On May 13th, 2025, was the saddest day of my life. I had to say my final goodbye to my mother. She fought cancer for 3 years until her body could not fight it off anymore. In early 2022 she was diagnosed with invasive ductile carcinoma. Her surgeon performed a double mastectomy to prevent the cancer from spreading. She had four rounds of chemotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells. After one year, her life went back to normal. Her health improved and she thought she was a breast cancer survivor. She was happy again and her hair grew back. While she finally became used to having a normal life, she started to have hip pain in late fall 2023. After doctor visits figuring out the root cause of the pain, after a few months an X-ray showed that she needed a hip replacement for arthritis. Ironically one year to the day on May 13th 2024, before she passed away, was when she had her total hip arthroplasty surgery. The orthopedic surgeon came back to the hospital recovery room. With a deeply distraught face, he diagnosed her with bone cancer. After more lab tests, we found out that the cancer metastasized into her liver. Then a PET scan revealed how bad the cancer spread. Metastatic breast cancer consumed her body. Her three year battle was over. My mother absolutely loved teaching children. She was a daycare teacher who taught preschoolers. Growing up it seemed like everyday was “Take your child to work day” until I was old enough to stay home alone. Over the years she was moved around to different centers but finally settled at a center after getting a better position. This better position did have her traveling a little further then she had to previously, she didn’t mine because she loved her job. After her passing, I was helping my father install new carpet in his bedroom. He pointed out the window and said “Eli, look” and I glanced up and saw a red cardinal land, hopped around, and looked at the window. I have been told that if you see a cardinal after the passing is a message from the spiritual world, and also is a sign that they have successfully passed on. I was close to my mother, and I mean real close. I would help her in the kitchen sometimes, bake with her, fold clothes with her, and do the dishes. When I started doing theatre she would take me to go see shows in the surrounding area whether it was at a school or The State Theatre. It was our thing. She would always come see me at my college performances. Losing my mother at the age of 20 was really hard. As a college student I have made it on the dean’s list every semester except for last spring semester where I struggled to stay focused because of all the things happening to my mother when. At times I don't have any motivation to do anything. Now that she has passed on my father and my younger brother is all I have left in my immediate family. In order to fill in my mother’s spot, my father will now take me to see shows at The State Theatre if I ask.

My mother fought and beat breast cancer after going through four rounds of chemotherapy in 2022. She later had to fight liver and bone cancer in 2024 and endured 15 rounds of chemotherapy spread across both of those cancers. One week after I got home from college, she took her last breath and passed on May 13th, 2025. My mother was a daycare teacher who taught Pre-K children. She loved her job, even though she had to move to different daycares once in a while but she got to teach new kids. However, when the cancer came back, she had to gradually start to take more and more time off work going from five days a week, down to three, then down to not working at all because of how bad her condition was. I made a handful of friends throughout my time in school before college but now after graduating high school, none of the people I went to school with come to support me. The only people I see when going out to the audience when a show is over is my old soccer coach and my parents, so you can say my biggest fan was my mother. My mother was there for me at the start of my theatre career when I first joined the drama club at my school and stuck with it all the way to where I am now. I strive to be the best student I can be. I have made it on the dean's list every semester so far but one, I wasn’t on the dean's list for the spring semester. I wasn’t too upset because I had my mother's well-being on my mind but trying to balance not only classwork but memorizing lines and performing in a play, in the end I managed to get it done. Before graduation this past spring, I sent in an audition for my high school’s alumni musical. This was to not only put another show on my resume but to keep myself busy for summer. When my mom passed on May 13th, as previously mentioned; I was told I had to finish my degree, I replied by saying that I didn’t plan on dropping out of college because of this event. My father had made the heartbreaking post stating my mom had passed and had gotten her wings. A few days pass and we get to day one of rehearsal for the alumni show. As I was walking to the doors, the director asked what I was doing there. I replied by saying that I was there for rehearsal and that my mom would have wanted me to go anyway because she knew how important theatre is to me and that this would help take my mind off of what happened. The director said that she was glad to have me there. The director and a student walking out to help the director both gave me a hug. Even though it has been a little more than seven months since her passing, I went on in life, school went back to normal with me getting back on the dean’s list and me portraying a pretty good boss elf in the college’s community musical Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I will continue to think about her as my life progresses, knowing she will have the best seat in the house in whatever production I am in.

Cancer. One of the most dreadful things to find out that you or a loved one has. I personally don’t have cancer; however my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022. She had the most common type of breast cancer, “Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.” It was so devastating for the whole family to hear and decided to get a double mastectomy to prevent the cancer from spreading. She received four rounds of chemotherapy as an adjuvant treatment. She was beyond excited when the treatment was over so she could ring the bell signifying that she was cancer free. Time went on then about two years later in 2024 she was going about her day as she took a step and her hip popped, sparking some concern. After her examination to figure out what was wrong it became known she now had bone cancer and a little while later it spread and became liver cancer. She did have an invasive procedure done to fix her hip before the liver cancer arose. In total she had 17 more chemo treatments to get rid of both the liver and bone cancer. Over time her condition worsened prompting her from working full time. Down to off 2 days a week, to being bedridden. I was still away at college attending classes while my father could attend to her needs for a few weeks, then I took over caring for her when I was on winter break. Winter break came to a close and I had to head back to college for the spring semester. A few months went past and it was a day where I had a show for the play I was in. I got a call before the show from her that was very apologetic and crying, saying sorry for calling on a show as she was in the hospital. I told her that she was in good hands and that I will think about her during the performance. The semester came to a close, so I had to pack up everything and head home for the summer. When I arrived at my house, I didn’t think twice and had left my belongings in the car and went straight to give my mother a hug. She kept saying she couldn’t do this but I kept reassuring her that she has to keep fighting. Given her condition, the best option was to put her on hospice. We had a priest come and read her last rites, we all were in tears. I had one last “I love you” video made, when trying to record it she kept saying she didn’t know how. Then on the night of May 13th, 2025, she passed away. My father and I knew she made it to the afterlife because while we were putting in new carpet in his bedroom, we saw a cardinal land and looked inside the window. My mother was one of the closest people to me. One thing that my mother and I had in common is a genetic disorder called Neurofibromatosis 1 or NF1 for short. I’m a theatre major, and she would come to all of the shows I was in, we would also go support the arts at local high schools and to The State Theatre in Uniontown, Pennsylvania to go support the performers I go to college with. Now that she is gone I am keeping my promise to finish my degree. I still want to go to support the arts in Uniontown so my father will happily continue taking me out in her place.

About 3 years ago my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, she dealt with it over time but eventually decided to get a double mastectomy. A year or two after the surgery took place she was diagnosed with bone cancer, so she had to get an invasive surgery to remove the damaged bone material. It has been a long journey to get chemotherapy and just visiting the doctor’s for tests or checkups. I also just found out that she has liver failure, so she is really not doing well but she is hanging in there. I am a theatre major in college, so I am away from home for a long time studying my craft. It hurts that I want to be there for my mom, but I know deep in my heart she wants me to do good in school and keep up my dream. When it comes time for a show it’s painful seeing her coming to watch and support me when she is in this state, it’s also hard to perform when I know she isn’t well. We can’t even go on family outings anymore whether it’s to go shopping together. going to a sporting event, or going on a vacation it is just too much on her to go out anymore. It would truly take a miracle for her state of being to vastly improve, because of her being this sick she had to cut down her work week now she isn’t working at all. She was my primary source helping me pay for college but now that she isn’t doing well, I don’t know if I will have to drop out of college because of this. I know from a mother’s point of view she will want me to continue my schooling so I can achieve my dream. One thing that I have learned from this experience is that father is the living definition of the phrase “in sickness and in health,” the words said at every wedding before the couple is officially wed. He was taking care of her when I was away and now that I am home for the summer, I can help him take care of her. I have also learned through this journey that life is full of unexpected events and this was certainly unexpected. The one thing that doesn’t make sense is that bad things always happen to good people. Life is about making memories with family because at any point in time something can happen, and they will be gone.

