My name is Natalie Noel. I am a high school senior. I am taking college classes as well as attending technical school. I maintain good grades, I am a manager at my part-time job, and I am known as an outgoing person. Nevertheless, I am strongly affected by mental illness. A traumatic childhood forced me to grow up quickly. I was a teenager before I sought professional help. I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Mental illness is demonstrably misconstrued and stigmatized. It was once intensely difficult for me to discuss my thoughts and experiences. Thanks to professional help and a strong support system, I have subsisted in spite of mental illness. I have developed an understanding of the difficulty I experienced in asking for help, and I have steadily become more open about my experiences with mental illness. I hope to be a person who inspires others with mental illness to seek help when they need it and to not feel ashamed. I’m passionate about music. I have been the drum major of my high school band for two consecutive years. I direct the band during marching season, assist the band director in teaching band members to march, and tutor young musicians. It brings me incredible joy to share my passion for music with other people, especially kids just developing an appreciation for music. I see their potential, and I become excited for them. Through this experience, I have made invaluable friendships. I have also made an impact on some young musicians. At the beginning of this marching season, I had a brief discussion with a freshman band member. I complimented his style and psyche. Later that week, the boy’s friend came to me. She said that he cried telling her about the conversation he and I had because he “never gets complimented like that.” That stuck with me. I believe that words can be incredibly powerful. I’m a musician. I spend three hours every weekday studying audio production at Northeast Tech. I play the French horn, and I’m a singer. I was the first student from Wyandotte High School to ever make the All-State choir. Every year I have been in high school, I have sung in the All-District Choir and qualified for the State Solo and Ensemble Contest. I have received two “Outstanding Musician” awards. At NEO A&M College’s 2021 choral workshop, Dr. Tatiana Taylor awarded me “Overall Emerging Choral Leader.” To me, there is no feeling like deeply connecting to music with strong lyricism. I dream of creating music that will resonate with other people. I want to continue my education at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. I have lived in the tiny area on the border of Oklahoma and Missouri my entire life thus far. I am eager to broaden my horizons. I have many long-term goals and expectations for myself. Philanthropy is important to me. I am involved in Student Council, National Honors Society, National Technical Honors Society, Food Not Bombs, and Joplin for Justice. I will continue to be an active community member wherever I go. I feel that, especially as someone who has been given profuse empathy, I must contribute to the betterment of the world in every little way I can. I came from a broken home. I’ve battled adversity. Those experiences shaped me into the person I am today. I’m still growing; I learn and heal more every day. I am tremendously excited to begin this efficacious new chapter in my life.

My name is Natalie Noel. I am a high school senior. I am taking college classes as well as attending technical school. I maintain good grades, I am a manager at my part-time job, and I am known as an outgoing person. Nevertheless, I am strongly affected by Major Depressive Disorder. Mental illness is demonstrably misconstrued and stigmatized. It was once intensely difficult for me to discuss my thoughts and experiences. Thanks to professional help and a strong support system, I have subsisted in spite of mental illness. I have developed an understanding of the difficulty I experienced in asking for help, and I have steadily become more open about my experiences with mental illness. I hope to be a person who inspires others with mental illness to seek help when they need it and to not feel ashamed. I’m passionate about music. I have been the drum major of my high school band for two consecutive years. I direct the band during marching season, assist the band director in teaching band members to march, and tutor young musicians. It brings me incredible joy to share my passion for music with other people, especially kids just developing an appreciation for music. I see their potential, and I become excited for them. Through this experience, I have made invaluable friendships. I have also made an impact on some young musicians. At the beginning of this marching season, I had a brief discussion with a freshman band member. I complimented his style and psyche. Later that week, the boy’s friend came to me. She said that he cried telling her about the conversation he and I had because he “never gets complimented like that.” That stuck with me. I believe that words can be incredibly powerful. I’m a musician. I spend three hours every weekday studying audio production at Northeast Tech. I play the French horn, and I’m a singer. I was the first student from Wyandotte High School to ever make the All-State choir. Every year I have been in high school, I have sung in the All-District Choir and qualified for the State Solo and Ensemble Contest. I have received two “Outstanding Musician” awards. At NEO A&M College’s 2021 choral workshop, Dr. Tatiana Taylor awarded me “Overall Emerging Choral Leader.” To me, there is no feeling like deeply connecting to music with strong lyricism. I dream of creating music that will resonate with other people. I want to continue my education at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. I have lived in the tiny area on the border of Oklahoma and Missouri my entire life thus far. I am eager to broaden my horizons. I have many long-term goals and expectations for myself. Philanthropy is important to me. I am involved in Student Council, National Honors Society, National Technical Honors Society, Food Not Bombs, and Joplin for Justice. I will continue to be an active community member wherever I go. I feel that, especially as someone who has been given profuse empathy, I must contribute to the betterment of the world in every little way I can. I came from a broken home. I’ve battled adversity. Those experiences shaped me into the person I am today. I’m still growing; I learn and heal more every day. This scholarship money would help me pay for my education which will transform my life. I am tremendously excited to begin this efficacious new chapter in my life.

