I have a busy mind. I'm always thinking about what is going on in my life, and how to better myself, and why I didn't respond in a certain way to a certain situation. It gets cloudy, and it makes it hard to see anything clearly at all. I learned throughout my college life that articles and videos highlighting "My Top 10 Tips to Living a More Productive Life," were never going to work for me. There was way too much to think about, and by trying to change 10 different things, I'd end up implementing none of them. It was so much more helpful for me to focus on one phrase or mantra when my brain got foggy. When I felt a phrase had done it's time, I would pick a new one, and write it up on my wall. One of my favorites, that I came up with my junior year, is "let your progress be what inspires you." As a naturally ambitious and dream-oriented person, I'm always focused on what inspires me, and where I want to go. I realized that sometimes it can be draining to be constantly focused on where I want to be, and therefore the ways in which I am falling short. I realized that social media can be a big proponent of this thinking for me. Any time of the day I can pull up Instagram and see some of my favorite musicians releasing albums and booking headline tours, and while it is inspiring, it can also give me a gut-wrenching feeling of "why isn't that you?" and "why aren't you there yet?" I started implementing "let your progress be what inspires you," to encourage myself to not always look to my dreams for motivation, but instead to look back at my progress as a source of inspiration. Sure, I have a long way to go to accomplish my goals, but I have come a long way from the little girl who used to tell her first-grade peers that she wanted to be a rock star. I am now a professionally-trained vocalist and audio engineer, and I am currently working on producing my first ever album. It gets daunting to try to map an exact path to the album's completion and release, but it is comforting to see what I have overcome, and the challenges I've conquered to get to this point today. I also think that there is something really beautiful about being your own inspiration- valuing your own accomplishments and traits, and using those wins to inspire you to continue along your own unique life path.

For my whole life, I have dreamed of becoming a singer. These days, the music industry has drastically evolved, and musicians gain traction by at-home production and recording, and DIY marketing via social media. Gone are the days of being a singer and getting discovered on musical merit alone. So when I went to college, I majored in Performing Arts technology at the University of Michigan, which taught me how to record and produce music. I learned how to be an audio engineer, and a music producer. What I didn't realize when going into school, was how rare it was to find a female music producer or engineer. I was so surprised to find that for every 20 male students in my program, there were 3 women. I went into school to learn how to be my own producer, but I left with the sense that women must have more influence in these fields. If I can write a song, and sing it, why can't I also say how I want the guitar to be mic'ed up, and how much compression I want on the kick drum? Throughout my career, I hope to be a role model to other women that they can they can be the creatives they dream to be, while also being the business and analytical minds behind it.

The thing I love most about myself is my glass-half-full outlook. Life isn't always easy, and it isn't always optimistic. I'm not sure exactly how I do it, but I've always been able to find the bright side of a situation, and in hard times I'm always confident that someday things will be better. I love that about myself because it has gotten me through some of the worst times of my life, and it has also allowed me to bring light and help to my closest friends and family. Throughout my life, and especially during the pandemic, I have struggled with severe Depression. Despite being so low I was unable to get out of bed, I always knew- despite not knowing how- that someday, I would be past it. I also pride myself on the ability to empathize and provide advice to my friends and younger brothers. Even if I don't truly know what it's like to be in a certain situation, I find it comes rather naturally for me to give advice and a positive outlook. I am so grateful for that ability because it helps me to form closer bonds with the people I love. I truly believe that my glass-half-full outlook on life plays a huge role in it because it allows me to see a situation analytically: there is a problem, but it can be solved, and happiness can be restored. And if it can't be solved, we can find out how to find happiness in something new, together.

In my everyday life, I try to make small, yet actionable changes to my lifestyle that can have a positive impact on the climate. I have been shocked, and rather appalled to find that often times the more sustainable and environmentally friendly options, are the more expensive ones. It seems to me that doing good for the planet should be free, and doing harm should be what is costly. I want to be the girl who always shows up with her reusable bags, and brings her reusable mugs to the coffee shop, and composts in her backyard. But the unfortunate truth is that these things can be costly, and as a recent college graduate, my budget doesn't allow me to splurge on a whole new set of reusable stasher bags at $20 a pop. So, I decided to start small. I ordered a set of reusable straws and 2 stasher bags. I began using them as substitutes as often as I could. I can now confidently say I use a reusable straw every day of my life. I have started to make smarter decisions with repurposing and saving items. I love to take an old pickle jar, and turn it into a trendy iced coffee cup. If I receive a party favor in a big reusable bag, I keep it and store it under my sink to use as a grocery bag. I'm saving up to be able to buy more stasher bags, and opt for more environmentally friendly options. I'm disappointed that I can't do it all at once, but I am proud to be trying. And I believe my small steps are lightyears better than no steps at all.