My name is Devon Rudolph. I am from Avon, IN. I graduated from Avon High School in May of 2024. I graduated with my academic honors and technical honors diplomas. I was also a varsity athlete for golf, track, and basketball. I was a poll vaulter for the track team as well. I also played on the concert band in high school where I was a Tuba player. In addition to athletics, I was very active in my church. I help serve the hungry and volunteered at the church whenever help was needed. I belonged to the Center for Leadership Development and was a student ambassador for the national college board. I am currently a junior at Arizona University. I am earning my bachelor’s degree in Aviation Technology Management. I was accepted as a member of SANKOFA and was highlighted by the university as one of their private pilot students in 2025. I am currently earning my commercial pilot’s license from Leopard Aviation flight school. I was accepted to 9 universities but chose to leave Indiana for the challenge of being away from home and better flight training conditions. I became interested in aviation as a three year old when my father who works as an AMP for JetBlue, took me up on a Cessna 172. I have loved aviation ever since. I recently earned my IR license by successfully completing my check ride. I belong to the EAA, AOPA, and OBAP aviation clubs. I also attend the Osh Kosh Air show in Wisconsin yearly. I am currently working towards preparing for my Commercial Pilot check ride. I am also an aviation student at Arizona University. I am currently in my junior year. I believe that I exemplify several leadership qualities that will not only make me a professional pilot but a great American and mentor. I am very dedicated, passionate, and loyal. I believe in following rules and working hard. I help others by volunteering and I keep God as my anchor. Perseverance, hard work ethic, strong character, and focus round out my leadership skills and define my strengths as a leader. Unfortunately in May of 2025, I almost died from Valley Fever. I missed my second semester finals and had to pause my flight training. I worked very hard and listened to my doctors and am thankful that I was healed after one month of sickness. I had to overcome health obstacles and practice resilience in order to stay caught up on my academics and flight training. I proved to myself that I am a hard worker and I can do hard things. I would like to be an inspiration to others and serve the aviation community.

VIATION AND FUTURE GOALS My dad works for JetBlue, so I have been around planes and other aspects of aviation for my entire life. I remember as a small child seeing my dad to to work at midnight and coming home at 8am, and I often wondered what he was doing until I had an opportunity to go to work with him one day. Because of these early experiences, I've always wanted to work in aviation as well. At first, I wanted to be an air traffic controller, but then I realized that I wouldn't be satisfied sitting and watching airplanes taking off all day. Instead, I want to be the one flying the plane. Recently, I have been doing flight training at a place in Fishers, Indiana called Tom Wood Aviation. It has been really fun, and in addition to aviation skills I have learned a lot about dealing with life in general. For instance, the training is teaching me to relax and to remain calm in all situations. I'm also learning how important it is to always be ready for whatever might come your way. In my training, I have been learning all the basics of flying-take off, landing and all the emergency steps we have to take if something has gone wrong. There is a lot of information to take in, so I have to make sure I go home and study and watch videos about the things I didn't understand fully during the training session. As a pilot, I'm excited to have the opportunity to travel all over the world and to meet all kinds of new people in those places. I plan to attend Arizona State University in the fall. I will be working towards earning my pilot certifications.(Private, Commercial, Instrument Ratings, Multi Engine, and 1000 flight hours). I will also be earning my bachelors degree in Aviation Management. After earning my Certified Instructor certification, I plan to earn hours towards the 1000 hours needed to work for JetBlue airlines. I have to be 23 years old in order to work for the major airlines so working as a flight instructor will be a great way to build my hours and earn money while Inwait to turn 23. In addition, because I know how expensive flight lessons are, I plan to offer those interested in aviation discounted “Discovery Flights” as my way of giving back to others.

