Mental health is a huge part of my life. My whole family has a genetic disposition to have depression and anxiety so almost all of us see a therapist regularly and my mom just graduated with her master’s to be a therapist. Mental health care is not just optional for my family it is absolutely necessary and my family almost didn’t make it because of bad mental health episodes. When I was in the 2nd grade my dad had a panic attack that left him jobless and hospitalized. He was at a very high stress job and at the time mental health was just not talked about as much so he didn’t have resources to help him. He was our sole income and so when he couldn’t work anymore it was very hard for our family. We were extremely frugal and things got extremely tight but the Lord always provides, so by some miracle we made it through. My dad started seeing a consoler and was well enough to start working odd jobs to trying to get back into the work force. This was just one of many challenges for my family. I have 5 little siblings and my sister (15 now) was struggling with depression and anxiety heavily at only 8 years old. It was horrible seeing her struggle every single day with this crippling illness. She is now on medicine as both my parents are and she is in therapy and absolutely thriving. She has even started a make up business and picked up sourdough. So I cannot express my deep appreciation for all of the mental health care professionals and how society is making mental health more accessible. Unfortunately there have been times in my life when therapy and medicine just wasn’t enough. I have had countless friends, family friends, and peers that have lost their lives to suicide. It hurts my heart to see someone struggle so much that they would rather leave this world than try to heal. I have seen the struggle up close and personal, trying to comfort families and people who are going through that is simply tragic. My heart goes out to everyone who is struggling. You are loved and cared for!

The lyrics that have been really speaking to me recently are from Olivia’s newest song “Drop dead”. It’s not necessarily because I’m in love, because I’m not, I’m single. I think that it can also be a song of self-discovery and just having fun! I think the song just starts with a line that shows our far we’ve come and song very coming-of-age themes. “I know that the bar closes at 11” , showcasing that older lifestyle and for those of us that have grown up with Olivia it’s just cool to look back and see all the change. There is an element of wanting to stay in a moment forever that I think she captures really well in this song. Can we also just take a moment to acknowledge how poetic her song writing is? I mean come on! She is just in love and telling the world about it in this song and it’s relatable even if you aren’t in love because she admiring just the whimsical-ness of it all as well. Then we get to the chorus, “ One night I was bored in bed and stalked you on the internet”, she showcasing very common female experience here and then showing how it evolved later. “It’s feminine intuition”, Olivia is all about girl power so I knew we would get some good feminine energy in the new song and this line sums it up. Just thriving as a young girl in this world and being able to just live our lives. “‘Cuz I always had a vision of us standing like this. All pressed up in the bathroom line”, Romance in alive in her life and she is reflecting that in her music but it also reflects her journey in a big way to from her sadder songs from the past. “You’re looking like an angel on the walls of Versailles”, Being able to admire others is just something we’ve lost so to see in her song is wonderful but it also reflects in my life too because there is a boy that I wish I could be with but we are kept apart and it’s very unfortunate. The last line of the chorus is “ But kiss me and I might drop dead”, she finally got the man she wanted and I’m so happy for her. I think it’s just hope for us all that we will find our soulmates.

Ughhhhhhh Sabrina!! I watched Girl Meets World as a child and just loved her acting style and character in that show. As I got older and she started making music I was just hooked by her songs. Her music has helped me through so much, her song “Feather” was a huge one for me. It talks about how society just puts up with the stupidity and immaturity of men and she sets the standard straight in that song. I listened to that song a repeat (still do) because I have to deal with so many men that think they just get a free pass to be stupid so that song means a lot to me. With that being said, you can imagine how much a love one of Sabrina’s latest songs, “Manchild” . It’s such a fun, upbeat song but pacts a big punch with its hard-hitting lyrics. Society tries to tell women what they and can’t do but lets the men do pretty much whatever. Sabrina is setting the stage for change and challenging the statue quo with her music. Not to mention she is teaching a whole generation how to be confident, cute, and love yourself. Sabrina is 100% owed a shout out.

