A mentor once told me, “You aren’t your circumstances; you are what you make of them.” Music has become the clearest example of that truth in my own life. Growing up in rural North Carolina, I was surrounded by hard-working people who sacrificed constantly just to get by. Money was always tight in my household, and pursuing music professionally was rarely viewed as realistic. Where I come from, the expected path is often simple: graduate high school, find a blue-collar job, and stay close to home because college and careers in the arts were financially and culturally out of reach. For much of my childhood, I assumed my life would follow a similar direction: Music changed that completely. Jazz gave me a sense of identity, purpose, and possibility that I had never experienced before. It introduced me to a world much larger than the one I grew up in and gave me opportunities that otherwise would not have existed for me. Through music, I left the South for the first time to attend Michigan State University, where I encountered an entirely new level of mentorship, artistry, and community. When I first arrived at Michigan State, I was one of the weakest players in my class. I quickly realized how much I had missed growing up without access to strong jazz programs, private instruction, or professional mentorship. In my hometown, those opportunities simply did not exist. However, instead of discouraging me, that realization fueled me. I became deeply committed to practicing, studying recordings, and absorbing everything I could from the musicians around me. Over time, I progressed rapidly, eventually earning soloist awards at major festivals, winning the National Trumpet Competition, and receiving a DownBeat Award for Top Collegiate Jazz Soloist. Those accomplishments meant far more to me than recognition alone; they were proof that I could achieve beyond the expectations of my community, and that music was a pathway to achieve what I had always dreamed of. Music also transformed my life during the most difficult season I have ever faced. Before my junior year of college, I was involved in a serious car accident that led to a major medical emergency and required surgery, temporarily preventing me from playing trumpet. For someone whose entire future revolved around music performance, the experience was devastating. I suddenly lost the ability to do the very thing that had changed my life and given me purpose. Yet during my recovery, I discovered that music was far greater than performance alone. Unable to play, I turned my focus toward education and mentorship, writing two jazz education books and launching a YouTube channel to teach and encourage younger musicians who lacked access to quality jazz resources, much like I once did growing up in rural North Carolina. What seemed like one of the lowest moments of my life ultimately became one of the most transformative experiences music has given me. That experience taught me that music is not only about performance or musical achievement, but also about serving others, building community, and creating opportunities for people who may never have had them otherwise. I no longer see music simply as a career path, but as the force that has changed my life forever. Music has carried me beyond the expectations placed on me by my environment, opened doors that once seemed impossible, and given me the opportunity to inspire and serve others. More than anything, it has shown me that a person’s circumstances do not have to determine the limits of their future.

A mentor once told me, “You aren’t your circumstances; you are what you make of them.” I understood the weight of that message growing up in a household where money was always tight. My parents provided for me and my brother through constant sacrifice, and their resilience became the foundation of my work ethic. From a young age, I pushed myself academically, in sports, and in music, driven by the desire to honor what my parents had given me and to become the first in my family to break through our economic barriers. Being from North Carolina, blue-collar work is the norm and careers in the arts receive little support or opportunity. Despite the cultural expectations put on me in my youth, I still applied to college for music and earned admission to Michigan State University, securing all of the scholarships I needed to afford attending. I quickly began accumulating academic honors, turning the financial limitations of my youth into educational success. Within my first 2 years of being a student, I was placed on the Dean’s List, earned an invitation to the Honors College, and got elected to start serving as the Chapter Leader of Michigan State’s National Society for Collegiate Scholars. While the discipline instilled in me from overcoming the economic struggles of my youth had led to significant academic achievement early on in my collegiate career, I began to face challenges during my sophomore year that seemed to undo all of the progress I was making as a musician and a student. When I first started at Michigan State, I was at the absolute bottom of the music program in terms of ability and ensemble placement. In building my perseverance and discipline musically, I began to progress at an extraordinary pace, winning soloist awards locally and on bigger stages such as the Notre Dame and Amherst Jazz Festivals. I felt unstoppable, but then suddenly, everything changed. I became extremely ill out of the blue: my sleep, breathing, and energy deteriorated and the doctors misdiagnosed me with “allergies” and chronic infections for months. Doctors warned that I would most likely never play music again and that also because of scheduling delays, I would be forced to wait nearly a year before I could get the procedure done. Two months after I finally got the surgery, I was finally cleared to begin playing trumpet again, but I couldn’t make a single sound. For weeks, I feared that everything I had worked for was gone and that the doctors were right. Slowly, I went back to school and began rebuilding my playing with patience and determination. Despite the physical and mental challenges I faced, four months later I went on to win the National Trumpet Competition, an achievement that felt impossible given that I was not supposed to play again, and became a testament to the power of resilience and hard work. Two months after that I won a DownBeat award for being the Top Collegiate Jazz Soloist and things finally seemed to start looking up again. In my life I have had to endure several challenging circumstances, but I am grateful for every one of them. Just like gold is refined by heat as the impurities rise to the surface, my struggles have refined rather than defined me, leaving me no choice but to succeed in spite of them. In the future I seek to get signed to a label as a performing jazz artist, and I also aspire to bring musical opportunities to children all around the world.