Leadership, to me, is a skill comprised of support, mentorship, and guidance. As an outgoing oldest child, I was a bossy kid. As I grew, prioritizing empathy made me into a compassionate leader. I have learned that a leader is not someone who bosses; a leader is someone who guides. My experiences in school and at work have made me a coordinated and collaborative leader. I became my high school marching band's drum major my junior year. Coaching young musicians unveiled a love of teaching within me. I would like to peruse a degree in music production, but being drum major has led me to consider majoring in music education. At a college choir workshop, Dr. Tatiana Taylor awarded me the title of "Emerging Choral Leader". At 17 years old, I was promoted to a management position at my job. Being a manager with a mass of responsibilities in a fast-paced environment been a challenge, but it is a challenge I am handling well. Both my work crew and my bandmates both adore and respect me. I feel appreciated by them, and I am proud of the relationships I have with those I lead. I plan to continue being a manager (or venture onto an even higher position) while I attend college. My focus as a leader is having regard, determination, and empathy. Wherever I go, I will continue to be a leader.

My little sisters are my greatest inspiration. I'm driven to be successful so that I can help provide for them and set an example for them. My sisters are incredibly strong girls. When we were young, my sisters and I witnessed my dad's drug and alcohol addiction worsen. He became abusive as a result, and we had to leave him. We all have experienced trauma. I feel that I have a special role as the big sister. By going to college and doing what makes me happy for a living, I will pave a path for them to thrive as adults. I dream of becoming successful enough to help with my sisters' expenses or take us all on a nice vacation. I'm so proud of them; they are both involved in extracurriculars and doing well in their middle school classes. My sisters mean the world to me, and I want to give the world to them.

I am terrified of the debt I could mount by attending college. My mom is 37 and has been a teacher for 13 years. Debt from when she was in college still haunts her in the form of low credit scores and extreme difficulty qualifying for car or home loans on her own. I am so paranoid of this happening to me that I have seriously considered not furthering my education to avoid going into debt. This year I am taking my first college classes while finishing high school. I unfortunately missed the deadline to apply for aid, and I am already nervous about the expenses. I am very nervous about affording my classes. This scholarship would give me much needed help combatting those expenses.