I honestly don’t think I ever choose just one performance but I will talk just one of my absolute favorites. This song is just so near and dear to my heart a someone who has done Taylor swift impersonation shows. It’s my absolute favorite to sing and it’s just enchanting beautiful. This song is White Horse from Fearless (Taylor’s version of course). When I was in 10th grade I did this song for a competition and I wore this beautiful white dress and the audience was just so moved by this song, I will never forget it. I owe it all to Taylor’s enchanting song-writing and just lyrical genius. So while, this isn’t a particular performance it’s about her legacy to the generation that is connecting with her music. I will always remember watching the White Horse music video for the first time, truly magical. It feels like an injustice to only pick one but this song just has a special place in my heart and I wish I could share that magical feeling with everyone. Her music is just so thought out and from the heart, you can hear it in everyone note. So to end this I just have one thing to say: Thank you, Taylor!

I was homeschooled from 4th grade to 7th grade so when I went back to public school in the 8th it was a major change, as you can imagine. The only skill that I knew I had was singing so I joined the choir, little did I know that this decision would change my entire life. I have always had a great appreciation for the arts and I have tried my hand at just about every form of art. Over my high school career I fell more and more in love with the arts but my love of singing and choir was simply unmatched. Junior year it was time to make a decision on where I wanted to go to school but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in or do for a career. I found a college that I just loved so much (University of Arkansas) and I fell in love with their music program. I started thinking that I just needed to be a part of it, so I auditioned and I made it! I met my roommate at this audition and so many wonderful people and it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t gotten involved in choir all those years ago. I hope to do one of three things with my vocal performance degree: go to law school and working helping musicians defend and keep their rights to their music, teach voice lessons, or work in ministry. I’m not really sure which route I’m going right now but regardless of which path I choose I hope encourage others to also get involved in the arts because of all that music has done for me. I have made so many friends and I have truly seen so much benefit of the time effort that I’ve put into choir. It has been a wild run and just because I’m graduating high school doesn’t mean that my choir journey is ending. I am so excited to be participating in college choir, there are so many people who love choir just as much as me who will be singing in the choirs s well and I just can’t wait for that! My last choir concert for high school is later this week and I have the graduation solo which is just such a full-circle moment. My life would not be the same without music on so many levels so it’s hard to end a chapter but I’m so excited for what’s waiting for me at college.

I got my first food stamps card when I was in the 8th grade. It was a big moment for me because I wouldn’t have gotten it unless I went back to public school. Finances have never been easy for my family, there are eight of us after all. Getting free lunch at school was a true game changer for my family so that program is just near and dear to my heart. My friends all had personal computers at home to do their work on at home and that was just never a reality for me so the thought of needing one for college was mind-blowing and felt super over-whelming. College finances have been a huge wave of added stress and anxiety because this time it’s all on me. I have had a job for a while now and I work 20 hours a week so save for college but because it’s so expensive it’s just not enough. I don’t think that we are taught as a whole how to pay for college, it’s just not talked about enough. There are also not a lot of resources for people who are in a weird in between financially. Some of us are poor enough to get a little money but wealthy enough to not get enough even though we have to pay for college on our own. I plan to work in college to make payments on my initial cost. I only want to take out federal loans because private loans on top of federal loans are just a lot to keep up with. I think that colleges should lower their prices because some of these cost are just simply outrageous. I’ve never been in a situation where hard work didn’t cover all that it needed to, so now I’m having to navigate that. All that being said, High school student need to be educated more about finances because we have a huge gap in understanding of finance as a whole in America. Budgeting, investing, and saving are just simply not talked about enough and certainly not taught as much as they should be. In my future I will put actions and practices in place to keep my finances straight and that will help me stay out of debt or have minimal debt. I think that on average American citizens have become too comfortable with debt and don’t see it as a major problem so educating people would greatly impact this problem for the better.