If there is one thing that I have learned in my life, it is that hard work pays off. Now in my last year of college as a jazz musician, despite all of my financial struggles as a low-income student, I have a 4.0 GPA, am an exclusive member of the Dean’s List, and work as treasurer for Michigan State University’s chapter of NSCS (National Society for Collegiate Scholars). My standard for excellence, work ethic, and personal sense of drive have always been high and that is reflected in my level of achievements. However, the balancing act I endure between my commitment to volunteer work, sports, musical involvements, educational ambitions and keeping a steady job is almost impossible. As a low-income student, money makes or breaks my ability to continue attending school, and scraping up enough money to even begin college has been the hardest part of my experience so far. I want to continue attending college out of state because it would continue granting me the opportunity, unlike any college experience I could have in-state, to develop a diverse background in both music and life. As a jazz musician, my commitment to diversity is an integral part of my experiences and I understand that through the lens of my perspectives as a low-income student. Moreover, this scholarship will grant me the ability to further pursue diverse educational opportunities without being repressed by the worry of affording my education. I want to continue my pursuit of high achievement, but as long as I have to put my goals and ambitions on hold to work, I will lose too much time that could be spent honing my skills and working hard in my studies. Building off of this idea, the better that I prepare myself for the future, the more job opportunities and connections I will be able to make. In music, especially jazz, making connections with others is crucial because that opens the doors for potentially new lines of work. To stand out and have people want to make connections with me in the first place, I must spend my time making significant developments in my playing instead of maintaining a job. In conclusion, this scholarship will positively affect the trajectory of my career by lightening the amount I must work to pursue a diverse range of great academic and musical achievements while in school; furthermore, this will help me combat the setbacks I have faced as a low-income student. In turn, this scholarship will open up more opportunities for me to use my hard work ethic to dig deeper into my field and set me up to make esteemed connections that will pay off in the form of a successful career as a jazz musician.