Hello, my name is Eli and I am currently an undergraduate student majoring in theatre with a concentration in musical theatre. As a theatre major I get to experience both acting and tech for a production. I am pursuing a career in theatre because I believe it's something for everyone to enjoy and make them feel better about the day they may have had. Theatre also allows me to connect with people of the same interest so I can see what experience they have had and compare it with mine. Theatre makes me feel like me. I think theatre is a positive way to destress as an actor. From personal experience within the past few weeks, classes can be really stressful, especially if all the professors assign work and it overlaps. I can still manage to get everything completed and submitted on time. However I still may have a bit of stress in my system and the way I feel that gets rid of it, is the stage. If that does not help and I need a mental health day to calm down so I can recuperate, I will notify my professor letting them know and hope they understand the situation I am in so I can recover properly. I am passionate about fine arts because it is a terrific method to make people happy and it allows me to be myself. It's also an excellent opportunity to make friends who share the same interests as I do. It's also an excellent learning experience and opportunity, if I ever have to learn an accent or a different language. For example, in “A Christmas Carol” everyone has a British accent, more specifically cockney because the story's setting takes place in London same goes for Grimsby from “The Little Mermaid,” he's got a British accent because he's from England. While the narrator in “Spongebob the Musical” needs a French dialect or Chef Louis actually speaks French in “The Little Mermaid” from time to time. As a theatre major, I get to take private voice lessons, the instructor has told me that he can see an improvement from where I was two years ago in “A Christmas Carol” to where I am now in the class. Upon reading about what this scholarship is about, I can see that John and I have some interests and parts of our personality are alike. It would be an honor to receive this scholarship in his name.

I embody selflessness in my everyday life. However, one example I always like to talk about was when I was offered to go to Disney World. Usually young kids are selfish but I wasn't. I have a genetic disorder which is considered life threatening, so I am a “Wish Kid” from “Make A Wish©️.” This nonprofit organization grants every kid with an illness a wish of some kind, they offered me a trip to Disney World but I declined the offer multiple times wanting another family to be treated with this luxury. I finally ended up saying yes to go on the trip when I was explained that this was my wish and other kids will get the same offer. Since then that has been my one and only time at Disney World. I also served on the student council during middle school and high school helping out at a food bank once in a while, I also helped students in need when they were struggling in class. I have been helping out people in need for a few years now because it is the right thing to do. I believe this kindness makes the world go round. My mother is a two time cancer survivor, she had breat cancer two years ago and recently was diagnosed with bone cancer. It pained me to see my mother in a state of dismay. I had to help out around the house a lot more than I usually did. I helped out with picking up after the pets, picking up trash, and cooking meals while she was going through this tough time. I also had to help her in and out of the car and house. It was hard to help out when she had breast cancer because I was finishing up my senior year of high school and preparing for college. Every year in the spring semester my college hosts an occasion titled “The Big Event” where clubs, fraternities, and sororities can sign up and receive an assignment community service job to get service hours. “The Big Event” is all about helping out the community for those in need and who can't do the work themselves. In April I went and volunteered with my college’s chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta, we were assigned the theatre department’s director. She recently had received hip surgery and was recovering at the time and was unable to work. Our assignment was to rake up all the leaves around the house and wash the railings with soap and water. I could tell that she really appreciated the time and effort spent we put into the job.

I am a sophomore pursuing education in Theatre with a Concentration in Musical Theatre. I get to perform in one show a semester and then be a part of the stage crew in the show I wasn't in. Upon graduating with my degree I plan on sticking with musical theatre but i won't mind peforming in plays. I would rather be performing but when im not on stage, i will try and find a position that's still is still involved with the production whether it's being a part of stage crew or going to a paint call to paint the set. I have been performing since second grade because of cub scouts, we practiced little skits to show at winter camp every year. My journey through theatre started in 2019 when my high school opened up the drama club as an extracurricular activity. I would always be bored after I finished my homework not knowing what I should do, so when the opportunity came I auditioned for the musical. When the curtains closed on opening night I knew that theatre, specifically musical theatre, was going to be my career. In August 2022 a local college held community casting auditions for their fall musical A Christmas Carol, I went to audition not expecting to receive a big role and I ended up receiving Young Ebenezer and Old Joe. I loved the experience performing on a college's stage and the friendships I made with the students, for once in my life I felt accepted into a group of people with the same interests as me. I decided to attend that college becuase I already knew my way around the building and the people I would get to perform with. I decided to go into theatre because it makes me happy. Mark Twain once said “Find a job You enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” However there is a second reason why I love musical theatre, that reason being the audience. You would think the cast makes a show happen but it's the audience that actually makes the show happen. I truly think that a musical or play can lighten someone's mood and make them feel better than when they came in. You wouldn't believe me when I say the amount of times an audience member comes up to me and says that the show made their day. I experienced this first hand after a long work day, the show actually made me feel a bit better at the end of the day.

I have played Minecraft for years now. As I grew up playing this game, many new updates have been added. With those updates come new aspects to the game. Out of the most recent update, my current favorite aspect is the different wolf breeds. My reasoning being this is that the different breeds of wolves may look similar to a player's pet dog in terms of their fur color. This could also help the player cope if they recently lost their dog. I find it fun traveling to the different biomes to find all nine. However, my favorite aspect of Minecraft itself excluding updates and the popular servers is the endless possibilities the game has to offer. Minecraft is a sandbox game, so a player's imagination has no limit, anything can be constructed. Minecraft also offers two different types of world generation, flat and a normal seed. The flat world is just as it sounds. You have no terrain, just an infinite blank slate. On the other hand, each seed is entirely different in its generation so you have different terrain and biomes to explore. Each and every player is skilled in a different way whether it's redstone contraptions, building, or player versus player (pvp). I play minecraft on my phone so it's a little more complicated because I have big thumbs trying to press small buttons. This game resonates with me ever so deeply because I am a creative person and growing up playing Minecraft allowed me to step out of my comfort zone from drawing on paper to building things to my hearts content

If I am accepted the monies awarded from this scholarship will be put towards paying my college tuition. College is a huge commitment for someone and I was up for the challenge. I am majoring in Theatre with a Concentration in Musical Theatre, even though I don't need a bachelor's degree to be successful in performing arts I want to get a better understanding of what it takes to be a better actor and being a part of the stage crew. I have had my mind set on becoming a musical theatre performer since 2019 when I auditioned for my school's musical Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella. Now that I am of age I am going to college to get a bachelor's degree to pursue a higher education in theatre. Upon graduating from college with said degree I will have the upper hand not only because I went through four years of schooling but because I am an Eagle Scout, the highest rank earned in Boy Scouts. I have had my fair share of roles in productions ranging from ensemble to supporting leads. I have worked on mainly child friendly shows like The Little Mermaid (2023), Seussical The Musical (2022), Beauty and the Beast (2020) and where it all started in 2019 with Roger and Hammerstein's Cinderella. Going into college I expect to step out of my comfort zone. When I step into the professional world I want to step out of my comfort zone more than I did in college. I am taking my time instead of diving right in and ruining my professions purpose. When I am not acting on stage or working with the crew, I will ask to see if I can work a paint call and help with painting the set pieces the scenic designer has made. It will allow me to earn money while I'm doing something for my profession other than performing instead of something I dislike and won't have joy in doing. I decided to go into theatre not only because it's fun and I love the friendships I made, but because it's about making the audience's day. It is said that theatre is for everyone no matter age or gender, and I believe that. It makes me feel good when little kids want a picture with me. I won't turn them down. It also puts a smile on my face because I put a smile on everyone in the audience.

