My high school had a community service club and I felt bad. I had food to eat, a bed to sleep in, and a roof over my head every night. I received things that weren't necessities, yet there were people in my own city looking for clean socks and places to take a decent shower. As time went on, I felt this huge tug on my heart to volunteer outside of school. I told my grandmother and she was able to relay the message to our church. It was an instant success. There were a few times the My Brother’s Table organization had to send some of us home due to so many volunteers showing up. My Brother’s Table is an organization in Lynn, Massachusetts, that gives free meals and other services to our community with the help of donors and over 2,500 volunteers every year. They serve meals in their facility every week, deliver meals, do free weekly clinics, and partake in a family dinner program. It was a little hard seeing families with children. To know that children were coming there to get food because their parents couldn’t afford to buy it was heartbreaking. The compliments we received were so encouraging. People told us how they appreciated us taking out the time to serve them and liked how nice we were to them. We never treated them any differently than how we treated each other. My church and I thanked them for trusting us and explained how much of a privilege it was to help them. This whole experience was very humbling, Giving back to my community means helping to build the emotional and financial stability of the residents. When we give, we feel good about ourselves because we’re putting smiles on people’s faces and being productive. We must take out time out of our busy schedules to do community service because if we needed clothes, food, and a place to sleep, we would want someone to help us too. When we do community service, we’re forming a bond with one another. Having multiple people to rely on is one of the most comforting things in the world. Hearing about the problems Haiti was going through from the news and other classmates is what brought me to disaster relief. So far Haiti has experienced earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods. The 2010 earthquake opened my eyes. To see people's homes crumbled, children crying, and adults pulling out people from the rubble that was toppling them was hard to watch, especially as a ten-year-old Fortunately, America has donated millions to help, but there are still so many Haitian citizens in need. Haiti just had another earthquake in November of 2021, in which over 2,000 people died. Global Giving is a nonprofit that helps other nonprofits network with donors and companies. They help community-based groups receive the proper resources, such as instruction and guidance, so people worldwide can receive food, new homes, clothing, and the list goes on. In just one year, they've raised $529,010 for the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund (2021). My donation goes toward giving emergency relief, water, food, medicine, and shelter in Haiti.

I started volunteering at My Brother’s Table in 2019 with my church. My Brother's Table is an organization in Lynn, Massachusetts, that gives free meals and other services to our community with the help of donors and over 2,500 volunteers every year. They serve meals in their facility every week, deliver meals, do free weekly clinics, and partake in a family dinner program. To know that there were children coming there to get food because their parents couldn’t afford to buy it was heartbreaking. The whole experience was very humbling. Participating in the turkey drive with my church was also rewarding because I knew that some of these people didn't have family or friends to celebrate Thanksgiving with. Some weren't physically able to cook meals for themselves and others simply couldn't afford to. To see how moved and cared for when I delievered their meals and drinks to them motivated me to keep volunteering. When I give, I feel good about myself because I'm putting smiles on people’s faces and being productive. Giving back to my community means helps me to build the emotional and financial stability of the residents. Often times we feel that we can’t learn anything from young people or those who aren’t financially stable. People don’t have to have money, degrees, or over fifty years on this earth to give good advice. It’s important that we take out time out of our busy schedules to do community service, because if we needed clothes, food, and a place to sleep, we would want someone to help us too. When we do community service, we’re forming a bond with each other and having multiple people to rely on is one of the most comforting things in the world.

I started volunteering at My Brother’s Table in 2019 with my church. My Brother's Table is an organization in Lynn, Massachusetts, that gives free meals and other services to our community with the help of donors and over 2,500 volunteers every year. They serve meals in their facility every week, deliver meals, do free weekly clinics, and partake in a family dinner program. To know that there were children coming there to get food because their parents couldn’t afford to buy it was heartbreaking. The whole experience was very humbling. Participating in the turkey drive with my church was also rewarding because I knew that some of these people didn't have family or friends to celebrate Thanksgiving with. Some weren't physically able to cook meals for themselves and others simply couldn't afford to. To see how moved and cared for when I delievered their meals and drinks to them motivated me to keep volunteering. When I give, I feel good about myself because I'm putting smiles on people’s faces and being productive. Giving back to my community means helps me to build the emotional and financial stability of the residents. Often times we feel that we can’t learn anything from young people or those who aren’t financially stable. People don’t have to have money, degrees, or over fifty years on this earth to give good advice. It’s important that we take out time out of our busy schedules to do community service, because if we needed clothes, food, and a place to sleep, we would want someone to help us too. When we do community service, we’re forming a bond with each other and having multiple people to rely on is one of the most comforting things in the world.