In one word, I am an artist. I carry the titles instrumentalist, singer, studying producer, photographer, and graphic designer, but I think the word "artist" perfectly captures who I am. Music is my favorite form of art, and I attribute much of my personal growth to it. In 2015, I was a fifth-grader who had never played an instrument before. I begged the band director to give me a shot at playing one of the most difficult instruments in concert band: french horn. I was 10 years old then, and I still play the french horn today. The difficulties that one experiences learning and playing an instrument have taught me persistence. I have been singing since I could talk, and performing comes naturally to me. I have been in every school musical since I started elementary school. I was the very first student from my tiny Oklahoma high school to make All-State Choir. My experiences in the world of art have taught me to set a goal and put in the work to accomplish it. I love mentoring young musicians. It's incredibly rewarding to help them prepare and witness their confidence blossom after they achieve something. As a junior, I became my marching band's sole drum major; I earned the title again for my senior year. At NEO A&M College's 2021 Summer Choir Intensive, I was recognized as Overall Emerging Choral Leader by Dr. Tatiana Taylor. Art is my passion and my outlet. Self expression in the form of music has been an amazing tool for me, and I dream of sharing that tool with others. Whether I become a performer or a teacher, I want to show young people how music can change their lives.

My childhood experiences forced me to grow up quickly. When I was a fifth grader, I discovered a peer who I had a lot in common with. While everyone else ran around playing tag, we would walk around the playground and talk about our lives. Our dads had given us similar musical influences (Gorrilaz, Cage The Elephant, Alice In Chains). Both of our dads also became meth addicts during our childhood. I had two little sisters the same age as his two younger brothers. We talked every day about our experiences and our love of music. We found a band, Twenty One Pilots, our first year of middle school. Their songs put words to feelings I didn't know how to communicate. While listening to their music and discussing our feelings, I was able to share my suicidal thoughts for the first time. My friend was there for me, and he encouraged me to get the help I needed. Without the strength that music gave me, I would not be alive today. I will turn 18 this year. My friend and I are now working on our own music. I aspire to make honest songs about my struggles. I hope I can give someone else what I have gotten from music. My dream is to perform for a living. As I began trying to discover my sound, I realized that almost none of my musical influences are women. Especially in the rock music industry (where I intend to be), women are heavily unrepresented. I want to be seen by a little girl like I was, and I want her to know that there is a place for her in the world.

My childhood experiences forced me to grow up quickly. When I was a fifth grader, I discovered a peer who I had a lot in common with. While everyone else ran around playing tag, we would walk around the playground and talk about our lives. Our dads had given us similar musical influences (Gorrilaz, Cage The Elephant, Alice In Chains). Both of our dads also became meth addicts during our childhood. I had two little sisters the same age as his two younger brothers. We talked every day about our experiences and our love of music. We found a band, Twenty One Pilots, our first year of middle school. Their songs put words to feelings I didn't know how to communicate. While listening to their music and discussing our feelings, I was able to share my suicidal thoughts for the first time. My friend was there for me, and he encouraged me to get the help I needed. Without the strength that music gave me, I would not be alive today. I will turn 18 this year. My friend and I are now working on our own music. I aspire to make honest songs about my struggles. I hope I can give someone else what I have gotten from music.

My childhood experiences forced me to grow up quickly. When I was a fifth grader, I discovered a peer who I had a lot in common with. While everyone else ran around playing tag, we would walk around the playground and talk about our lives. Our dads had given us similar musical influences (Gorrilaz, Cage The Elephant, Alice In Chains). Both of our dads also became meth addicts during our childhood. I had two little sisters the same age as his two younger brothers. We talked every day about our experiences and our love of music. We found a band, Twenty One Pilots, our first year of middle school. Their songs put words to feelings I didn't know how to communicate. While listening to their music and discussing our feelings, I was able to share my suicidal thoughts for the first time. My friend was there for me, and he encouraged me to get the help I needed. Without the strength that music gave me, I would not be alive today. I will turn 18 this year. My friend and I are now working on our own music. I aspire to make honest songs about my struggles. I hope I can give someone else what I have gotten from music. My dream is to perform for a living. As I began trying to discover my sound, I realized that almost none of my musical influences are women. Especially in the rock music industry (where I intend to be), women are heavily unrepresented. I want to be seen by a little girl like I was, and I want her to know that there is a place for her in the world.