My name is Devon Rudolph and I am eighteen years old. I have learned a lot about myself this year and I have grown in many areas. My goal is to become a productive, self-aware, Christian professional. The essay I am writing will give you an idea about the main characteristics of my personality and a little about my leadership style. My willingness to try new things; show compassion for others, and ability to learn from my mistakes are characteristics that make me a great and effective leader. If I were to describe myself as a leader, I would tell anyone that I am a caring, easy going, and friendly person. I accept all people and respect everyone’s point of view even if I do not agree with them. The most vital part of my leadership qualities is my willingness to accept and learn from people of all backgrounds and interests. I have had the opportunity to interact with other students who have very different backgrounds. Because I am seeking to broaden my perspective on life, learn more about myself, and understand the perspective of others, my ability to be easy going, friendly, and accepting has given me opportunities to grow and meet new people. I have found that because I seek to understand others before judging them, others find it easy to have conversations with me and others find it easy to share their ideas and thoughts with me. The one important thing that I have been told by my friends, family, and trainers is that I am a good and loyal person. I think this is because of my willingness to accept others as they are and not as I wish them to be. As I continue you to learn about great leaders and reflect on my leadership success, I believe that I have also served as an inspiration to others by leading by example. As an athlete and a student pilot, I had several of my teammates and friends talk to me about my journey and have asked for advice on how they can do the things I am doing. Some of have asked me to help them organize their life goals. I never realized that my journey was so helpful to others. My greatest rewards from being a leader have been seeing how others have been inspired. I believe and understand how important it is for me to reach back to help others.

There are two scriptures that have shaped my philosophy of life. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Philippians 4:13 and “If God is for us, who can be against us” Romans 8:31. Devon’s Philosophy of Life: “Don’t be afraid to fail because you will always learn a lesson that leads to greater success” I have been very fearful of making mistakes. It was not until my basketball coach and I had a conversation about this that I realized that fear was holding me back. I have made it my vow to overcome my fear and try new things even if I fail. I now understand that it is in my failures that I may find the key to my success. As Junior, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and I began to play golf to try something new. I had never played before amd the Varsity coach at my school allowed me to join the team after having me try out. Golf has taught me to be patient amd and precise. I have to practice restraint when I am upset about my drive and follow through cause my golf ball to go the wrong way. I am constantly working on not slicing the ball. I have been a track and basketball player. Golf is so very different and I absolutely love it. The calmness and the comradely I have with players is so peaceful. I play golf with my friends often and they now enjoy the sport too. I have made new friends playing golf and even made connections with other student pilots. We have found that playing golf as we prepare for our tests and flights help us focus. Golf is more than a sport. Golf is therapeutic and provides opportunities to socialize with other focused and people of excellence. Finally, another example of me living out my philosophy is applying for this scholarship and writing this essay. When my mother suggested that I give it a try, I was scared. Because I am not the best golf player. But, I am taking a risk and stepping out of my comfort zone. Writing this essay has been a great experience and has caused me to reflect on the type of person that I am and all of the life lessons I have learned from playing golf. Golf has opened my eyes to new opportunities.

There are two scriptures that have shaped my philosophy of life. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Philippians 4:13 and “If God is for us, who can be against us” Romans 8:31. Devon’s Philosophy of Life: “Don’t be afraid to fail because you will always learn a lesson that leads to greater success” I have been very fearful of making mistakes. It was not until my basketball coach and I had a conversation about this that I realized that fear was holding me back. I have made it my vow to overcome my fear and try new things even if I fail. I now understand that it is in my failures that I may find the key to my success. As Junior, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and I began to play golf to try something new. I had never played before amd the Varsity coach at my school allowed me to join the team after having me try out. Golf has taught me to be patient amd and precise. I have to practice restraint when I am upset about my drive and follow through cause my golf ball to go the wrong way. I am constantly working on not slicing the ball. I have been a track and basketball player. Golf is so very different and I absolutely love it. The calmness and the comradely I have with players is so peaceful. I play golf with my friends often and they now enjoy the sport too. I have made new friends playing golf and even made connections with other student pilots. We have found that playing golf as we prepare for our tests and flights help us focus. Golf is more than a sport. Golf is therapeutic and provides opportunities to socialize with other focused and people of excellence. Finally, another example of me living out my philosophy is applying for this scholarship and writing this essay. When my mother suggested that I give it a try, I was scared. Because I am not the best golf player. But, I am taking a risk and stepping out of my comfort zone. Writing this essay has been a great experience and has caused me to reflect on the type of person that I am and all of the life lessons I have learned from playing golf. Golf has opened my eyes to new opportunities.

