavernous Angiomas, and she has survived cancer. Both of my brothers have autism. My middle brother gets very violent, and has destroyed parts of our house and has hurt my Dad so bad, that he had to have surgery. Life is not easy, but my parents have taught me the value of hard work, how to push through the bad stuff, and enjoy the little things in life. They’ve taught me to focus on helping others, and it will make what I’m going through seem less difficult. Almost a year ago, my parents didn’t hesitate when I asked, and took in a friend of mine who was in a really bad situation. It’s looking like she will be with us indefinitely, but my parents insist they’ll continue to care for her as long as she needs us. They do anything they can to help others, even though they struggle so much on their own, and have taught me to do the same. I’ve volunteered at the Pittsburgh food bank, I help my elderly neighbors with yard work, shoveling snow, and walking their dogs. I drive friends to and from work so they can keep their jobs. I help out any way I possibly can, but what I’m most proud of is my involvement with Band Together Pittsburgh. My older brother with autism is in the band Spectrum. It’s a group of musicians with autism. Some local musicians were so blown away by them, that they formed an organization called Band Together Pittsburgh. My need to help others, and my love of music, led me to be a proud volunteer. I’m so lucky to have been a part of it since the very beginning. I’ve helped bring music events to people with autism. Band Together Pittsburgh has volunteer musicians teach them to play or perform on their own level. They have open stages, drum circles and concerts. It’s been a huge part of my life since I was 10. I have traveled with and supported the band to help them perform their shows. I have helped at Band Together events and did whatever they needed me to do. I worked the different stations at events such as the ticket entrance, kitchen and snack bar. I’ve loaded, unloaded, set up and tore down musical instruments and equipment for the stage. I helped collect items to make raffle baskets, and sold merchandise to raise money for the organization. I have met so many special people! It’s been an awesome thing to be a part of. If you’re interested: https://www.facebook.com/BandTogetherPGH/ https://m.facebook.com/SpectrumBandPgh/ My parents both had good jobs they loved. My Dad worked in IT at Alcoa, and my Mom worked in cardiology at our local hospital. They both had to go on social security disability because of their health. I’m the first in our family to hope to go to college. With the loss of their careers, my parents have zero taxable income. I plan to continue working when I go to college, and will contribute everything I can to my tuition and expenses. I hope you will consider me for your scholarship. Not just for me, but for my parents who are deserving too. I promise I will work hard to make everyone proud. Thank you, Brandon Laus

Like Janie Mae, my family has a lot of challenges. They may sound unbelievable, but can be verified by the agencies that work with our family if needed. My Dad has Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease. My Mom has vascular brain and spinal cord tumors called Cavernous Angiomas, and she has survived cancer. Both of my brothers have autism. My middle brother gets very violent, and has destroyed parts of our house and has hurt my Dad so bad, that he had to have surgery. Life is not easy, but my parents have taught me the value of hard work, how to push through the bad stuff, and enjoy the little things in life. They’ve taught me to focus on helping others, and it will make what I’m going through seem less difficult. Almost a year ago, my parents didn’t hesitate, and took in a friend of mine who was in a really bad situation. It’s looking like she will be with us indefinitely, but my parents insist they’ll continue to care for her as long as she needs us. They do anything they can to help others, even though they struggle so much on their own, and have taught me to do the same. Over the years, I’ve volunteered at the Pittsburgh food bank, I help my elderly neighbors with yard work, shoveling snow, and walking their dogs. I drive friends to and from work so they can keep their jobs. I help out any way I possibly can, but what I’m most proud of is my involvement with Band Together Pittsburgh. My older brother with autism is in the band Spectrum. It’s a group of musicians with autism. Some local musicians were so blown away by them, that they formed an organization called Band Together Pittsburgh. My need to help others, and my love of music, led me to be a proud volunteer. I’m so lucky to have been a part of it since the very beginning. I’ve helped bring music events to people with autism. Band Together Pittsburgh has volunteer musicians teach them to play or perform on their own level. They have open stages, drum circles and concerts. It’s been a huge part of my life since I was 10. I have traveled with and supported the band to help them perform their shows. I have helped at Band Together events and did whatever they needed me to do. I worked the different stations at events such as the ticket entrance, kitchen and snack bar. I’ve loaded, unloaded, set up and tore down musical instruments and equipment for the stage. I helped collect items to make raffle baskets, and sold merchandise to raise money for the organization. I have met so many special people! It’s been an awesome thing to be a part of. If you’re interested: https://www.facebook.com/BandTogetherPGH/ https://m.facebook.com/SpectrumBandPgh/ My parents both had good jobs they loved. My Dad worked in IT at Alcoa, and my Mom worked in cardiology at our local hospital. They were both were forced to go on social security disability because of their health. I’m the first in our family to hope to go to college. With the loss of their careers, my parents have zero taxable income. I plan to continue working when I go to college, and will contribute everything I can to my tuition and expenses. I hope you will consider me for your scholarship. Not just for me, but for my parents who are deserving too. I promise I will work hard to make everyone proud. Thank you, Brandon Laus