If there is one thing that I have learned in my life, it is that hard work pays off. Now in my second year of college as a jazz musician, despite all of my financial struggles as a low-income student, I have a 4.0 GPA, am an exclusive member of the Dean’s List, and work as treasurer for Michigan State University’s chapter of NSCS (National Society for Collegiate Scholars). My standard for excellence, work ethic, and personal sense of drive have always been high and that is reflected in my level of achievements. However, the balancing act I endure between my commitment to volunteer work, sports, musical involvements, educational ambitions and keeping a steady job is almost impossible. As a low-income student, money makes or breaks my ability to continue attending school, and scraping up enough money to even begin college has been the hardest part of my experience so far. I want to continue attending college out of state because it would continue granting me the opportunity, unlike any college experience I could have in-state, to develop a diverse background in both music and life. As a jazz musician, my commitment to diversity is an integral part of my experiences and I understand that through the lens of my perspectives as a low-income student. Moreover, this scholarship will grant me the ability to further pursue diverse educational opportunities without being repressed by the worry of affording my education. I want to continue my pursuit of high achievement, but as long as I have to put my goals and ambitions on hold to work, I will lose too much time that could be spent honing my skills and working hard in my studies. Building off of this idea, the better that I prepare myself for the future, the more job opportunities and connections I will be able to make. In music, especially jazz, making connections with others is crucial because that opens the doors for potentially new lines of work. To stand out and have people want to make connections with me in the first place, I must spend my time making significant developments in my playing instead of maintaining a job. In conclusion, this scholarship will positively affect the trajectory of my career by lightening the amount I must work to pursue a diverse range of great academic and musical achievements while in school; furthermore, this will help me combat the setbacks I have faced as a low-income student. In turn, this scholarship will open up more opportunities for me to use my hard work ethic to dig deeper into my field and set me up to make esteemed connections that will pay off in the form of a successful career as a jazz musician.

Have you ever been unable to eat for a few days? Have you ever had to miss out on opportunities because you didn’t have enough money to participate? That’s ok, me too. When you don’t have much, it is easy to get so caught up with your struggles that you forget about the struggles of others. In my early youth, I had this kind of tunnel vision and never sought to understand the experiences of others who were more financially burdened than I was because I was only concerned with what I didn’t have. I dismissed volunteering and community service as something that financially privileged people do to give fake sympathy to poor people, but I soon discovered how wrong I was once I joined my first service organization in my sophomore year called NHS. Peer mentors guided me to see that you don’t have to have money to help others. After only trying to help myself for so long, this way of thinking was very eye-opening and led me to continue seeking out new opportunities to help others. I became a leader in the NHS organization and got involved with the Orange County Food Bank. When I came to college, I joined NSCS and later was appointed as treasurer over the entire chapter of Michigan State University. The more and more involved that I have become in volunteer work, I have become less selfish about the things that I have and am learning how to find joy in helping others who are also economically underprivileged, not because I gain a profit from it, but because I understand from my own experiences how meaningful my work is to others looking for the same support that I looked for in my youth. (how has it changed your mindset) Although I find lots of value in dedicating my time to support others in my community for free, I also have to find some way to make money for myself. At the end of the day, I am still struggling to pay off college and that will continue to impact the future of my education as long as I am in school. Your scholarship allows me to continue making a difference in the lives of as many people as possible, by pursuing true social change without having to worry about the financial struggles of being low-income. Volunteering has shown me that I don’t need to be rich to help somebody, and if I can dedicate my time to helping others rather than helping myself, I will continue to make an impact in the community to a great extent.

Hello! My name is Eli. I am pursuing a double major in Jazz Studies and Music Education. I am the Treasurer for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, a former leader of a chapter of NHS, and have done over 100 hours of independent community service. In addition to several high musical honors and leadership roles, I am also a two-time 3A conference tennis champion and served as captain of my high school team for two years. I am very grateful for all of the opportunities I have had to serve others because although I am low-income, I believe that making a difference in the lives of others is more important than making money. This belief is driven by my experience as a survivor of two school shootings, sexual abuse, and severe bullying throughout my secondary education because of my LGBTQ+ identity. I will make a positive impact in the world by supporting financially underprivileged students in my community and fighting to break the cycle of rampant gun violence and LGBTQ+ discrimination. I want to give future generations a better experience in their youth than I had, and that happens through service for the greater good, not for a monetary benefit. The tragedies that I suffered growing up are painful to talk about; however, they are a true reflection of the importance of students' mental health. Another way that I can make a positive impact as a teacher is by giving students the space to discuss their struggles. I have had to seek therapy because of the emotional damage I have taken, but that costs a lot of money, especially considering that I am low-income. I don’t want to force other low-income students into that same option, so by giving them a listening ear, I am supporting them both financially and mentally. At the end of the day, I know that some of my students will still struggle with certain circumstances that are beyond my control; however, if I can get a student who is hungry to join the band and walk out of class each day full of joy and inspiration, then I have achieved everything that I want to achieve. If a student is grappling with bullying and discrimination based on their LGTBQ+ orientation, I can guide them through that adversity using my own experiences to help them overcome those challenges. I have a true passion for the arts, but more importantly, a dedication to making positive impacts in the lives of underprivileged students. Lastly, I left my home state to pursue an out-of-state education so that I could begin making a difference in the world beyond my community; unfortunately, being an out-of-state student is very costly. Finding enough money to go to college will be the hardest part of my future in academia. I want to continue my education out of state because it grants me an opportunity, unlike any college experience I could have in-state, to develop a diverse background in music, service, and life. This scholarship will help me to afford my out-of-state experience without being dragged down by the worry of affording my education.