Volunteering offers the opportunity for me to put God first and to do what attends for us to do. It gives me the opportunity to glorify God. My family has a bible class twice a month that helps me learn about God and how much he loves me. I learn about ways to overcome adversity by using the word of God. I look forward to our family bible class because not only am I learning about God, I am getting the opportunity to spend time with my family. When my family gets together to feed the homeless downtown together, I do a lot of reflecting on my blessings. Feeding the homeless is a humbling experience. Although the people we are feeding are complete strangers, I never judge them. Some of the homeless people share how they became homeless and some choose not to share but are very thankful. I make myself imagine if I were in their shoes and this impacts how I treat them. I treat them the way I would want to be treated. Because I believe I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and I believe that if God is for me who can be against me, I look beyond my fear. Listening to and encouraging my friends is another way that I live out my philosophy of life. Often times my friends share things that they are struggling with and they ask me to listen to them. I listen to them without interrupting. After they are finished talking, I offer them words of encouragement or I try to brainstorm solutions to their problem with them. As I try to overcome my fears and take risks, I share my experiences with them hoping that they can get ideas on how to deal with situations.

If I were asked to describe myself, I would tell anyone that I am a caring, easy going, and friendly person.  I accept all people and respect everyone’s point of view even if I do not agree with them.  The most vital part of my personality is my willingness to accept and learn from people of all backgrounds and interests. I have had the opportunity to interact with other students who have very different backgrounds.  Because I am seeking to broaden my perspective on life, learn more about myself, and understand the perspective of others, my ability to be easy going, friendly, and accepting has given me opportunities to grow and meet new people.  I have found that because I seek to understand others before judging them, others find it easy to have conversations with me and others find it easy to share their ideas and thoughts with me.  The one important thing that I have been told by my friends, family, and trainers is that I am a good and loyal person.  I think this is because of my willingness to accept others as they are and not as I wish them to be. There are two scriptures that have shaped my philosophy of life. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Philippians 4:13 and “If God is for us, who can be against us” Romans 8:31. Devon’s Philosophy of Life: “Don’t be afraid to fail because you will always learn a lesson that leads to greater success” I have been very fearful of making mistakes. It was not until my basketball coach and I had a conversation about this that I realized that fear was holding me back. I have made it my vow to overcome my fear and try new things even if I fail. I now understand that it is in my failures that I may find the key to my success. As I try to overcome my fears and take risks, I share my experiences with them hoping that they can get ideas on how to deal with their situation. Finally, another example of me living out my philosophy is applying for this scholarship and writing this essay. When my mother suggested that I give it a try, I was scared. But, I am taking a risk and stepping out of my comfort zone. Writing this essay has been a great experience and has caused me to reflect on the type of person that I am and the type of successful adult I would like to become.

I were asked to describe myself, I would tell anyone that I am a caring, easy going, and friendly person. I accept all people and respect everyone’s point of view even if I do not agree with them. The most vital part of my personality is my willingness to accept and learn from people of all backgrounds and interests. I have had the opportunity to interact with other students who have very different backgrounds. Because I am seeking to broaden my perspective on life, learn more about myself, and understand the perspective of others, my ability to be easy going, friendly, and accepting has given me opportunities to grow and meet new people. I have found that because I seek to understand others before judging them, others find it easy to have conversations with me and others find it easy to share their ideas and thoughts with me. The one important thing that I have been told by my friends, family, and trainers is that I am a good and loyal person. I think this is because of my willingness to accept others as they are and not as I wish them to be. My dad works for JetBlue, so I have been around planes and other aspects of aviation for my entire life.  I remember as a small child seeing my dad to to work at midnight and coming home at 8am, and I often wondered what he was doing until I had an opportunity to go to work with him one day.  Because of these early experiences, I've always wanted to work in aviation as well.  At first, I wanted to be an air traffic controller, but then I realized that I wouldn't be satisfied sitting and watching airplanes taking off all day.  Instead, I want to be the one flying the plane.   Recently, I have been doing flight training at a place in Fishers, Indiana called Tom Wood Aviation. It has been really fun, and in addition to aviation skills I have learned a lot about dealing with life in general.  For instance, the training is teaching me to relax and to remain calm in all situations.  I'm also learning how important it is to always be ready for whatever might come your way.  In my training, I have been learning all the basics of flying-take off, landing and all the emergency steps we have to take if something has gone wrong.  There is a lot of information to take in, so I have to make sure I go home and study  and watch videos about the things I didn't understand  fully during the training session.  As a pilot, I'm excited to have the opportunity to travel all over the world and to meet all kinds of new people in those places.