I am a going to be a sophomore this school year and I'm majoring in Theatre with a Concentration in Musical Theatre. I started being involved in musicals back in 2019 when I was experimenting with extracurricular activities, after the curtain closed on opening night I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life. I have been in two shows at the college and have been a part of the fly crew for one show. I decided to go to this college because I made a few friendships when I was cast in their Fall 2022 musical A Christmas Carol, because they held community casting auditions. I got a bigger role than expected, I was Young Ebenezer. I have had an indirect experience with cancer. It was heartbreaking when I found out that my mother had breast cancer, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma to be exact and had a double mastectomy procedure to make sure the cancer was gone. At this point in time she has been cancer free for two years. She recently had hip surgery done and the doctor said that she possibly has bone cancer and if that is the case she will have to get pelvis reconstruction surgery. She is going to be bedridden for three months. The positive of this is I am home from college for the summer and I can help her as much as I can, the negative side is come August I will have to go back to college and won't be able to help as much when I'd rather stay homeband comfort my mom. She was always supporting me and cheering me on when I was in a production. We would also go to local highschools and a local state theatre to support performing arts. It was our little thing we did so we can bond. It's going to be hard on me since she's my mom, and with a loved one in the hospital for longer than expected it will take a toll on my concentration. She motivates me to do well in college, I needed help on one assignment. She talked my way through it and I got it done. Now I have finished my freshman year of college with an A, I actually raised my GPA from 3.5 to 3.6 because she helped me on that troublesome assignment. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't know what I would be doing today.

Only one show that deserves to be mentioned that I definitely binge watched is Tom Burton's “Wednesday”. Jenna Ortega is an amazing actress. Jenna has starred in other shows and movies like “Scream 6”, Disney Channel’s “Stuck in the Middle”, “You” , and many more. People made conspiracy theories about Jenna Ortega's role of Wednesday Addams because on the very first episode of “Stuck in the Middle” Jenna was quoted to say “if my family were a week, it would be Wednesday,” she says this because the family in the show had seven kids and Jenna's character (Harley Diaz) was the middle child. Before “Wednesday” was released in 2022, “Stranger Things” held the record for most viewed hours in its premiere with 335.01 million hours watched from May 30th to June 5th. After “Wednesday” was released the viewing hours skyrocketed, “Wednesday” broke that record and now sits in first place with 341.2 million hours watched from November 23th to November 27th, just think what the watch time will be for season two once it starts streaming. So many people were amazed at how great the show was, they all binge watched it within a day or two and started to rewatch episodes even though they knew the plot in its entirety. Because of the show's popularity I would see a lot of Wednesday themed videos across different social media platforms. The most popular Wednesday trend was definitely her dance at the prom, so many people replicated it perfectly while some added their own twist to it. Another trend was people quoting some of Wednesday’s sayings. Once the new season does release, there will most likely be more trends that arise from what happens in the show, who knows it could be a better dance than the first. Now I know season two has yet to come out but when it does that should be on top of your watchlist. Season two has a lot of ground to cover given that season one’s plot was amazing and had everyone guessing what was going to happen next. As we close in to the release of season two in 2025, the more theories and predictions you will see. For example, there are theories of a different monster than the one from season one thay Wednesday will have to encounter. Others include what actor or actress will possibly make an appearance in the new season.

My dream job is to be a theatrical performer. I started doing musicals in 2019 with my high school's drama club, after the first production was all said and done I knew that theatre was my life path. This path looks very successful. I have been complimented by many of my peers and audience members, they all say that u performed well and they can see I am going places with this talent of mine. Over the years I have realized a performer involved in performing arts needs these five things which include communication skills, resilience, problem solving skills, a good memory and confidence. Communication skills play an important role in becoming a performer, it allows me to voice my opinion on subjects that could make me uncomfortable. It also allows me to connect with the other performers and get to know them a little better as I work through whatever production is being shown. Having problem solving skills allow me to think of something on the spot. If anything goes wrong in the show, the thing I need to improve must fit within the story so it makes sense, after all the performers are the only ones to know if something goes wrong. A good memory is a key thing I possess. All productions have scripts, the scripts are for the performer to memorize. I am often off script 2 weeks or so before we're actually supposed to be off script. I found an easy way to speed up the process and that is to simply read the script as I'm watching a production of the show on YouTube. My stamina and resilience play a significant part in any characters I'm performing as. This allows me to work and dance more without getting tired and out of breath. The final thing that ties all of this together is having confidence. The confidence I put in myself will boost my mood which will also allow me to accomplish more. In future career search it really relies on the company I'm applying for, I could be a perfect fit or I could fall short of their requirements. I believe I hit all the bases needed to be hired within the first few applications. I may also be considered sooner because I will have a degree in “Theatre with a Concentration in Musical Theatre”. Another thing I can add onto my resume is that I'm an Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank earned in scouting.

If I had to choose which of my favorite Disney shows to have a crossover I would want it to be "Phineas and Ferb" and "Lab Rats". "Phineas and Ferb" was my all time favorite show growing up. I'd come home from school and do my homework then turn on Disney Channel to watch Phineas and Ferb. "Phineas and Ferb" has already done two crossovers, one with Marvel and the other with Star Wars and was in a crossover for “Milo Murphy’s Law”. "Lab Rats'' was my favorite live action Disney show. They have done a crossover with "Mighty Med". The reasoning why these two shows should have a crossover is because both shows have kids who build different tech items. The episode's title would have to be “Tech Gurus”. The episode's plot would have Perry the Platypus stopped Dr. Doofenshmirtz as usual but he gets hit by some sort of ray from a new inator called the “Reality Switch inator” and is transported to the show “Lab Rats”. Perry then takes his fedora off and is noticed by Chase Davenport, he sees a collar so he bends down to read it. Chase says “Perry '' and had no idea where he came from. He has no choice but to watch over Perry. Then he tells the whole team about Perry. Phineas became worried because Perry hasn't come back around the same time he normally does, and asks “Where's Perry?” then checks the tracker in Perry's collar and it says he is in Mission Creek, California. So Phineas says “Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today” then they modify the time machine from Season 1 Episode 21 “It's About Time!” into a teleportation device that allows them to teleport across TV shows. Ferb set the location to “Mission Creek, California “ then they were on their way to retrieve Perry. Upon arrival Phineas starts to track Perry's location. We cut to Phineas and Ferb outside the building where Perry is and they go inside. We now see the kids in “Lab Rats” training with some of the gadgets they have made. Phineas and Ferb walk in, Phineas says “oh there you are Perry!” and are asked who they are, they introduce themselves and want to take Perry back but the kids want stuff in return for keeping him safe and sound. So Phineas and Ferb share with the “Lab Rats” some of the tips and tricks they know. Then Phineas and Ferb grab Perry and head back to the teleporter and go back to Danville. Perry does his chattering and the episode ends there.