My entire life revolves around music. I come from a very musical family, who have inspired me from a very young age. I’m so proud to be carrying on the family legacy. Both of my parents are on social security disability for some health problems, and my two brothers have autism. Music has helped me through a lot of tough times growing up, and kept me out of trouble. Without music, I don’t know if I would be where I am today. I’ve been singing since I was very little. My Aunt who is a professional singer and a music therapist told my parents way back then, that I had perfect pitch and she knew I was going to be a musician. I started in third grade playing violin, and in fifth grade switched to clarinet. I just graduated high school, and now play piano, guitar, trumpet, clarinet, and I sing and write songs. In high school, I was in chorus and choir, and performed in plays, and school musicals. I even had the lead as Shrek for my senior year. I was in Marching Band for three years and a co-captain of my clarinet section. I was a member of district and honors bands too. I am so grateful for all the music programs I’ve been involved with, which gave me my direction and goals for my life. I am really passionate about making music for the rest of my life. My older brother with autism is in the band Spectrum. It’s a group of musicians with autism. Some local musicians were so blown away by them, that they formed an organization called Band Together Pittsburgh. My love of music, and my need to be a part of everything involving music led me to be a proud volunteer. I’m so lucky to have been a part of it since the very beginning. I’ve helped bring music events to people with autism. Band Together Pittsburgh has volunteer musicians teach them to play or perform on their own level. They have open stages, drum circles and concerts. It’s been a huge part of my life since I was 10. I have met so many talented people and grown up on the local music scene. It’s been an awesome thing to be a part of. If you’re interested: https://www.facebook.com/BandTogetherPGH/ https://m.facebook.com/SpectrumBandPgh/ I will be studying the Music, Business & Industry Program as well as Vocal Performance at West Virginia University. I am also a new member of WVU Marching Band. I live and breathe music, and can’t wait to get to WVU and make music an even bigger focus of my life than it already is. I hope to learn the industry, how to make and produce music, to promote and work with other musicians, and to continue to be a part of music programs that impact the world. I hope you will consider me for this scholarship. Music really is my life. I already have so much experience at age 18, think of what I will learn and do in the future! I promise I will work hard and make everyone proud! Thank you, Brandon Laus

My entire life revolves around music. I come from a very musical family, and I’m so proud to be carrying on the family legacy. Both of my parents are on social security disability for some health problems, and my two brothers have autism. Music has helped me through a lot of tough times growing up, and kept me out of trouble. Without music, I don’t know if I would be where I am today. I’ve been singing since I was very little. My Aunt who is a professional singer and a music therapist told my parents way back then, that I had perfect pitch and she knew I was going to be a musician. I started in third grade playing violin, and in fifth grade switched to clarinet. I just graduated high school, and now play piano, guitar, trumpet, clarinet, and I sing and write songs. In high school, I was in chorus and choir, and performed in plays, and school musicals. I even had the lead as Shrek for my senior year. I was in Marching Band for three years and a co-captain of my clarinet section. I was a member of district and honors bands too. I am so grateful for all the music programs I’ve been involved with, which gave me my direction and goals for my life. I am really passionate about making music for the rest of my life. My older brother with autism is in the band Spectrum. It’s a group of musicians with autism. Some local musicians were so blown away by them, that they formed an organization called Band Together Pittsburgh. My love of music, and my need to be a part of everything involving music led me to be a proud volunteer. I’m so lucky to have been a part of it since the very beginning. I’ve helped bring music events to people with autism. Band Together Pittsburgh has volunteer musicians teach them to play or perform on their own level. They have open stages, drum circles and concerts. It’s been a huge part of my life since I was 10. I have met so many talented people and grown up on the local music scene. It’s been an awesome thing to be a part of. If you’re interested: https://www.facebook.com/BandTogetherPGH/ https://m.facebook.com/SpectrumBandPgh/ I will be studying the Music, Business & Industry Program as well as Vocal Performance at West Virginia University. I am also a new member of WVU Marching Band. I live and breathe music, and can’t wait to get to WVU and make music an even bigger focus of my life than it already is. I hope to learn the industry, how to make and produce music, to promote and work with other musicians, and to continue to be a part of music programs that impact the world. I hope you will consider me for this scholarship. Music really is my life. I already have so much experience at age 18, think of what I will learn and do in the future! I promise I will work hard and make everyone proud! Thank you, Brandon Laus