I still remember the first solo I ever had. I was in the third grade, 8 years old and I got a highly desired solo in my church’s junior choir program. It was a core memory and it showed me the power of song. I have learned a lot since then and have sang quite a few more solos. I plan on making a positive impact on the world by using my gifting in music. Choir has been a huge part of my life especially the last few years. It started out as just an extra homeschool activity in elementary school but then when I got into public school in junior high it got more serious. I made all region and all state in high school, this gave me a huge outlet for creativity and it was a turning point in my adolescent life. In high school I had a solo at every concert and it gave me a big confidence boost for someone that was bullied in junior high, just for being new. I saw first hand the impact that music has on the individual producing it. Singing in church is the most important use of my talents, praising the Lord is important above all else. Leading people in worship is a big responsibility but it’s needed for those who don’t have the same talents or just want to be able to worship freely without the stress of singing the right notes or playing the right chord. I started singing in church when I was in the first grade and I’ve kept it central to my life since then. Being able to create a moment for people to connect with God is just so humbling. At the end of the day it’s not about me or anyone else, that’s the true positive impact. Music creates strong memories and emotions, think of every song that’s been stuck in your head, sang at a funeral, or you did a performance to in middle school. What emotion do those songs provoke? For me, certain songs make me connect with a situation better. Songs can help us process the things going on around us and for some they can put music to the thoughts and feelings and create songs that resonate with others. This creates unity and peace which is something we desperately need more of in our world today. Now you know how I plan to impact the world positively and how I’m going to do it.

“It is well with my soul”, the chorus of one of my favorite hymns. Following Jesus has taught me a lot, but through my high school career a lot have things have gone wrong. I will gone into that more later but first I would like to go into my back ground in faith and how I got to this point in my life. I was always raised in church and I have been singing in church since I was in the 1st grade. When I was in the 5th grade I moved towns, churches, etc, and I really had to lean on the lord for that transition. Then we did the same thing when I was in the 8th grade, God taught me a lot through that move. Academically I started struggling a little bit in 10th grade because I was taking a lot of really difficult classes all at one time. God is faithful though because now I’m graduating with a 4.14 GPA! He gave me the strength and it’s amazing to stand back and just look and what he has done in my life over the past 4 years. I am majoring in vocal performance on a pre-law track. I always want to use my voice to serve the lord because he has given me a gift. I also want to go to law-school so that I can help defend people from the injustice in the world, we need more attorney’s that are being led by God. I feel like the Lord is also calling me to ministry and I don’t what that looks like yet, but I do know that I wasn’t made to just be a seat-warmer on Sundays and Wednesday. My dad has pushed me to be successful and he knows that I have potential academically so naturally college was the path he thought would be best for me. My mom has also been a huge role model for me academically because she went back to college and got her degree when I was in 8th grade. Now she graduating a week after me in may with her masters, I am so proud of her and she has encouraged me so much in my journey. Prayer has lead me to believe that college is also what God wants from me. I couldn’t imagine going anywhere but the University of Arkansas and I can’t wait for all that the Lord has in store for me, my future, and al the people I come in contact with in this next chapter of my life. Instagram = evie21167 Facebook= Evie Thomas

Crying, that’s how I plan to make the world a better place. I don’t cry enough, I hold everything in. It ends up hurting me or others in bigger ways. When you hold in big emotions you lash out, that’s a big reason why there is so much hate in the world right now. I am a singer and a performer, that makes me feel things and gives them an avenue to release that emotion. In a way I’m saying I want to make people cry. I am majoring in vocal performance on a pre-law track and I want to go to law school after earn my degree. I want people to learn to understand what they are feeling through music and justice. I don’t have what it takes to be a therapist so maybe I can help people in different ways. I care a lot about all the hatefulness towards each other and it’s everywhere. It may seem silly to some but I believe that loving each other makes the world go round. I have a friend who almost ruined our friendship because she kept shoving down her emotions and not facing them. Let me explain, my mom is a therapist and I was telling her about how my friend got really upset at seeing someone who looked lonely. My mom told me that it sounded like my friend had a fear of rejection or loneliness and that’s why she gets so upset. Well, I shared that with my friend because we are very close and I thought she would be interested in it. Instead my friend got very angry with me and held it against me for weeks, even after I apologized. It finally blew over but It was shocking to see how not being in touch with your emotions could mess up so much. This concept is reflected in our world today, such as people being mean in the comment sections in facebook. They can’t grasp what they are feeling so they lash out on others because they don’t want to face anything hard. It makes me think of politics, people would rather blast each other on line instead of facing what is triggering them in reality. Now that you know a little about me and how I plan to make the world a better place I hope you take a look inside and think of how you interact with others when you are triggered.