The score was 9-8. I was a few strokes away from securing my title as a two-time 3A conference champion in men's tennis, and my heart was pounding through my chest as time froze around me. Even with so much anxiety and emotions rushing through me at that moment, nothing compares to the sound of gunshots, sirens, and the voices on a police scanner ringing in your ears for hours. As a survivor of two school shootings now, I have been broken in a way that I still struggle to describe. Following the most recent of the two tragedies, I assumed that in addition to friends and community members, I would have also completely lost my motivation to achieve my goals in tennis; however, I have been more passionate and drawn to the sport than I have ever been in my youth. In the process of reflecting on those events, I realized that I have taken my ability to play tennis for granted. My life could have been taken and I would never have played tennis or seen my family again. I am more than fortunate to be alive, and I will never make the mistake of assuming that I will always have those things again. Originally, I was passionate about tennis for the friends, exercise, and pure joy that I got out of it. Now, I have rediscovered a completely new meaning for the sport, and it plays an important role in healing my emotional scars from trauma. Although being on the court and playing the game helps me to escape from the state of my mental health, it truly is my newfound love for the game that with every swing I find some sense of recovery and restoration. Even before reclaiming my passion for tennis on a deeper level, it has always impacted parts of my life in ways that I can only now see in hindsight. From the way that I felt in my first competitive match to the way that I felt during the match point of the most important game of my career, from tennis, I have learned to be strong, collected, and perseverant, on and off the court, until my battles are won. In the same way, I was consumed by emotions and fear during the tragic shootings, yet I endured, helping others in any way that I could. It wasn’t until I reflected on these horrible events that I realized that tennis has taught me that I am a fighter, not in my actions but in my attitude. Being a fighter doesn’t mean that you win but that you fight. I am a person that will push through adversity until it has been overcome, not until it has been avoided. While tennis does help me fight through my emotional struggles by giving me an outlet to find healing and mental recovery, I now see that my passion for tennis has mainly given my life and love of this sport new meaning that although took suffering to discover, is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life and never again take for granted.

It is impossible to understand the role of arts education in my early life without understanding my background in music, and how my mentor helped me to find a home within it. Firstly, there is no easy way to say that I didn't grow up in the most financially secure house and was ruthlessly bullied in my youth based on my sexual orientation. There were no safe spaces where I could explore my identity or escape daily verbal and physical harassment. This all changed when I found music in the sixth grade. There was nothing that could have prepared me for the instant sense of community and new friendships I made. Early on in my playing career, I discovered that a band room was my safe space and my escape from the problems I faced outside of that room. In band, I was able to express my creativity and emotions in a way that I couldn't anywhere else. This expression helped me discover my LGTBQ+ identity over time in a way that other aspects of my life had prevented me from doing. If not for the way that my music education helped me find self-discovery and a sense of purpose, I would not have been positively impacted in a life-changing way by music; moreover, my experiences have led me to pursue a career in music education which has opened my eyes to the difference I can make in the lives of other underprivileged kids. I hope to inspire my students to be passionate about music either for enjoyment or for finding joy in a safe space that can help them with their mental health struggles or with finding their own identity. While an arts education has played a positive role in my life, I also owe credit for my development to mentor Dr. Richard Cox, who was the source of my inspiration to become a music educator. Dr. Cox has shown me that music requires sacrifice and dedication to an extent that many other jobs do not require and that being a teacher requires you to give your entire self, not only to your job but also to your students as well. He has shown me that being an educator is not just a job that you have where you clock in and clock out, but it requires making deep connections with your students. You are not in the educational field to make better music, you are in it to make better people. His personality and his willingness to give to others continue to inspire me to be eager about changing kids' lives in the same way. Additionally, I can build on the lessons he taught me by incorporating lessons learned from my own experiences, including giving kids a creative outlet and a safe place to explore their own identities while being supported instead of struggling as I did in my youth. While I want all of my future students to find a musical path that they can carry with them for life, something even more important than sticking with music is sticking with the values that make us all better people, and from Dr. Cox’s teaching, I hope to open up students' eyes to this wisdom. If you cannot first help to make your students more inclusive, respectful, and empathetic then they will never be better musicians, people, or community members. Thanks to his mentorship and pushing me to further my musical education, I can go on to inspire my future students and leave an impact on their lives that goes beyond any music that we make.