My passion for performing arts started back in 2019 when my high school decided to start up the drama club. I was in 8th grade at the time and was looking for extracurricular activities so I decided to audition. I was told I had a part in the musical as a member of the ensemble. After the curtain closed on opening night, I knew that performing arts was for me so every year I would audition for the musical. In 2021 however we decided to perform two plays instead of a musical. In August 2022 I auditioned for a musical my local college was performing because they were doing community casting with no expectations on getting a big role, to my surprise I received the role of Young Ebenezer. My financial situation is very simple, I don't have a car so I am forced to spend more money in order to live on campus. I also do not have a job so I can't make money, I can't go to a job because I don't have a car. I also have asked to get a work study job but I haven't had any luck because there are no open positions. I am hoping spots open up next semester so I can start making some money during college while I'm there doing what I love to do. As a performer who's left handed, I use my right brain everyday. The right brain is responsible for both left field vision and left motor skills. The right brain is also in charge of your memory, as a theatre major I need to memorize my lines for the production I'm in. A character's tone of voice is important for what is going on in a scene, the right brain allows me to change the way my voice sounds to the characters needs. Everyday I see different faces, with the help of my right brain I can recognize those faces. One of the most crucial things in theatre is emotional thought, because different emotions are used throughout a scene so we know how a character feels. The left brain controls both right field vision and right motor skills. Everyone should set goals for themselves, and the left brain helps people do that. The brain's left hemisphere is responsible for all the logic and problem solving, this helps me ad lib any scene that may go wrong during a performance. One of the most important things is that the left brain is in charge of verbal and written communication. Being a performer in performing arts requires me to speak so I can properly tell the story, but also write down any notes given by the director. Finally the left brain allows a person to back up information with well documented research, just like how researched in what each side of the brain is in charge of doing.

I have never experienced cancer myself, but my mother has. She was notified she had breast cancer on May 2, 2022. She began chemotherapy on September 2, 2022 and finished it on November 4, 2022. She had a double mastectomy procedure done to prevent the cancer from spreading or returning just in case the doctor missed any part of the tumor. It really hurt to hear my mother had some form of cancer, and I tried to not let it get in the way of academics during my senior year of high school. A good friend of mine kept asking me monthly how my mom was doing. I would thank her for asking and tell her that my mom was doing fine. One day she decided just to shave her head because her hair was falling out because of the chemotherapy. I did not want any part in helping because it hurt me seeing my mom in this state of being even though I knew she was going to be okay. Over the time she was getting treated I helped out around the house more than I normally did so my mother could rest if needed because chemotherapy does make the individual tired. As of right now it hasn't really had any impact on my education. I still passed my classes during the time of her treatment and I still pass now. Of course if I didn't do so well on an assignment I would let the teacher know why and they would completely understand. The also offered if I needed to take a break I was allowed to go out in get a drink or just to take some breaths out in the hall. Ever since I started my theatre journey in 2019 my mom supported me and my dream all the way. I owe her a lot of my thanks because after she was finished with treatment she still would drive me to rehearsal for the musical I was in at a local college because they held community casting auditions. I would offer to drive but she insisted on driving. My mom and I occasionally go and watch local highschools and a community theatre perform to support the arts. This is now important because I am learning to be a dramaturg within college classes because I am a theatre major. Doing work like a dramaturg allows me to select plays and musicals for the theatre company to look at so I can help plan the season

Leadership in my eyes is the driving force for almost any career out there and allows a group to work in harmony. When I first hear leadership I think of the president of the United States. The president is the leader of the executive branch but also the country. The president is a crucial key element to keep the country in check and running correctly. As an Eagle Scout I can confidently say leadership is a must have in the world. During camp outs in the fall when it rains more often and gets cold faster, we want to get tents set up as quickly as possible before we do anything else. I'll admit that we do have issues sometimes but we all talk and work to find a solution so we can get back to work. Every scout needs to have a leadership position at least once during their time in scouting to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. The leadership positions they can hold are Senior Patrol Leader and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. This allows them to gain experience for their career later on in life. Now that I have aged out of scouting, I have become a junior assistant Scoutmaster. I can help teach younger scouts what leadership skills I was taught and why it's important. Leadership is important because almost everything will fall apart in the world. If we don't have leadership groups will likely to argue, which will cause someone to screw up a task, then someone may get hurt. Let's say someone does get hurt, the group will point fingers at each other which will cause more arguing. Having leadership prevents any issues from happening, if a group doesn't communicate well someone could lose their job or perhaps lose their life. Another reason why we need leadership is because of medical emergencies. Someone needs to take leadership of a group to save a victim before the paramedics arrive on scene. Even the paramedics have leadership so they don't further injure the victim. The other first responders have leadership as well. Firefighters have leadership so they can rescue people from a burning building without injuring themselves in the process. Police officers have leadership so they can help make lawful arrests during a chase on foot or in a vehicle. If leadership never existed, the whole country could be in shambles with people getting hurt and argues happening every minute. Leadership brings people together to keep everyone safe.

If I was in the wizarding world of Harry Potter the sorting hat would most likely sort me into Hufflepuff. I believe I will make the perfect fit within Hufflepuff because I present traits the house is affiliated with. Hufflepuffs are the most friendly people you will meet, I am also one of the friendliest people you will ever meet. It doesn’t take much but being kind is very simple. Loyalty is one of the many attributes a Hufflepuff has to offer. I have always been told by my friends that I am such a loyal person. I’m an Eagle Scout and have been in scouting for 12 years now, the second point of the scout law is being loyal. Hufflepuffs are also kind, a boy scout is also kind because the sixth point of the scout law is to be kind. Another trait that both an Eagle Scout and a Hufflepuff have in common is being hard-working. Becoming an Eagle Scout is difficult, it takes about six months to earn this rank. One of the last things needed to earn Eagle is completing an Eagle Scout project, the process of this final requirement requires the scout to plan, organize and carry out the project. The scout will need to lead a team of scouts and adults in order to earn the rank, keep in mind the adults are mainly there to supervise to see if the scout is doing things right and is leading the team but is there to also use the power tools like an electric saw. I worked through the sun and rain in order to finish my project on time specified when I planned the whole thing out. Without a doubt Hufflepuffs have more patience than any other house. Having patience ties back to being a hard worker, in order for the job to be done the right way you must have patience. Patience is a valuable tool everyone needs in their lives, everyone should take the time to learn the skill, in fact there is a saying which is “patience is a virtue.” The saying simply means that the more patience you have, the more you will enjoy the outcome. A Hufflepuff also has a strong sense of justice. A sense of justice is telling what’s right or wrong and if someone receives what they deserve. I can surely do just that. The instinct inside is either a gut feeling or a mental sensation that something negative may happen if I get involved in what's happening.

As someone who has only been to Disney World once, I can proudly say that I have magical memories. The one thing I adore about Disney is how diverse and inclusive they are. This implies that no gender, race, religion, or size will be put to shame. Why should they discriminate against people with different backgrounds when everyone is there to have fun and have a good time making valued memories. Disney has always strived to put smiles on their guests faces, they don’t lean towards one gender theme. Throughout the park they have an abundance of cast members both male and female to help guide guests to where they want to go. The costume characters also aren’t leaning to one specific gender group, they are for all to enjoy. Let's take “It’s a Small World” for example. Small World is one the most inclusive rides there is at Disney World in my opinion, it goes through a lot of countries and their languages. Each country is different in their own unique way, each section of the ride has male and female dolls. This shows Disney values each of their guests. Some of Disney’s guests are religious and need to pray at certain times throughout the day, so Disney had prayer rooms built just for that. The guests could be catholic, Jewish, or Muslim. These buildings are very important to them. There are churches in the surrounding area for those who worship in churches, in fact there’s one that's an 11 minute drive from the park. Other Disney parks like Disneyland Paris for example have prayer rooms for muslims as well as restaurants for them. The parks allow bigger people to ride the iconic attractions everyone loves. I think the park has evolved from when I went back in 2011, there are without a doubt more rides now that are more accessible to bigger guests. All they have to do is ask and then they will be tended to with an appropriate sized cart to fit them comfortably. To me this means something, something big. Throughout elementary school I was never included in things with what I considered my friends. Over the years they eventually came around and were starting to include me in their conversations and games. Disney has made it their mission to include everyone in their parks no matter who the person is and what lifestyle they have.