One personal finance lesson that I find important is saving some money. I've always taken a couple hundred of dollars from every paycheck and now I have close to $5,000 in the bank. I don't necessarily know what I'm saving toward, but I was taught that anything could happen. Having that extra cushion keeps me from owing people money, because that within itself is stressful. Consistency is key. I wasn't always consistent in the amount of money I put in the bank, but it was there, and money adds up. Saving money is also a sacrifice. It's hard for many people to save because there are so many things we want to buy, which is part of the reason why the amount of money I stored wasn't consistent. It got easier as I continued to be disciplined. Now whenever I receive money, whether it’s from my job, friends, or family, I put some money away. It's honestly become a way of life for me.

I want my legacy to be that I inspired people to grow. Doing that takes accountability, humility, and a lot of practice. At this point in my life, I'm all about becoming better and I believe that one of the best ways to be better is to learn. These past 3 years have been so enlightening. I've done so much research about my history, faith, and mental health. I've gained a lot of information about the history of America, especially the history that isn't taught in schools. Everyday I'm learning about the impact that racism and systematic racism has on our society. The best way, that I found for myself, to help fight against racism and systematic racism is by continuing to educate myself and others, while standing firm in my identity and values. Growing within my faith has been the most challenging, yet the most rewarding. Whenever I feel like giving up pursuing my music teaching career and YouTube channel, I remember that there are people that are depending on me. They’re depending on my musical skills, bubbly personality, compassion, and jokes that bring smiles on their faces when they’ve been feeling down all day. Mental health care is vital because I desperately need that time to recoup. That recouping period gives me the opportunity to reflect and make different decisions if need be. Though I still have a lot of growing to do, I'm so proud of how far I've come. This is the legacy I'm trying to build. A legacy where people feel the urge to be better versions of themselves no matter how long that may take, which is usually a lifetime.

My dream life consists of me being more than satisfied with my career and living conditions while making a positive impact on people's lives. I would be teaching music to high school students and possibly college students as I got older. YouTube is one of the most fastest growing social media outlets, so I would be a lot more committed to my channel by setting aside certain days to upload content. I would research various ways to help grow my channel even if that means making some investments. I would also own my own house or apartment while renting out a multi-family complex. Having multiple sources of income and being financially stable is so important to me. Reaping the benefits of my labor and create generational wealth is one of my biggest dreams. In my dream life community service would still be one of the most rewarding experiences for me. I would donate money, food, clothing, and toys during Christmas at My Brother's Table, which is an organization in my hometown, Lynn, Massachusetts. They give free meals and other services to our community with the help of donors and over 2,500 volunteers every year. They serve meals in their facility every week, deliver meals, do free weekly clinics, and partake in a family dinner program. I started volunteering with my church, Mount Olive Church of God in Christ, in 2019. I also would’ve received permission from the city to implement a community choir in Lynn, Massachusetts. I think it would be a great way to bring my community closer. We’d practice and perform at the city hall, put on fundraisers for our organization, and sing Christmas Carols during the holidays in the Lynn Commons.

My best skill is singing, and I've been improving it by taking private voice lessons, practicing in my room, doing an internship with my college's choir, and doing research about singing. Through private voice lessons at Curry College, I've learned various voice warmups and songs that are very different from the genre of music I usually sing and listen to. Being an intern for Sing!, Curry's choir, is helping me to prepare for being a music director. Though I've been directing choirs since I was 15, I've never directed in a school setting. I've learned that incorporating an attention grabber could be helpful, along with being intentional about the repertoire and vocal warmups I choose. The Head of the Music Department at Curry College told me that all repertoires should have a theme; the songs must be interconnected. That's somethings that I will carry for the rest of my life. Lately I've been doing some personal research about the types of food and drinks I should and shouldn't consume as a singer, especially when I'm about to perform soon. For example, consuming dairy products, processed sugar, spicy food, fried food, and chocolate can cause reflux and extra mucus. Caffeine causes dehydration, while soft drinks cause carbonation, sticky saliva, and burping. Though research and my meetings with my cite supervisor, I've learned how important it is to understand the science of singing as well.