If I could watch one movie over and over for the rest of my life it would be Star Wars, Return of the Jedi. The reason I would choose this episode of Star Wars is because it shows the growth of each character and the power of forgiveness Throughout the movie, you see the characters mature and realize the importance of true friendship. Hans, Leigh, Luke all work together and hold the wellbeing of others over themselves. They all care respect one another. They work together to over come Darthvader and all of the dark side. The movie is great and constant reminder of the value of never giving up and working with others. My dad works for JetBlue, so I have been around planes and other aspects of aviation for my entire life.  I remember as a small child seeing my dad to to work at midnight and coming home at 8am, and I often wondered what he was doing until I had an opportunity to go to work with him one day.  Because of these early experiences, I've always wanted to work in aviation as well.  At first, I wanted to be an air traffic controller, but then I realized that I wouldn't be satisfied sitting and watching airplanes taking off all day.  Instead, I want to be the one flying the plane.   Recently, I have been doing flight training at a place in Fishers, Indiana called Tom Wood Aviation. It has been really fun, and in addition to aviation skills I have learned a lot about dealing with life in general.  For instance, the training is teaching me to relax and to remain calm in all situations.  I'm also learning how important it is to always be ready for whatever might come your way.  In my training, I have been learning all the basics of flying-take off, landing and all the emergency steps we have to take if something has gone wrong.  There is a lot of information to take in, so I have to make sure I go home and study  and watch videos about the things I didn't understand  fully during the training session.  As a pilot, I'm excited to have the opportunity to travel all over the world and to meet all kinds of new people in those places. I've always wanted to work in aviation as well.  At first, I wanted to be an air traffic controller, but then I realized that I wouldn't be satisfied sitting and watching airplanes taking off all day.  Instead, I want to be the one flying the plane.   Recently, I have been doing flight training at a place in Fishers,  I'm also learning how important it is to always be ready for whatever might come your way.  In my training, I have been learning all the basics of flying-take off, landing and all the emergency steps we have to take if something has gone wrong.  There is a lot of information to take in, so I have to make sure I go home and study  and watch videos about the things I didn't understand  fully during the training session.  As a pilot, I'm excited to have the opportunity to travel all over the world and to meet all kinds of new people in those places. I love all of the flight scenes in the movie. The scenes are exciting and encouraging. Because of the great moral lessons and flight scenes in the movie, I do watch the movie at least once a month. Therefore, if I had to choose a movie, this would be the one.

My dad works for JetBlue, so Ihave been around planes and other aspects of aviation for my entire life. Iremember as a small child seeing my dad go to work at midnight and coming home at 8am, and Ioften wondered what he was doing until Ihad an opportunity to go to work with him one day. Because of these early experiences, l've always wanted to work ni aviation as wel. At first, Iwanted to be an air traffic controller, but then Irealized that Iwouldn't be satisfied sitting and watching airplanes taking of al day. Instead, Iwant to be the one flying the plane. Recently, I have been doing flight training at a place ni Fishers, Indiana called Tom Wood Aviation. tI has been really fun, and ni addition to aviation skills I have learned a lot about dealing with life in general. For instance, the training is teaching me to relax and to remain calm ni al situations. Im' also learning how important it is to always be ready for whatever might come your way. nI my training, Ihave been learning al the basics of flying-takeoff, landing and al the emergency steps we have ot take fi something has gone wrong. There is a lot of information to take ni, so Ihave to make sure Igo home and study and watch videos about the things Ididn't understand fully during the training session. As a pilot, I'm excited to have the opportunity to travel al over the world and to meet all kinds of new people in those places. If I were asked to describe myself, I would tell anyone that I am a caring, easy going, and friendly person. I accept all people and respect everyone’s point of view even if I do not agree with them. The most vital part of my personality is my willingness to accept and learn from people of all backgrounds and interests. I have had the opportunity to interact with other students who have very different backgrounds. Because I am seeking to broaden my perspective on life, learn more about myself, and understand the perspective of others, my ability to be easy going, friendly, and accepting has given me opportunities to grow and meet new people. I have found that because I seek to understand others before judging them, others find it easy to have conversations with me and others find it easy to share their ideas and thoughts with me. The one important thing that I have been told by my friends, family, and trainers is that I am a good and loyal person. I think this is because of my willingness to accept others as they are and not as I wish them to be.