If there is one thing that I have learned in my life, it is that hard work pays off. In my first year of college as a jazz musician and educator, I completed 36 credits of classes, became a member of Spartan Marching Band, joined the Riverside Jazz Combo, and worked as well. I slept no more than three to four hours on any given day, and I was constantly working either outside, in a practice room, or on my laptop. Despite all of my struggles and the constant pressure of responsibility, I maintained a 4.0 GPA, was placed on the Dean’s List, was nominated for the honors college, and was accepted into NSCS (National Society for Collegiate Scholars). My standard for excellence, work ethic, and personal sense of drive have always been high and that reflects in my level of achievements. However, with all of my volunteer work, sports and musical involvement, and educational ambitions, keeping up a job has been hard. To reiterate, I have many blessings, but being an out-of-state student is breaking the bank. Going to Michigan State University from North Carolina is very expensive, and when I am not working, money makes or breaks my ability to continue attending. Even above the rest of my struggles, finding enough money to go to college has been the hardest part of my collegiate experience so far. I want to continue attending college out of state because it would continue granting me the opportunity, unlike any college experience I could have in-state, to develop a diverse background in both music and life. This scholarship will allow me to pursue my education and out-of-state experience to the fullest of my ability, without being dragged down by the worry of affording my education. I want to continue my pursuit of high achievement, but as long as I have to put my goals and ambitions on hold to work, I will lose too much time that could be spent honing my skills and working hard in my studies. Building off of this idea, the better that I prepare myself for the future, the more job opportunities and connections I will be able to make. In music, especially jazz, making connections with others is crucial because those lead to gigs where you can meet new connections. If I am having to focus all of my time on working, then I can’t spend any time making these opportunity-rich connections. In conclusion, this scholarship will positively affect my overall mental and physical health, lighten my work schedule and give me more time in the day to continue achieving great things academically and musically. The positive effects of these changes on my daily life will, in turn, benefit my future by opening the doors to more potential performance opportunities and interpersonal connections.