My entire life revolves around music. I come from a very musical family, and I’m so proud to be carrying on the family legacy. Both of my parents are on social security disability for some health problems, and my two brothers have autism. Music has helped me through a lot of tough times growing up, and kept me out of trouble. Without music, I don’t know if I would be where I am today. I’ve been singing since I was very little. My Aunt who is a professional singer and a music therapist told my parents way back then, that I had perfect pitch and she knew I was going to be a musician. I started in third grade playing violin, and in fifth grade switched to clarinet. I just graduated high school, and now play piano, guitar, trumpet, clarinet, and I sing and write songs. In high school, I was in chorus and choir, and performed in plays, and school musicals. I even had the lead as Shrek for my senior year. I was in Marching Band for three years and a co-captain of my clarinet section. I was a member of district and honors bands too. I am so grateful for all the music programs I’ve been involved with, which gave me my direction and goals for my life. I am really passionate about making music for the rest of my life. My older brother with autism is in the band Spectrum. It’s a group of musicians with autism. Some local musicians were so blown away by them, that they formed an organization called Band Together Pittsburgh. My love of music, and my need to be a part of everything involving music led me to be a proud volunteer. I’m so lucky to have been a part of it since the very beginning. I’ve helped bring music events to people with autism. Band Together Pittsburgh has volunteer musicians teach them to play or perform on their own level. They have open stages, drum circles and concerts. It’s been a huge part of my life since I was 10. I have met so many talented people and grown up on the local music scene. It’s been an awesome thing to be a part of. If you’re interested: https://www.facebook.com/BandTogetherPGH/ https://m.facebook.com/SpectrumBandPgh/ I will be studying the Music, Business & Industry Program as well as Vocal Performance at West Virginia University. I am also a new member of WVU Marching Band. I live and breathe music, and can’t wait to get to WVU and make music an even bigger focus of my life than it already is. I hope to learn the industry, how to make and produce music, to promote and work with other musicians, and to continue to be a part of music programs that impact the world. I hope you will consider me for this scholarship. Music really is my life. I already have so much experience at age 18, think of what I will learn and do in the future! I promise I will work hard and make everyone proud! Thank you, Brandon Laus