I have been accepted to Aviation school at Arizona State University. I would like to become a professional pilot. I plan to reach back after I achieve my goal and become a mentor pilot to other African American students interested in aviation. My father is an airplane inspector and had wanted to become a pilot but hasn’t found the opportunity to do so. I will help my father realize his dream of becoming a pilot by giving him flight lessons once I receive my CFI license. I am excited about the many opportunities to see the world, volunteer, and serve others with the gift of being a pilot.

I have been playing basketball and running track for most of my life, but when pursuing those passions started to feel static and boring, I decided to pursue new passions. Lately, I have been flying planes to help me find peace and structure. Jump into the cockpit, start the engine, and read all the checklists. Before you know it, you are having the time of your life. You start taxiing to the runway and watch for other planes while talking on the radio so everyone knows you are about to be airborne. An instant push, racing full-speed to the end of the runway. When you pull up the yoke, this means you have left the ground. In the air, you are fully focused, but, strangely, you are also stress-free. Out of nowhere, you can feel a jump or bump of unexpected turbulence. Navigating the unexpected gives you a rush of uncertainty, but using your skills and problem solving, you navigate it well. All is good, and after several minutes of fly-time, you are back on the ground. All you want to do is just go back up again and see the world again. I am glad I allowed myself the opportunity to discover new passions because today I know that I want to pursue a career as a pilot. My dad works for JetBlue, so I have been around planes and other aspects of aviation for my entire life. I remember as a small child seeing my dad to to work at midnight and coming home at 8am, and I often wondered what he was doing until I had an opportunity to go to work with him one day. Because of these early experiences, I've always wanted to work in aviation as well. At first, I wanted to be an air traffic controller, but then I realized that I wouldn't be satisfied sitting and watching airplanes taking off all day. Instead, I want to be the one flying the plane. Recently, I have been doing flight training at a place in Fishers, Indiana called Tom Wood Aviation. It has been really fun, and in addition to aviation skills I have learned a lot about dealing with life in general. For instance, the training is teaching me to relax and to remain calm in all situations. I'm also learning how important it is to always be ready for whatever might come your way. In my training, I have been learning all the basics of flying-take off, landing and all the emergency steps we have to take if something has gone wrong. There is a lot of information to take in, so I have to make sure I go home and study and watch videos about the things I didn't understand fully during the training session. As a pilot, I'm excited to have the opportunity to travel all over the world and to meet all kinds of new people in those places.