My journey through the arts started back in 2019. The high school I attended decided to open up the drama department. I was looking for an extracurricular activity and gave it a shot and auditioned. I loved it, so I stuck with it. It all began with “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella”. This was the first musical I starred in. I was casted as various ensemble roles and enjoyed every minute of the performance. I would have to say 2019 was the best year I have experienced just because that got me to where I am today. 2020 was a disaster. The musical was going to be “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” but it had to be shut down due to a rise in covid cases in the US. I was casted as Monsieur D’Arque, which was my first speaking role. We got through all of the practices and were prepared for opening night. On that day the drama club was called to the auditorium for an announcement, that announcement was the show having to be canceled. Everyone was devastated, all of the hard work we put into the show went down the drain, and because “Beauty and the Beast” is a fan favorite movie. It was a struggle to get back into things in 2021. I don’t know how but the director worked her magic and was able to convince the principal that we needed to keep the drama club open. We performed 2 plays, “Check Please” and “The Monologue Show (From Hell)”. We were given transparent face shields. The audience was limited to 2 per performer and spread themselves amongst the seating to keep their distance. This year I had more speaking parts than I had with “Beauty and the Beast”. We are pretty much back to normal in 2022. This was my junior year in highschool. We performed “Seussical the Musical” and I for the role of Mr. Mayor. I believe the role fit my personality very well, which is probably why they casted me as such. Little did I know that wasn’t going to be my only musical that year. In September, the college I am attending now was holding community casting auditions for their fall musical “A Christmas Carol”. I auditioned and later that day my mom got a call stating that they would like to offer me 2 roles. She put it on speaker so I could hear what they were offering and they were both big roles, they wanted to cast me as Young Ebenezer and Old Joe. I grinned with excitement and accepted that first offer without hearing what the other offer was. It was a great experience getting to know people and how shows worked within college. They say all good things must come to an end. It was sad that my senior musical arrived in the blink of an eye. In 2023 I was Grimsby in “Disney’s The Little Mermaid”. I auditioned for this role because it was the one that I would be comfortable playing. I already worked with a British accent because of “A Christmas Carol”. Over the years I have been given a multitude of compliments from students and the director, which is why I want to keep pursuing theatre. I’m majoring in Theatre with a Concentration in Musical Theatre and would like to be a musical theatre performer upon graduation from college.

There are many things that motivate me and my pursuit of musical theatre, the biggest one is that musicals bring people together to have a good time. After a long day at work people want to relax, what better way to do so than a musical. It also allows people with the same interest to connect and share their experiences. The advancement of technology has changed performing arts from what it originally was. Actors have used microphones to make it easier for the audience to hear what’s happening on stage, microphones now work better then what we had 50 years ago. Lighting plays a big role in a theatrical production, it helps tell the story. Stage lights can do a lot more than what they have done in the past. AI script writing tool has evolved, it can generate scripts faster than what ai was in the 1980’s. Not only does it write faster it can write in different languages more easily than a human can. Without a doubt the ai script writing tools can write more complex words then what a computer could think of back 50 years ago. One final thing that gives theatre new life over the years are the costumes, they make or break the production. Costumes make a person a specific character, if they dont look liek the character they're playing the audience wont know who they are in the production. We may have wardrobe malfunctions which delay the scene a bit so the actors and actresses must improve to fill the blank space. In order to add to the storytelling I would try to get more kids involved that are sitting in the audience. It's always a good thing when you put smiles on children's faces. Because the arts aren't recognized, getting children involved will hopefully inspire them to get involved in theatre.

I have always enjoyed having an art class. Over the years I have learned new things or learned things I have learned in the past. I shifted from traditional art to theatre. Everyone is creative in their own way, they get the skills needed for their craft by gaining education. Traditional art has impacted me by giving me something to look forward to do during any free time I may have. It also ties into theatre. Traditional art ties into theatre through the creation of the set. A good [production must have good backgrounds and scenery in order to tell the story. Over the last few years I have researched what dialects I need for performances, it is difficult to grasp but I push through it and eventually gain the ability to speak with that dialect while performing. So far I only had to have a cockney dialect and I'll tell you some words are harder than others. I still work on it to this day to try and perfect it even though nothing will ever be perfect. Theatre has impacted my life a whole lot more than traditional art. Theatre allows me to be me, it brings me joy for giving other people joy, most of all it allows me to make everlasting friendships. The friendships made allow me to hear stories of what their experiences are. If I had to choose one person that inspired me the most I would have to say it would be my high school musical director. She was the one who got me started on my theatre journey. Back four years ago in 2019 my school picked up the drama department. I excitedly auditioned and received ensemble roles. Among all of the students that say I am talented at what I do on the stage she would have to be the one who pushed me to continue pursuing theatre. I took a theatre elective class my 11th grade year and she said there was no need to take it because of the talent I possessed, I told her that it is going to be beneficial towards my career later on. One thing she mainly did was give words of encouragement to me and all the other striving performers. I will cherish those words everyday here on out and remember what she said when I am on the stage performing my heart out. If it weren’t for her I would not be where I am now.

As people in the world we need to show compassion and help each other. I suggested to the student council director that we should volunteer at a food bank to which she thought it was a great idea and said she would call in and organize a day to go up and volunteer. On a Thursday we volunteered our time at the local food bank to help pack boxes. While packing boxes, I struck up a conversation with one of the people that actually work at the food bank to pass the time while a pallet of boxes was being moved into the warehouse. The conversation consisted mainly of why I was volunteering at the food bank. I replied with something along the line of “I saw on your website you needed some help and I decided to lend a helping hand.” On the day we went we packed over 100 before we had to return to school. It was pretty fun to see how many boxes we could pack as a team. I’ve spent most of my volunteering through Boy Scouts. I’m an Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank earned in Boy Scouts. I officially became an Eagle Scout on December 12, 2021. In order to achieve this rank you need to have a certain amount of volunteering hours logged. We have volunteered at the sponsored legion to put up veteran banners up during the summer then put up the Christmas lights up for the winter. I volunteered my time during school to help the teacher get things done. Volunteering has changed my mindset by showing me why it is needed in the world and why it’s important to help out once in a while. In my honest opinion, volunteering makes the community a better place. Volunteering brings people together so we can help out those in need and brings joy to both the volunteers and the people being helped out. College is one of the biggest investments someone makes in their life, it is a great responsibility in order to pay your bills on time. I need this scholarship financially because I don’t have a job and when I do work study it will pay minimum wage, maybe less. This scholarship will help alleviate some of the cost to attend college. As you know a student’s education is important, this scholarship will ensure I am receiving an education that will go a long way in my choice of career.