“Nothing but the blood of Jesus”, one of the most powerful lines of music. Music has such a range from worship to theater, it has such a moving and often emotional element. I picked music because I am drawn to the power that music has. My main goal through music is to use my education for worship but I also would love to teach voice lessons. I plan to attend law school after I receive my music degree. I’m not sure exactly what type of law I want to go into but doing copyright law to make sure that each artist gets the rights they deserve for their music sounds rewarding. Although I can appreciate almost all types of music, there are a few genres/types that are closer to my heart. Singing is one of them, I have grown up singing and it is a big part of my life. Some singers that I have always looked up to are my parents. My whole family sings but I always wanted to be able to sing like my parents. My mom would sing at church and she has a beautiful voice; she is a wonderful harmonizer. My dad plays the guitar and used to lead worship at our old church. Both of them are very humble in their musical abilities but the true shine in the best way. Your parents have a big impact on the way you turn out as an adult and I think my parents have done a great job of teaching and guiding me. My mom has always encouraged me to do what I am gifted at. My dad gives me great ideas for the future and wants what’s best for me which is helpful when I need to be challenged. When I broached the subject of majoring in music to my parents they were both very supportive and have continued to support me through this journey. I want to impact the music industry by leaving a legacy of Christian values. I want people to think of me and think of Jesus. That’s the only thing that matters in the long run. As much as secular music is fun and there is nothing wrong with it, it just doesn’t measure up to the importance of praising the Lord of Lords. My approach to music might be different than most people’s but I believe that it’s important. Keeping music prominent in our society is important for the direction of us as a people.

Coffee is a language some people will never understand, I know I definitely didn’t. I thought coffee shops were stupid and a waste of money but then I saw how sitting down with some over a cup coffee could change their whole week, month, possibly longer! I started working at my local coffee shop about 7 months ago and I have seen the impact that it has on people. One day one of my regular customers came through the drive through, she ordered her regular coffee and we were chatting a little. Then it was time to pay, she didn’t have enough money on her card to pay for it. In that moment I was brought back to the time that that had happened to me or my family and I decided to cover her coffee. She was very grateful and I don’t say this to brag on myself. I say this to show the impact and power that helping someone in need can have. They might have had the worst day of their life and your act of kindness could change their decisions going forward. My customers have been amazing like this woman but they have also been horrible. Last week, I got yelled at by a woman in the middle of a rush and it’s times like that when I feel like I could quit but then I remember those shining lights among darkness. Coffee can change the world and I believe that is already has.

Young, high schooler, non-cussing, and most differently Christian; these are all things that made me feel completely outcasted from my coworkers. I work at a small coffee shop and there are about 6 of us on staff. I love my co-workers but I could not be more different than them. I’m 17 years old (in high school) and everyone else is between 19 and 27 years old. They make jokes about how young I am and I don’t mind but it’s constant reminder that I’m not on their level. The most pressure I feel to conform is cussing. I do not cuss, I don’t judge people for cussing, it’s just never been something that I do. My co-workers cuss a lot and I don’t mind but it makes me want to cuss to affirm to them that I’m not judging them but that’s not me. I have stayed true to myself so far and I know who I am. The biggest difference between me and my co-workers is that I’m a Christian and they are not. There is pressure to be like everyone else for sure but I pray for God to give me boldness and to shine to light and love of Jesus Christ to everyone but especially my co-workers. Popular people verse the homeschoolers, that’s how it used to be in my youth group. I am not a homeschooler but I’m friends with some of them so when I started attending my church that’s who I would hang out with. Then, I made a lot of friends that were in the popular group so I would hang out with both. But both groups would get stiff and weird around each other so I tried to bring them together this was/is a painstaking process but I think it’s working! We have had so many new people join our group and everyone knows that they have a place that they are accepted and loved if they so choose to attend. I believe this is crucial and important because we all need community. We have an epidemic of depression and anxiety in this generation and I think that a huge part is the lack of true community and not just acceptance but also having people that challenge you. Being a yes-man does not help anyone, we need people to walk along side us who will lift us up but also tell us when we are straying from what’s healthy and true.