It is impossible to understand my story and my dreams without understanding my background. I didn't grow up in the most financially secure house, but I had a family. I was ruthlessly bullied from middle school through high school based on my sexual orientation, but I had a small group of friends that supported me through a long period of anxious self-discovery. I was abused for months in the workplace and no one there believed my survivor story, but my grandma gave me an outlet to open up about my experience. Small communities of family and friends have gotten me through all of the struggles I have faced in my life; moreover, I dream of becoming a music educator where I can use my passion for music to build inclusive, supportive communities of students that share a passion for music. I am passionate about fulfilling these dreams because I want to give LGTBQ+ and financially underprivileged students, like I once was, a safe place to make music without having to suffer the same discrimination I did. When I started my musical journey in the sixth grade, there was nothing that could have prepared me for the instant sense of community and new friendships I made. Early on in my playing career, I discovered that a band room was my safe space and my escape from the problems I faced outside of that room. In band, I was able to express my creativity and emotions in a way that I couldn't anywhere else. This expression helped me discover my LGTBQ+ identity over time in a way that other aspects of my life had never done. As a music educator, I hope to inspire my students to be passionate about music either for enjoyment or for finding joy in a safe space that can help them with their mental health struggles or with finding their own identity. In addition to improving my mental state and overall feeling of well-being, I feel that my engagement in the world of music has brought me many great opportunities, teaching me the values of diversity, equity, teamwork, and inclusion. In my belief, something more important than teaching people how to become better musicians is teaching them how to become better people. If I can instill strong life values in my future students and open the doors of opportunity for them, then they too have the potential to be positively impacted by music and to pass on these values and opportunities to others. I am passionate about making this dream a reality so that I can change the outcome of future generations' life experiences without leaving them to struggle alone as I once did. At the end of the day, I know that some of my students will still struggle with certain circumstances that are beyond my control; however, if I can get a student who is hungry to join the band and walk out of class each day full of joy and inspiration, then I have achieved everything that I want to achieve. If a student is grappling with bullying and discrimination based on their LGTBQ+ orientation, I can guide them through that adversity using my own experiences to help them overcome those challenges. My passion for the arts and my dream to change the lives of my future minority students will continue as long as I can make a difference in kids' lives, and give back to a community that has affirmed my sense of identity, strengthened my character, and given me a purpose more clear to me than the notes on a page.

In my youth, I struggled through several depressive episodes and lots of trauma surrounding suicidal thoughts. I was severely bullied and discriminated against based on my orientation, and I didn't have many friends to open up to about my experience. Emotionally I was in a place lower than I have ever been in my life, and I wanted those feelings to go away, but I couldn't understand why I was having them in the first place. In my first meeting with a therapist, they explained that all of these feelings were occurring because I was not focusing on my mental health, and I was doing too many activities, sports, and clubs that were impossible and unrealistic to keep track of all at once. After discontinuing certain clubs and sports, I had more time to relax and engage in self-care like I never had. The immediate positive emotional impacts of this decision such as improved mood, increased motivation, and no more suicidal thoughts enlighted me of the importance of mental health. Although it was unfortunate that I had to experience all of these terrible mental hurdles, I found value in mental health that I never had. Now that I have discovered the value of mental health, maintaining it is something I am passionate about. As a musician, instead of overworking myself in the practice room, I will take breaks to listen to music, meditate, and eat food that I enjoy outside of my diet. This balance of working and relaxing decreases my daily stress and also makes me more productive when I am working. In addition to music, I am also very involved academically as a member of the Dean's List and as a member of a few academic honors societies. Although keeping a 4.0 is very difficult, one way that I prioritize mental health after a long study or work session is by taking walks or by watching entertaining YouTube videos. I notice that when I take more breaks I perform better throughout the day, have more motivation, and once again have a better mood. These emotional factors help me maintain healthy, positive relationships with my peers and make me less anxious. I know that with what I am currently doing, I will never have to feel as horrible as I did in my youth again, and I continue to keep working on myself every day. Building on that and looking towards the future, I think that my attentiveness to mental health will have a lot of long-term positive impacts that I can't yet see, but will benefit me greatly as a continue my collegiate journey. This aspiration to continue improving my overall well-being strengthens my value of mental health each day and motivates me to continue my exploration of as many actions that improve my mental health as possible.