My name is Devon Rudolph and I am eighteen years old. I have learned a lot about myself this year and I have grown in many areas. My goal is to become a productive, self-aware, Christian professional. God has exciting plans for me that will draw others close to him. The essay I am writing will give you an idea about the main characteristics of my personality and my philosophy of life. I will end my essay by giving you evidence of how I live out my personality and philosophy in my everyday life. There are two scriptures that have shaped my philosophy of life. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Philippians 4:13 and “If God is for us, who can be against us” Romans 8:31. Devon’s Philosophy of Life: “Don’t be afraid to fail because you will always learn a lesson that leads to greater success” I have been very fearful of making mistakes. It was not until my basketball coach and I had a conversation about this that I realized that fear was holding me back. I have made it my vow to overcome my fear and try new things even if I fail. I now understand that it is in my failures that I may find the key to my success. I have been playing basketball and running track for most of my life, but when pursuing those passions started to feel static and boring, I decided to pursue new passions. Lately, I have been flying planes to help me find peace and structure. Jump into the cockpit, start the engine, and read all the checklists. Before you know it, you are having the time of your life. You start taxiing to the runway and watch for other planes while talking on the radio so everyone knows you are about to be airborne. An instant push, racing full-speed to the end of the runway. When you pull up the yoke, this means you have left the ground. In the air, you are fully focused, but, strangely, you are also stress-free. Out of nowhere, you can feel a jump or bump of unexpected turbulence. Navigating the unexpected gives you a rush of uncertainty, but using your skills and problem solving, you navigate it well. All is good, and after several minutes of fly-time, you are back on the ground. All you want to do is just go back up again and see the world again. I am glad I allowed myself the opportunity to discover new passions because today I know that I want to pursue a career as a pilot.

It is important that we work to understand the universe to make it a better environment for everyone, every animal, and the works ecosystem. By understanding nature and the universe, we can work to engineer new processes for growing food, protecting our water sources, raising more animals that grow in organic environments. We can help farmers by supplying them with more energy efficient methods for water crops, using non poisonous fertilizer, and supplying food to poorer areas. If we take the time to invest agricultural programs, we can create informed teachers who can lead the crest of curriculum and provide experiences to their students. We can make my generation and generations to come more conscious of our planet. I hope to have influence school leaders to get more students into Future Farmers of America programs. This will lead to partnership with colleges, businesses, and farmers. The early educators start the sooner we will start on raising the next generation of environmentalist. In addition, we need to lean into science and solar opportunities for energy sources. STEM programs helped increase my knowledge of science and its use in changing our lives. As I study aeronautics in college, I plan to be more cognizant of ways to use drones, flight, and aeronautic science to help with crops, management of resources, cattle feeding, etc As a pilot, I hope to connect underserved populations with resources, food, technology. Science is the future and chemical scientist working along the side of agriculture scientists, and ecologists can bring about positive change for the economy, ecology, agriculture, and medicine. I will be open to finding ways for agronomists and aeronautical scientists to work together. Everyday the world changes. With global warming, food insecurity, and the need for advances in medicine the world can be a better place for all. There has been so many advances to the cures of many diseases as well as advancements in getting closer to better treatment for diseases like cancer and diabetes that we need to tap in medicine or treatment options that are more organic. I do not know all of the possibilities but 8 am willing to be apart of the research and exploration into new and innovative ideas. I dream of attending Embry Riddle University. I will be interested in learning about the different research projects they are engaged in that are bringing technology, aeronautics, technology, engineering together to better connect and serve people.

I have been playing basketball and running track for most of my life, but when pursuing those passions started to feel static and boring, I decided to pursue new passions. Lately, I have been flying planes to help me find peace and structure. Jump into the cockpit, start the engine, and read all the checklists. Before you know it, you are having the time of your life. You start taxiing to the runway and watch for other planes while talking on the radio so everyone knows you are about to be airborne. An instant push, racing full-speed to the end of the runway. When you pull up the yoke, this means you have left the ground. In the air, you are fully focused, but, strangely, you are also stress-free. Out of nowhere, you can feel a jump or bump of unexpected turbulence. Navigating the unexpected gives you a rush of uncertainty, but using your skills and problem solving, you navigate it well. All is good, and after several minutes of fly-time, you are back on the ground. All you want to do is just go back up again and see the world again. I am glad I allowed myself the opportunity to discover new passions because today I know that I want to pursue as a pilot. My dad works for JetBlue, so I have been around planes and other aspects of aviation for my entire life. I remember as a small child seeing my dad to to work at midnight and coming home at 8am, and I often wondered what he was doing until I had an opportunity to go to work with him one day. Because of these early experiences, I've always wanted to work in aviation as well. At first, I wanted to be an air traffic controller, but then I realized that I wouldn't be satisfied sitting and watching airplanes taking off all day. Instead, I want to be the one flying the plane. Recently, I have been doing flight training at a place in Fishers, Indiana called Tom Wood Aviation. It has been really fun, and in addition to aviation skills I have learned a lot about dealing with life in general. For instance, the training is teaching me to relax and to remain calm in all situations. I'm also learning how important it is to always be ready for whatever might come your way. In my training, I have been learning all the basics of flying-take off, landing and all the emergency steps we have to take if something has gone wrong. There is a lot of information to take in, so I have to make sure I go home and study and watch videos about the things I didn't understand fully during the training session. As a pilot, I'm excited to have the opportunity to travel all over the world and to meet all kinds of new people in those places.