I have had many achievements in my life. I am in the National Honor Society, I'm a rotary student for March 2023, I'm an honors student at the college I'm attending, and graduating from high school while being on the highest honor roll. Another achievement I have made was winning the first Pennsylvania Finance Challenge this past April, there were 10 teams from high schools in Pennsylvania with 3 members each that competed in Homestead, PA. Each team had to create a finance plan for a fictional family, 5 teams were presented in one room while the other 5 presented in another. The team with the best presentation from each room went on to a “Quiz Bowl” and was asked finance-related questions, the winning team was decided by having the most points. My team was victorious and could go on to the National Personal Finance Competition but due to complications, the second-place team was notified they can go to nationals. The prize was $2000 which was decided to be split amongst the team to be used as a scholarship, we also received a trophy and the Pennsylvania Personal Finance Challenge banner which are proudly displayed in the school. My greatest achievement to date is achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. I officially became an Eagle Scout on December 12, 2021. If you did not know, the rank of Eagle Scout is the highest rank earned in Boy Scouts with about 5% of scouts earn. Most scouts drop out at Second Class due to the difficulty of work you have to do in order to rank up to First Class. Becoming an Eagle Scout has taught me many things. The main thing I learned from Scouting is to never give up on myself no matter how difficult the task is. I am left-handed and didn't know how to tie the bowline the regular way but I was shown a different way from my scoutmaster and I can tie it with my eyes closed. It also taught me to be a great leader. When working in a group you must have a leader to help coordinate things to get the task finished. In the future, I hope to become a musical theatre performer. I have been doing theatrical productions since 2019. I am majoring in Theatre with a Concentration in Musical Theatre. I have already performed once with the college I'm attending because they held community casting auditions back in September 2022 for "A Christmas Carol" which was later performed in November 2022, I auditioned and received a role. Because I was in a production with the students I feel most comfortable with sticking with them instead of a whole different group.

When I played soccer back in elementary school, I was one of the less skilled players on the team. During halftime my coach would say the same quote, I live by it every day and decided to use it as my senior quote. She would always say "trying and failing is one thing, failing to try is unacceptable." This quote has gotten me through many tough situations. The coach would encourage each player to push themselves to get faster, to use their nondominant foot to kick the ball, and to use their head to hit the ball. She wasn't just an outstanding coach but a second motherly figure. David seems like he was a great role model. I think I am very similar to David in many ways. First and foremost, my peers come to me for some advice or if they help with something and I always give some words of wisdom or the helping hand needed. I have been called a great friend many times. Next I believe I have some humor, I wouldn't say it's amazing but my jokes do put smiles on peoples faces. The feeling when I make other people happy makes me want to continue to keep them happy. On the last day of school I was told by classmates that they would miss the joy and humor I brought to the classroom. I am a witful student that strives to succeed in school. When I was given my transcript for a college visit I noticed that I was ranked 8th in my class of 68 students. Although over the years kids have come and went, I have stayed around 8th place. I knew colleges look for students with good grades so I strived for that every year and I will continue to strive for good grades through college. Now I'm more of a calm voiced individual who tries to solve what problems need done, but I will not hesitate to raise my voice and show that I mean business. I am an Eagle Scout and to achieve this big achievement a scout must serve as a Senior Patrol Leader which is basically the scoutmaster but of the youth. We needed to plan for campouts for the next 6 months and we weren't getting anywhere with our progress, so I had to raise my voice to persuade them to get the planning done so then they can be on their phones. The only time a phone should be used during planning is to research where we are going and the cost of food.

When I was younger I had Pervasive Developed Disorder (PDD). I did not like waiting in lines at all at amusement parks. If I had to wait more than I wanted I would throw up, so my parents always bought the fast pass so I didn't have to wait. I did not think I needed help but my parents put me in counseling to try to lower my anxiety. I went once a week and learned many ways to calm myself. One trick was just simply counting and was to take deep breaths. Ever since I was finished with the counseling I do not feel anxious waiting in lines for amusement park rides. I learned that everyone has anxiety and needs to have patience, some people need help controlling anxiety while others don't. I was in my school's musical in 2019, after the curtain closed on opening night I knew that this was for me. I have had many roles over the years being involved with my school's performing arts club and one musical with the college I am attending. I plan to attend college to major in Theatre with a Concentration in Musical Theatre. The classes I will have will help me become a better performer, by teaching me how to dance in different styles, what accent/dialect I need for a scene or how to better understand a script. One of the biggest things I leaned is that we as people must step out of our comfort zones in order to reach the dream we all want to achieve. I stepped out of mine in January to March 2019 putting myself in front of a large group of people and I stayed calm while I was on stage performing. I truly believe theatre brings people together no matter if they are on stage performing or simple a member of the audience. Theatre can educate or entertain the audience. The arts is not a favorable field so being a musical theatre actor can help give performing arts another chance by encouraging young children to endure in community theatre. I give tips to a young girl who is in love with theatre and she enjoys them and puts them to use during her performances. Next summer I would like to be a counselor in the local summer theatre experience to share my knowledge with any kid that is an aspiring performer.

Hello scholarship panel, my name is Eli Barbacow, and I have chosen musical theatre as my major. Musical theatre is a branch of performing arts. I have been involved in my high school's musicals since they opened the performing arts club in 2019. I started out as an ensemble cast member in 2019 for the production of Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella. I was casted as Monsieur D'arque in Beauty and the Beast for 2020's production, but it sadly never was performed due to the pandemic becoming more widespread. The director wanted to switch things up a bit for 2021. Instead of a musical, we staged 2 plays. I was Brandon in The Monologue Show (from Hell) and Ken in Check Please. In 2022, I was in 2 musicals. The first was Seussical and the second was A Christmas Carol. I portrayed the role of Mr. Mayor in Seusical, which was performed by my high school. A local college held community casting in September and the musical was performed in November, I auditioned and received Young Ebenezer and Old Joe as well as various ensemble roles. This past March I performed my senior musical, The Little Mermaid. I decided to audition for Grimsby and that's who I was casted as. After the curtain closed for 2019's musical, I was certain that musical theatre was for me. I didn't choose theatre as a major because of the applause that happens after the show, I chose it because it allows me to make precious memories. Theatre is not just about the memories made, it's about the things you learn to help tell the story. One thing that puts a smile on my face is when children come up to a character in costume and asks for a picture when the musical is over. However in college going to see people in costume is not permitted, but the little kids don't care and will still ask for a photo with the performers. I think it's also a rarity for a male to pursue theatre when acting is stereotyped as a female career. Another reason why I am pursuing a career in theatre brings people together. It allows people to relax after what could have been a stressful day to watch a show. As stated in the paragraphs above I am pursuing a career in Theatre. I don't find digital art interesting enough for me to commit to, I'm not saying it's a poor choice but I applaud those who create digital art.

