As I finish my high school career, I look forward to pursuing a career in music education at either Illinois State University or the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. My time at Lockport Township High School has successfully prepared me for the challenges of post-secondary education by enriching me in various AP and honors courses. In my 11th grade year of high school, I took on a rigorous course load that included AP Language and Composition, AP Physics 1, AP Music Theory, and AP Precalculus BC, as well as multiple competitive musical ensembles. Additionally, my 12th grade course load has included AP Calculus BC and various dual credit courses throughout the year. These academic and extra-curricular experiences have taught me the value of maintaining a strong level of academic rigor and staying on top of responsibilities. I hope to apply these qualities to my future enrollment at an Illinois university. Out of all of the AP classes I have taken so far, my personal favorite has been AP Music Theory. This course gave me a thoughtful look into the endless possibilities of music and how I can continue to expand my musicianship. The obtained knowledge has been especially helpful in guiding my understanding of music theory and applying it to my personal studies on trombone, piano, vocals, and french horn. This course exam, as well as the three other course exams that I took in my 11th grade year, have provided me with college credit that I can use to lighten a heavy workload at the university level. I am especially proud of my score of five on the AP Lang exam -- as I had worked really hard all year to achieve that mark. This experience taught me that with hard work, you can achieve anything you set your mind to, and I will continue to work hard throughout my collegiate and professional career. Thinking about the next four years, I am extremely excited to make meaningful connections and expand my knowledge as a teacher, mentor, musician, student, and leader. I want to make a positive impact in the community that I am a part of -- just as I have done at LTHS -- and continue to promote service to others. I also cannot wait to learn more about education and receive valuable information to make me a better teacher for my future students. I understand college will be very academically demanding, but I am ready to face that challenge head on and work hard to achieve my goals. I look forward to the challenges and the many great lessons they will provide for me.