Being the new kid has been very tough, I have found myself as the new kid three times throughout my high school career. My mother could not afford the first school I attended and I had to return to public school. When arrived at the public school, I was a bit shy and unsure as to how I would fit in. I was going from a school with an enrollment of 750 students to a school with 3600 students. My sophomore class was as big as the entire school I left. I immediately tried to find ways that I could fit in and make the school seem smaller. I joined the concert band. I have a love of basketball and track and tried out for both sports. I was so worried I wouldn’t make either team because I was the new kid and the other students had played their 9th grade year and during the summer. I was so excited that I was able to prove myself and make both teams. Unfortunately at the end of 10th grade year, I was attacked at the public school and it resulted me in going the hospital. The school administrators took very good care of me and ensured my mother that I was not at fault. In addition, the school had sever lock down situations requiring that the police break up multiple fights. As a result, my parents were very worried about my safety. I had to transfer mid-semester. The school I transferred to was an extremely small school but it was safe. Once again, I was the new kid. I tried out for basketball and made the team but did not get much playing time and I was told it was because I was new. I had the skills but parents were not wanting me to get as much playing time as the boys who had practiced since the summer. I accepted this and continued to go to practices and cheer on the team. When I did get some play time, I was excited. Unfortunately, towards the end of the semester I experienced som racial discrimination. Out US History class was discussing slavery and because I was the only black student in the class, I became the target of cruel jokes. The students said if we were back in the 1860’s I could be there slave. This was hurtful and the principal handled the situation but more situations arose. I left again, I am currently at another school and all though things are not perfect, I am accepted and safe. There are no racial comments made to me. My experiences being the “new kid” has made me a stronger person. I am able to see people for whom they are and I choose my friends based on their morals and character. I appreciate and value the opportunity to go to school in peace and safety. I have decided to become a pilot and I am finishing up my training. My experiences have helped shape my goals and walk in confidence. I know that when I do things the right way, things have worked out for me. This has encouraged me to continue making great choices and working hard.

My dedication to being a musician has helped me develop as a leader. I have played the Tuba since I was in the 6th grade. Being a member of the concert band has given be peace and confidence. I developed a close relationship with other band members and my band directors. Unfortunately, I have had to transfer schools a few times because of moving. My ability to play the tuba has given me an instant connection with others and allowed me to have a since of belonging and a connection in the new schools. No matter what has been going on in my personal life, playing the tuba, participating in concerts, and learning new music pieces has given me an opportunity to find my true self. I have usually been 1 of 3 or the only Tuba player in the concert bands that I have played in during my high school career. It has been very important that I practice and know my part of the different pieces that we played. Being in the band has helped me become organized, confident, focused, and open minded. I also understand that all parts of the band are important and essential. As a result, I have tried some new things in my life. I have skydived, played in a contest with the band, and I am finishing up my pilot license training. The confidence I have gained and the focus drive that I have had to have as a Tuba player helped me think outside the box and go after a career in aviation although not many are pilots. Because music has been such a calming force in my life, I am seeking out ways to stay connected to music as a college student and as a pilot. I have discovered that there are organizations like musician pilots and ways to volunteer that will help me stay connected to music. I plan to give back to my community or high school by giving basic lessons or being an encouragement to future Tuba players and/or concert band members. I believe that it is important to give back to my band and serve as an example to others. Most importantly I believe that I can help spread my love of music and my fun experiences from being in the band by sharing how much I have matured and learned about myself through my experiences as a tuba player in the band. I feel very safe, content, and at peace when I am playing my tuba with the other band members.