Everyone in life should have a goal career whether it's being an engineer or architect or a doctor. My goal career is musical theatre. My school just recently picked up the "Performing Arts Club" in 2019. In that year I was looking for things to get involved in other then Student Council, so I decided to audition for the musical. I was in 8th grade when this happened and obtained ensemble roles. After the show I instantly knew that this had to be my passion. I am assured I love this because it's the meeting of new people and becoming friends and the smile it puts on the performers and the audience's faces. At this point in time I have 5 musicals. One of these musicals includes a musical a local college had community casting auditions for "A Christmas Carol". I auditioned and received a call from the stage manager offering me a few speaking roles. I immediately said yes to the offer, mostly because of excitement. This was my first bigger show. The college that I performed with is the college I was accepted to attend. I have been accepted to PennWest California to major in Musical Theater but the class is actually named "Theatre with a Concentration in Musical Theatre". Throughout my years as a musical theatre performer, I have gradually increased my role size. In 2019 I was just ensemble. 2020 I had a small role with a few lines, 2021 we did not have a musical but we performed two plays. In 2022 I had a slightly bigger role then in 2020, and in 2023 I have a slightly bigger role then in 2022. The two plays performed in 2021 were "The Monologue Show (From Hell)" and "Check Please!" It felt different putting on a play instead of a musical but I still received experience on the stage. There is one rule of incoming first-year theatre majore, and that is not being able to be on stage for the fall musical. However, they are allowed to be a part of the stage crew for that production. Other then the fall musical, the first-year theatre majors can perform in all the plays in the fall and spring. The world of theatre is a great way to escape from the world. It can change the mood of someone if they are having a bad day. Musicals can be a great outing for a smaller child. In the end both the cast and the audience have a smile on their face.

Everyone has different attributes, that's what makes them one of a kind. Some of my attributes include being left-handed and my genetic disorder Neurofibromatosis. Another genetic disorder I have is called Aquagenic Urticaria. Being left handed already makes me unique because I am the only left handed student in all my classes. A fun fact I'd like to share is that only 10-12% of people are left handed in the world. Being left handed has its advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that I stick out in a class of 20 to 25 students and one disadvantage is the smudging I make sometimes. I have a genetic disorder called Neurofibromatosis 1 or NF1 for short affects 1 in every 3,000 people. My mother has it and had a 50% chance to pass it on to me, and it happened. It was a spontaneous mutation in my mother's genetic code because her mother doesn't have it. NF affects the skin by tumors and cafe au lait spots. Most of the time the tumors are benign.There sadly is no real cure for this genetic disorder. Aquagenic Urticaria is a rare disorder that affects the skin. I noticed this a few years ago when I was swimming, I formed hives on my chest and arms. I also noticed it when I shower. I went to a dermatologist and he confirmed I had this disorder. Just like Neurofibromatosis, there is no cure for this but I can take allergy relief medicine then wait a couple minutes to lessen the amount of hives from being formed. Depending on where you look, you will receive different answers on what percentage of people have this disorder. Giving back to the community is an important thing. I have been in scouting since 2011. Throughout scouting I have learned many things like how to tie various knots and various survival methods. In Boy Scouts, the higher ranked scouts give back to the community by showing the newer scouts what it's like to be a boy scout. I remember the day when I was trained to use an ax and a few years later I trained a newer scout how to use an ax. Now that I have aged out of the youth, I feel my work is done but I still have a lot to do in guiding scouts in the right direction. Other then helping in the Troop.

The dream version of my future self is a successful musical theatre actor, this career allows me to express myself in ways I can't do in everyday life.

Throughout my life, I have had different role models whether it was a teacher of mine or a parent but neither of them are the role model I will be telling you about. I would have to say my role model is my Scoutmaster because I have learned countless things from him. The most important thing he has taught me is CPR, it's a crucial thing to learn. Who knows someone could collapse with a heart attack and CPR will be needed to save a life. He is a registered nurse and has had to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on plentiful patients. My scoutmaster carries some paracord with him every campout. In his free time when the scouts are out on a hike or chopping wood he is seen making various things out of it like a cross or monkey fist. When a scout turns 18 they age out of scouting and can become an junior assistant scoutmaster, I turned 18 in November 2022. During the next campout I will be able to sit out while others do the work needed to rank up, I'll only step in if they ask or look like they need help. I first met him on a campout when I was choosing what boy scout troop to go to after cub scout. During the campout, I learned how to tie most of the knots that I use today. I was having trouble tying the bowline the regular way so he showed me how to tie it the same way he was taught how to tie it. I was also pulled aside to help make dessert in a Dutch oven, it's pretty easy if you ask me. Over the years he taught me how to organize a campout, during the planned campout he explained how the new camp stove was set up and how to prepare food by cutting it. When I need to prepare food on my own I always remember to use the techniques he showed me. I also used them to cook my designated meal during a campout. I'm not a normal high school senior, I have a full grown beard. All the other male students wish they had facial hair like mine. My scoutmaster gives me beard tips once and a while, it truly helps my beard look full and soft. In conclusion, I would never be in the place I am now if it wasn't for him and all his teachings.

I am currently pursuing my dream career in Musical Theatre. I'm a senior in high school and have been performing musicals with my school since 2019 with the exception of 2021 when we did 2 plays. I'm pursuing this field of fine arts because it's a great opportunity to extend my memory capacity. When I was younger I would always play memory related games with my parents and I would always beat them, through my years I never was one to dress up but after that fateful show my career was set. Now we will be working off script for both acts of this year's production of "Disney's The Little Mermaid", and I am starring as Grimsby. Being a senior in this club gives me some responsibilities, the first one that comes to mind is helping the younger kids that are in elementary school that are in the musical or helping the kids if this is their first musical regardless of their grade level which is the case for this year. Helping out spreads the joy of putting on the show, the more they enjoy it the more musical will be done. I was given the opportunity to audition at a local university because they held community casting back in September for "A Christmas Carol" where I was offered the role of Young Scrooge and Old Joe over the phone and I accepted that offer said "thank you" and the rest is now history. This is also the same place where I was accepted to attend. During this experience I befriended many people who share the same major that I will be striving for. The one downside about being a theatre freshman here is that I can't be a performer; however I can still be part of the stage crew for it. Being a freshman that's majoring in theatre allows me to do the small plays that are going to be put on before and after the musical. I'm passionate about the fine arts because it's a great way to put smiles on everyone's faces and it's where I can be me. It's also a great way to befriend others with the same interest as myself. It's also a great learning experience if I ever have to learn an accent or a different language, for example in "The Little Mermaid" Grimsby has a British accent while Chef Louis speaks French sometimes.

I'd like to start by mentioning that I am an Eagle Scout and have been as of December 12th, 2021. I have been in scouting since 2011. Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in scouting, with only 5% of people in scouting earning it. I'm in Troop 1391 and I plan to continue scouting as an Assistant Scoutmaster, I am also in the "Order of the Arrow" which is pretty much the National Honor Society of Boy Scouts. There are 3 in this part of scouting; Ordeal, Brotherhood, and Vigil Honor. I am a part of the Brotherhood level. I don't just volunteer in scouting, I am in the student council at my school. I was inducted my 6th-grade year and now I'm a senior in high school. I have also been inducted into the National Honor Society, I also needed leadership and volunteer hours which I easily completed with scouting. I believe that what goes around comes around, so if I give kindness it will come to me. One way we volunteered was helping to pack boxes at our local food bank, within the time we were there over 100 boxes were made. It truly has been a journey from when I started to this point in time, I have a good bit of community service hours stocked up through my scouting career. I've done singing to senior citizens in cub scouts to my Eagle Project. I want to focus on one thing and that is my Eagle Scout Project. Speaking of my Eagle Project, it took 92 hours to complete from starting planning to finishing. Some days we worked for an hour or so, others we worked for only half an hour due to weather complications. I decided to renovate my church's exterior to try and bring in more people. I didn't get what I wanted, however, I am very pleased with the finished product. The congregation was also happy with what I have done for the beloved church. The project contained repainting the front and side door, building and painting a new railing for the handicap ramp, power washing the sidewalk, cleaning up the marquee, and painting the railing that leads to the basement door outside. I was also given permission by the legion to polish and recaulk the veterans memorial. In order to complete this project, everyone working on it fought through the cold and rain and the end goal was accomplished.