My entire life revolves around music. I come from a very musical family, and I’m so proud to be carrying on the family legacy. Both of my parents are on social security disability for some health problems, and my two brothers have autism. Music has helped me through a lot of tough times growing up, and kept me out of trouble. Without music, I don’t know if I would be where I am today. I’ve been singing since I was very little. My Aunt who is a professional singer and a music therapist told my parents way back then, that I had perfect pitch and she knew I was going to be a musician. I started in third grade playing violin, and in fifth grade switched to clarinet. I just graduated high school, and now play piano, guitar, trumpet, clarinet, and I sing and write songs. In high school, I was in chorus and choir, and performed in plays, and school musicals. I even had the lead as Shrek for my senior year. I was in Marching Band for three years and a co-captain of my clarinet section. I was a member of district and honors bands too. I am so grateful for all the music programs I’ve been involved with, which gave me my direction and goals for my life. I am really passionate about making music for the rest of my life. My older brother with autism is in the band Spectrum. It’s a group of musicians with autism. Some local musicians were so blown away by them, that they formed an organization called Band Together Pittsburgh. My love of music, and my need to be a part of everything involving music led me to be a proud volunteer. I’m so lucky to have been a part of it since the very beginning. I’ve helped bring music events to people with autism. Band Together Pittsburgh has volunteer musicians teach them to play or perform on their own level. They have open stages, drum circles and concerts. It’s been a huge part of my life since I was 10. I have met so many talented people and grown up on the local music scene. It’s been an awesome thing to be a part of. If you’re interested: https://www.facebook.com/BandTogetherPGH/ https://m.facebook.com/SpectrumBandPgh/ I will be studying the Music, Business & Industry Program as well as Vocal Performance at West Virginia University. I am also a new member of WVU Marching Band. I live and breathe music, and can’t wait to get to WVU and make music an even bigger focus of my life than it already is. I hope you will consider me for this scholarship. Music really is my life. I already have so much experience at age 18, think of what I will learn and do in the future! I promise I will work hard and make everyone proud! Thank you, Brandon Laus ***I tried to upload a video, but it won’t load. If you send an email address I will send one to you. Sorry!

My entire life revolves around music. I come from a very musical family, and I’m proud to be carrying on the family legacy. Both of my parents are disabled for some health problems, and my two brothers have autism. Music has helped me through a lot of tough times growing up. My friends and I who deal with bad situations in our lives have used music in school to help with our confidence and self esteem, and kept us out of trouble. Our band and choir teachers have really been great and have given my friends and I a community that has become like a family. Without music in schools, I don’t where I would be. I started in third grade playing violin, and in fifth grade switched to clarinet. I just graduated high school, and now play piano, guitar, trumpet, clarinet, and I sing. In high school, I was in chorus and choir, and performed in plays, and school musicals. I even had the lead as Shrek for my senior year. I was the student lighting director for two years, and in Marching Band for three years. I was a co-captain of my section, and a member of district and honors bands. I am a product of school music programs, which gave me my direction and goals for my life. Without them, I don’t know what my life would be like. My older brother with autism is in the band Spectrum. It’s a group of musicians with autism. Some local musicians were so blown away by them, that they formed an organization called Band Together Pittsburgh. I’m so proud to be a volunteer, and to have been a part of it since the very beginning. They bring music events to people with autism, and have volunteer musicians teach them to play or perform on their own level. They have open stages, drum circles and concerts. My brother and his band have been a part of so many shows over the past 8 years. They’ve even played two special needs proms for Tim Tebow. They’ve been featured in local newspapers and magazines, and have played in shows with big name local celebrities and been on a local televison show. They’ve even recorded two songs in the studio for CD’s! It’s been a huge part of my life since I was 10. I have met so many talented people and grown up on the music scene. It has been an awesome thing to be a part of. It’s great how they found a way to help people with autism and bring so much attention to how important music is for everyone. If you’re interested: https://www.facebook.com/BandTogetherPGH/ https://m.facebook.com/SpectrumBandPgh/ I will be studying the Music, Business & Industry Program as well as vocal performance at West Virginia University. I am also a new member of WVU Marching Band. I live and breathe music. It’s very important to my family as well. My aunts and uncles are in the music field. They all teach in schools or privately, and they all still perform. One of my aunts is a retired orchestra teacher who still goes in as a substitute when they need her. I love that she’s helping to keep music programs going in school. I hope you will consider me for this scholarship. Music really is my life. I already have so much experience at age 18, think of what I will learn and do in the future! I promise I will work hard. I will do everything I can to keep music alive like it should be! Thank you, Brandon Laus