Keeping my GPA above a 3.0, along with applying to Norfolk State University and Berklee College of Music’s Master of Music in Music Education programs, and becoming a licensed music teacher in the state of Massachusetts are some of my academic and career goals. I want my future students to not just understand the technicalities of music, but to realize how emotionally influential it is. I also want to give my future students an outlet to express their emotions. Students don’t always discuss what they go through. There are young people in the world who are living in broken homes, dealing with disabilities, don’t have friends to hang out with, and are just tired of staying in their core curriculum classes for hours a day. My future music class is going to be a way for them to relax their minds, to get to know each other by playing classroom games, and be their authentic selves. One of the challenges I faced was about four years ago. I was a senior in high school applying to multiple colleges and universities and only got accepted by two. My guidance counselor reminded me that because my GPA and SAT score was low, it limited my chances of getting into the schools I really wanted to attend, and she was right. Seeing all of those rejection letters really discouraged me. I tried to cheer up by telling myself that I would transfer after completing my first year, but the whole situation was still hard to digest. I remember my friends and other classmates getting accepted into their dream schools, while I was pretending to be satisfied with the two acceptance letters I received. For much of my life I struggled in school. I just didn’t learn as quickly as my fellow classmates. All of this really started to have an impact on my self-esteem. At some point I stopped putting so much effort into my academics. The work was getting harder and I was tired of feeling like a failure. Initially I felt like I settled for Curry College, but now I’m glad I decided to attend and stay. I’ve made so many new friends and have joined an organization on campus, which is Music at Curry. This year I was appointed the President of Music at Curry, which is a big achievement for me. All of my hard work had finally paid off. I’ve made the Dean’s List every year, except one time, and I’ve never received a grade lower than a B- since I’ve attended college. My mother told me, “You’re capable. You just have to apply yourself”, and I can say that I’m definitely reaping the benefits of that. I decided to apply myself because I owed it to myself and my parents. My parents sacrificed a lot to put me through college. The least I could do was get decent grades, stay out of trouble, and make the most out of my college experience, which I have. I learned so many lessons from this experience. I’ve learned to not take my education for granted. There are people in this world who don’t have the opportunity to go to school and would love to be in my position. I’m grateful that I’ve gotten better with not listening to the negative things that people have to say. I’ve also learned that everyone learns at a different pace and I should never feel bad for how and when I understand things. I’ve always had it in me to do the work and succeed. I just had to believe in myself.

I’ve learned that I’m strong especially when I’m faced with adversities. I’m gifted with singing, I’m funny, and really understanding of people’s feelings and behaviors. I’m great at being myself and I believe that’s valuable. It took me years to find and accept my voice. I’m still learning how to take pride in my personality, gifts, struggles, and external being. It’s definitely a process, but it’s been one of the most rewarding processes ever. I’ve realized that by being my authentic self, a lot more people notice and are inspired by it. I don’t know everything that people go through. If being my loving, understanding, and funny self could make someone’s day, I would be overjoyed and it would encourage me to keep being myself. I want to encourage people to be their authentic selves because I don’t want others to go through what I went through. When I was struggling to accept my authenticity it left room for confusion and more insecurities. I felt constrained. I don’t want anyone, especially my future music students, to ever deal with that kind of stress.

The loss of a loved one has reminded me to be more grateful for life and to make the best out of any situation. My loved one had one of her legs amputated a few years back. Though how she maneuvered changed, her smile and cheerful attitude didn’t. She still drove, cooked, and cleaned. She didn’t let her physical situation get her down. I’m grateful that I have another opportunity to fulfill my goals. I’m currently applying for the Masters of Music in Music Education program at Berklee College of Music and I’ve been discouraged by the process before. The loss of my loved one two days ago, helped me to realize how qualified I am. I have to stop doubting and be confident in my abilities. When I think about everything she’d been through, I remember that I’m a lot stronger than I think I am. I’m so grateful to have known her. She has taught me many life lessons and I hope to incorporate all of it into my life. I know that there will be more obstacles, but I can always go back to what she told me. She said, “You are so gifted and so blessed. Keep doing what you’re doing. God has a lot in store for you”.