As someone that has been kind and supportive all my life, I have put smiles on a lot of peoples faces. I love the feeling of seeing the smiles the cast and I have made in the audience. Pursuing my career in Musical Theatre will allow me to keep doing so. In my honest opinion, participating in plays and musicals gets rid of some stress you may have. I have been complimented by my director and a few of my castmates, they all can see that I have the ability to play any role given to me. All of the positivity given from the audience and the crew makes me strive to further this wonderful journey through life. My goal in life is to have a successful career. Life throws obstacles I am responsible for clearing, whether I'm on the clock or not. Making my career successful sounds pretty easy, all I have to do is not be late to work and not forget any lines during performances. However if I do forget a line or two the show must go on and I can put things in to make it look like it's part of the scene. I have accomplished a lot over the past few years.I have been in 5 musicals and 2 plays. It's also weird that I still remember songs from back when I first started. In 2019 the club opened up, I auditioned and only received ensemble roles because I was in 8th grade at the time. We performed "Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella" after the curtain closed on the first show, I knew that this was for me. The year of 2020 was rough, we practiced for 2 and a half months all for it to be canceled. The musical for this year was "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" and I starred as Monsieur D'arque, this was my first musical with dialogue. The pandemic spread which caused the cancellation of the musical on opening night. Two years ago in 2021 we took a break from musicals and put on a night of one acts. The two plays we put on were "Check Please" and "The Monologue Show (From Hell)". It felt different doing plays instead of a musical but in the end the audience will still love it. Last year I didn't just perform in one musical but two. Of course I was in my school's production of "Seussical! The Musical" in which I was assigned the role of Mr Mayor. But in September the local college that I have been accepted to attend held auditions for "A Christmas Carol", later that day I was given a phone call for the roles of Young Ebenezer and Old Joe; I ecstatically accepted the offer this was performed in November with six shows instead of the two I'm use to. Present day, I am a senior and will be performing as Grimsby in "Disney's The Little Mermaid". I'm sad to see my high school drama club career come to an end but I had fun doing all the shows and getting experience. I will be able to come back next year and only next year to be an extra.

When you hear the words "learning disability" you will most likely think of ADHD. I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis 1 or NF1 for short. Throughout schooling I never was one of the many people with NF that found it difficult to learn the subjects being taught but there were some days in middle school where I had a little trouble with the chapter we were on. On the other hand, I was placed in speech therapy from 1st grade up until 7th grade. Personally I think a good memory is one of my skills, I would always play memory matching games with my parents when I was growing up. Even though it seems hard to memorize all the material from four different classes I manage to do so. I joined my school's choir in middle school which added a fifth class that needed me to memorize things. In 2019 I decided to audition for the newly formed Performing Arts Club. The musical was Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, and I was a member of the ensemble. After the closing curtain when opening night was finished, I knew that this was for me. The contract states that I have to maintain passing grades within all my classes in order to stay in the extracurricular club. I have continuously been on the highest honor roll not just following the contract but because I know it is needed for the extra education. As of now I have been in 4 musicals with my school, 3 of them having roles that speak. Sadly the production in 2020 was canceled due to the pandemic starting out. This ties back in with having a good memory because of music and the dialogue the character(s) has. I have been accepted to a local college and I will be majoring in "Theatre with a Concentration in Musical Theatre". In September last year they held community auditions for the production of A Christmas Carol. I received the parts of Young Ebenezer and Old Joe. It gave me the opportunity to work with others that I will see and do more shows with. All you need to succeed in college is the right mindset. If you pay attention and don't get the material, find someone to help or try to make your own way to remember the lesson. Failing in college isn't acceptable, your going there to help further your career experience.

When I was younger, I was diagnosed with NF1. My mother has it and passed it on to me but her parents don't have it. Throughout elementary school, I was in a speech therapy class but that didn't affect my ability to learn. I also had to get surgery twice for my limb length discrepancy, did that stop me from learning like any other student NO! I get asked all the time "What's that thing on your arm?" or "What's that lump?" I respond with "It's a neurofibroma, it's harmless. I have it because of my genetic disorder neurofibromatosis". Some people think it's weird while others think it's cool. I remember some of the things the "Make-A-Wish®️ Foundation" did for me. I remember I said, "Give my wish to someone else". They thought it was cute but I didn't know how it was run back when I was younger, so they asked if Disneyworld was fine and I said yes. As of the second full week in January of 2011 that has been the one and only time I went to Disney. The other smaller thing they did for me was send me to my first Pittsburgh Penguins game, they versed the Arizona Coyotes and won. It has been so long I can recall when it was and the score of the game. I always strive to be the best student I can be. I joined my school "Performing Arts Club" just for fun and to have more things to do throughout school to make my time worthwhile. After that first show of "Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella" I knew that musical theatre was my thing. I don't think a lot of people know I have it but if they do I just want to prove that disabilities don't disable dreams from coming true. I don't want to sound like a braggart but I'm always one of the first to be completely off script. Outside the classroom, I am an Eagle Scout. The rank of " Eagle Scout" in Boy Scouts is the highest rank attainable. I was accepted to attend PennWest California University in Fall 2023 where I am majoring in musical theatre. I had the chance to perform with them in November 2022 because they held community casting for a musical and I auditioned and later that day I received a call that same day offering me some roles. As of 2019, I have been in 4 musicals and 2 plays, 5 musicals if you count the one we started practicing for. Year after year I am filled with delight reading the compliments my director says about me and how I slide into and out of roles. I am truly set on my career goal. In addition to making sure I succeed, I offer assistance to classmates who may be in the need of a hand. I test my ability to do new experiences. I don't let my Neurofibromatosis get in the way of my path to a happy, successful life. This scholarship is one of the only things that mention a genetic disorder I have. Being a fellow person that has NF, I would feel honored to be awarded this scholarship in memory of Dylan.

This scholarship will help with my college major. My chosen major in college is Theatre with a Concentration in Musical Theatre. In 2019 my school started up the Drama Club again, so I auditioned. After the final show was all said and done, I knew that this career was for me. My first musical experience was in 2019, and the musical was “Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Being that I was an ensemble role, I couldn’t do much but sing because I didn't have any speaking parts. I was in 8th grade for this production and was looking forward to something new in my life and this was the answer. The musical of 2020 was “Beauty and the Beast". I starred as Monsieur D’Arque, however it was canceled due to the pandemic. Everyone was heartbroken because all the work we put in went down the drain, this was the first musical I had lines in. 2021 was the first year we didn’t do a musical although we had a night of one acts where we performed two plays. The plays we put on were “The Monologue Show (from Hell)” and “Check Please” In 2022, we performed “Seussical the Musical”. I played the role of Mr. Mayor. In September 2022 I had the chance to have a part in “A Christmas Carol” at the college I applied to; not too long after auditions, I was given the call saying I made the cast as various ensemble roles, Old Joe, and Young Ebenezer. I enjoyed working with the students I will see and work with more since the show dates were from November 17th to November 20th, with the 18th and 19th having two shows. In this musical, I played various ensemble roles, Old Joe, and Young Ebenezer. I am currently working on "The Little Mermaid" and achieved the role I auditioned for, and that part is Grimsby. This will be the last musical I play in as a high school student. I hope to be invited back to be an extra in next year's musical just like some students were in “Seussical The Musical”. The one thing that makes me a better performer is my good memory, so it is perfect for memorizing all the lines needed to play my part(s). I am a helpful student offering help to those who need help with their script, especially for the ones that are doing this for the first time.