I come from a very musical family. My dad is a musician who played drums, guitar, and bass, and has played in a lot of bands. My mom can sing, my aunt and uncle attended WVU for music and became very accomplished teachers and musicians. I have been surrounded by music since I was a baby. I’ve been singing and playing instruments since I was very young, and also took vocal lessons as well. I realized at an early age that I wanted to make music my career. My older brother was in a band of other musicians with autism, and I used to go to all of his shows to help with setup and tear down. The drummer is barely verbal, but can play the drums very well. I learned through watching them, that no matter what your situation is, if you want to do it bad enough, you’ll do what it takes to achieve your goal. It also taught me that just about anything is possible with music. I’m very involved in my high school marching band, concert band, jazz band, and performing in plays and musicals. I’ve also worked behind the scenes with moving sets and was a student lighting director. I perform outside of school any chance I get. I would like to attend college to learn everything I can about the business side of music and also learning more about the performance side as well. Music has gotten me through a lot of tough times. I would like to show others that music can heal as well as entertain. I am a first generation college student, and four people in my family are disabled. My dad has MS and Parkinson’s disease, my mom has vascular tumors in the brain and spinal cord, and my two older brothers have autism, so we have a lot of challenges both medically and financially. My parents didn’t have the chance to send my two older brothers to college, due to the issues they have with autism and our very limited income, and because of that, they wanted to make sure that I was going to be able to go. I also want to continue the musical legacy in my family and this scholarship will give me the best opportunity to achieve that goal. Going to college would set me on the path to a lifelong career of music like I’ve always dreamed.

I come from a very musical family. My dad is a musician who played drums, guitar, and bass, and has played in a lot of bands. My mom can sing, my aunt and uncle attended WVU for music and became very accomplished teachers and musicians. I have been surrounded by music since I was a baby. I’ve been singing and playing instruments since I was very young, and also took vocal lessons as well. I realized at an early age that I wanted to make music my career. My older brother was in a band of other musicians with autism, and I used to go to all of his shows to help with setup and tear down. The drummer is barely verbal, but can play the drums very well. I learned through watching them, that no matter what your situation is, if you want to do it bad enough, you’ll do what it takes to achieve your goal. It also taught me that just about anything is possible with music. I’m very involved in my high school marching band, concert band, jazz band, and performing in plays and musicals. I’ve also worked behind the scenes with moving sets and was a student lighting director. I perform outside of school any chance I get. I would like to attend college to learn everything I can about the business side of music and also learning more about the performance side as well. Music has gotten me through a lot of tough times. I would like to show others that music can heal as well as entertain. I am a first generation college student, and four people in my family are disabled. My dad has MS and Parkinson’s disease, my mom has vascular tumors in the brain and spinal cord, and my two older brothers have autism, so we have a lot of challenges both medically and financially. My parents didn’t have the chance to send my two older brothers to college, due to the issues they have with autism and our very limited income, and because of that, they wanted to make sure that I was going to be able to go. I also want to continue the musical legacy in my family and this scholarship will give me the best opportunity to achieve that goal. Going to college would set me on the path to a lifelong career of music like I’ve always dreamed.

My family has a lot of challenges. They may sound unbelievable, but it’s all true, and can be verified by the government agencies, and service providers that work with our family. My Dad has Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease. My Mom has vascular brain and spinal cord tumors called Cavernous Angiomas, and she has survived Cancer. Both of my brothers have Autism. My parents have worked really hard to help my brothers and I, but my middle brother gets very physically aggressive, and has destroyed parts of our house and has hurt my Dad so bad, that he had to have surgery. My parents both had good jobs they loved. My Dad worked in IT at Alcoa, and my Mom worked in cardiology at our local hospital. They were both were forced to go on social security disability because of their health problems. My parents have taught me the value of hard work, how to push through the bad stuff, and enjoy the little things in life. They’ve taught me to focus on helping others, and it will make what I’m going through seem less difficult. They put us kids first, and we always have what we need, and often have what we might want. About a month ago, my parents didn’t hesitate, and took in a friend of mine who was in a really bad situation. She loves staying with us, and said she’s learning what a family should be. It’s looking like she will be with us indefinitely, but my parents insist they’ll make it work somehow. They do anything they can to help others, even though they struggle so much on their own. I’m the first in our family to hope to go to college. With the loss of their careers, my parents have zero taxable income, because of only getting disability benefits. They don’t want me starting out my life with school loans. We’ve been working together to find scholarships to make it possible. As always, they say they’ll make it work somehow. While I can’t say I’ve overcome adversity because we’re still living it. I can say I’ve learned what’s important in life. Family, Friends, Community, Shared Experiences and Memories. If I could get scholarships to help with college, that would take a huge stress off of my family and I. I would really appreciate it if you’ll consider giving me a scholarship, not just for me; but for my parents who are deserving as well. I will work hard to make everyone proud. Thank you, Brandon Laus