It is impossible to understand my journey in the arts without understanding what attracts me to it. For context, I didn't grow up in the most financially secure house, but I had a family. I was ruthlessly bullied from middle school through high school based on my orientation, but I had a small group of friends that supported me through a long period of anxious self-discovery. I was abused for months in the workplace and no one there believed my survivor story, but my grandma gave me an outlet to open up about my experience. Small communities of family and friends have gotten me through all of the struggles I have faced in my life and music is no different. When I started my musical journey in the sixth grade, there was nothing that could have prepared me for the instant sense of community and new friendships I made. Early on in my playing career, I discovered that a band room was my safe space and my escape from the problems I faced outside of that room. In band, I was able to express my creativity and emotions in a way that I couldn't anywhere else. This expression helped me discover my identity over time in a way that other aspects of my life had never done. I hope to become a music educator where I can inspire others to discover a passion for music either for enjoyment or to find joy in a safe space that can help them with their mental health struggles in the same way that it helped me. In addition to improving my mental state and overall feeling of well-being, I feel that my engagement in the world of music has brought me many great opportunities, teaching me the values of resiliency, determination, teamwork, and effective communication. In my belief, something more important than teaching people how to become better musicians is teaching them how to become better people. If I can instill strong life values in my future students, even beyond musical contexts, and if I can open the doors of opportunity for them, then they too have the potential to be positively impacted by music in the way that I have been. As an aspiring educator, I recognize that music education is a field of service. Although I always dreamed of being a collegiate professor, I feel that my purpose is to serve the youth. I believe that my calling to fulfill that purpose goes beyond what I might think is best for my life. I want all of my focus and effort to go toward giving kids a better life experience than I ever had. At the end of the day, I know that some of my students will still struggle with certain life circumstances that are beyond my control, similar to the ways that I did in my youth. However, if I can get a student who is hungry to join the band and walk out of class each day full of joy and inspiration, then I have achieved everything that I want to achieve. My journey in the arts will continue as long as I can make a difference in kids' lives and give back to a community that has affirmed my sense of identity, strengthened my character, and given me a purpose more clear to me than the notes on a page.

My ideal future self is a man that lives not for the love of money, success or fame, but for the love of his life and all who make it better.

Free speech is the central component of a liberal education. The intellectual and personal development of American college students cannot occur without it. This fundamental right allows for an open discourse of ideas, and this uniquely American right is the underpinning of most of the greatest social movements in history. As a jazz artist, trumpet player, and music educator, I understand that jazz music has roots in the African American experience with a heavy emphasis on self-expression and struggle. Jazz has been at the forefront of several socio-political movements in history, and the genre widely shared the message of these experiences, fueling the fire in the fight for civil rights. The influence of jazz had everything to do with the lyrics and rhetoric used in songs such as Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday and Freedom by Charles Mingus. In the same way that the free distribution of lyrics sparked conversations about civil rights issues, free speech is important to American college students now because it continues the same kinds of conversations about problems that we see in society as those who came before we had. The freedom to talk about how you feel and to say what is on your mind is also how true relationships are formed. The ability to speak freely without worrying about how you will be judged allows for doorways to growth to be opened instead of closed. As college students, communicating is how we build an understanding of one another which translates into the development of our knowledge, skills, and interpersonal connections. For example, I am a believer in the importance of diversity in society. Diversity is a central facet of jazz as a genre because it is inclusive of all different kinds of music from swing to salsa, and it is constantly branching into other areas or styles of music. This openness to diversity, critical thinking, and inclusion of new ideas is made possible by our American freedom of speech. Diversity and the development of individual interests are only attained using protecting free speech, which happens when seeking the intellectually unknown takes priority over confirming our own experiences. In my local jazz community, I have worked hard to encourage the sharing of diverse opinions, critical thinking, and building relationships with our peers. For instance, at jam sessions on campus, I’ll get a group of students together and we’ll talk about our career aspirations, how we are feeling, and whatever else is going on in our lives. Although we are musicians, these conversations allow us to reflect on the fact that we are just like every other student at our university. Talking to one another on a personal level deeper than the music we play is what free speech is all about. We can have conversations that bring us together in the beauty of relating to each other in our shared interest to better ourselves. In conclusion, I am a musician, but also a student. My personal and intellectual growth is strengthened by my ability to speak freely. It allows me to speak openly with peers while also allowing me the awareness to hear them as well when they share their stories and their music. I must continue working to protect the freedom of free speech because it has allowed me and my peers to thrive musically, academically, and socially.