I was raised in a Christian household, so I have always known Christian values and biblical teachings. I was baptized at eight years old but began taking my faith seriously when I was twelve years old. At that age, I transitioned from having my parents' faith to having my own. Throughout the years, I have actively participated in my church, drumming on the worship team, showing up to youth group every Sunday night, and gone to camps and events like CIY, a christian youth conference meant to draw high schoolers closer to God. Being surrounded by the Lord's servants has taught me more about God, Jesus, and His Word. I have seen the love of Christ clearly in others, and I hope to be that way too. Now that I am a student at the Christian college Johnson University, taking Bible classes has helped me have a greater understanding of the history of the Bible and has allowed me to mature in my faith and become more open-minded. Though I do not know a life without Jesus, I have still fallen short of His glory and, in some cases, into habitual sin. It was during these trials, though, where I felt closest to the Lord, and now I can appreciate His love and His mercy even more. Because of my love for Jesus, it is my goal to advance His kingdom above all else. Though I have not been called to vocational ministry, I will be a light of Jesus wherever I go, even in secular fields, in which I may end up working. I mentioned earlier that I go to Johnson University. There, I am studying to receive my Bachelor's in Music Technology in hopes to become an audio engineer. Being a musician, I have always been drawn to music and its ability to bring people together, and I think that industry is where I am being called to. By receiving this scholarship, I will be able to take out less money from loans for next school year. In the future, I plan on graduating with my Bachelor's in Music Technology and in Bible and Theology. I will use my knowledge of the Bible to spread my faith with those around me. I also plan on getting a job as an audio engineer, wherever that may be. I am not picky with my future, however. I truly believe in going where God wants me to go. Wherever he leads me is where I will go. Jeremiah 29:11 says that the Lord has good plans for us. It has been my life verse for a while now. Though I do not know what my future holds, I will follow the Lord's will, even if that means doing a complete 180. For now, though, I am taking out student loans every year to pay for my bachelor's degree program. With this scholarship, I will become less stressed with having to pay for college and will be able to focus more on learning and becoming equipped with the proper skills to flourish in my future career in the music industry.

My passion for music started when I was a toddler. My parents bought me a toy drum, which I banged to oblivion. The little drum evolved into a junior drum kit, and eventually, when I turned seven, my mom signed me up for drum lessons and bought me a legitimate drum set. With the help of my teacher's lessons, I developed into an advanced drummer. Over the years, I would collaborate with other musicians in jam sessions, and in August of 2021, I joined my church's worship team and have played there since. Being a musician, I naturally enjoy listening to music. I constantly find myself listening to different songs, always trying to encounter new sounds. In fact, I am listening to music while I write this essay. Music helps me focus and soothes my mind. It has helped me get through high school too. Since I have ADHD, having a constant background noise allows me to lock in on assignments. For a while, I have expressed interest in creating music. I would tinker around on a free music-making software called Soundtrap until, eventually, my parents gifted me a subscription for a better program: FL studio. Discovering my passion for music has led me to pursue a higher education at Johnson University (JU). Here, I am studying to receive a bachelor in music technology, which will teach me how to mix and master audio to become a skilled sound engineer. I also take a class called Synthesis, a one-on-one class in which I learn how to produce music. Continuing in my footsteps as a musician, I have joined the chapel worship team as a drummer and have enrolled in guitar lessons. At JU, I have met many talented people who have a passion for music like I do, whom I hope to learn from and collaborate with in the future. From a toddler to a teen and now to adulthood, music has followed me throughout my life. Thanks to my parents, what started out as playful banging has developed into an intense passion for music that I will carry into the future. As a musician and as an aspiring music producer, I have met many people who share my passion for music. At Johnson university, I will hone my skills as a musician and producer and learn how to become an audio engineer. Whether behind a drum kit, computer, or mixing console, I will continue to pursue music as both an art and a career choice.

Music has followed me throughout my life. As a drummer, I've had many opportunities to connect and play with other musicians. Because of my passion for music, I am pursuing a career in audio engineering. In the music industry, collaborating with artists, producers, and engineers is the name of the game. To me, collaboration in the music industry inspires creativity and success, builds relationships, and opens doors to new opportunities. When two artists collaborate, they combine their two unique capabilities—the power and creativity of two or more minds coming together to create an elaborate piece. Whether a lyricist is working with a singer or two or more producers are crafting beats, artists record a successful piece and reach new fans when joining forces. They can combine different genres, such as Ozzy Osbourne's metal sound with Post Malone's pop-style music. Some of the most original songs out there stem from collaborations. One of my favorite songs is All of the Lights, by Kanye West. The song includes vocal performances from numerous talented singers, like John Legend, Elton John, Drake, and many other famous vocalists. To this day, it's one of West's most popular songs. Being successful and getting that creative spark aren't the only reasons one might collaborate, however. Collaboration can help build or initiate relationships that might not have formed otherwise. A few years ago, I worked on a project with a couple of friends. One of them, Grant, had a quality microphone that we used to record vocals. We pulled an instrumental from YouTube and rapped over it. With no mixing skills, we recorded our verses and some ad-libs and uploaded the recording to SoundCloud. It was terrible, but we had fun. Recently, I had the opportunity to go into the music lab with a classmate of mine. We went to one of the computers, opened FL Studio, and began to listen to different sounds for a synthesizer. After some brainstorming, we decided on a style of song we wanted and what instruments to use. Eventually, we grew hungry and decided we would finish the song another time. But I was able to connect with him, and it was the start of a relationship that I hope lasts a while. Lastly, collaboration gives way to all sorts of opportunities. It can help you get your foot in the industry, depending on who you know. With collaboration, networking becomes possible and easier, and if you meet the right person, you can take your career to a new height. Being a drummer in the church, I've met and worked with many musicians and vocalists. One of our bass players hit me up one day and told me he had a few songs he was working on, and he wanted me to record drums for him. He sent me the recordings, and I practiced what I thought would go well with the songs. Now, I can tell people I'm technically a studio drummer. In all seriousness, though, it's something that I can put on my portfolio, and hopefully, I can receive new opportunities from it. As someone who plans on working in the music industry, I believe collaboration means everything. It's what makes most songs possible, bringing a new approach to one's sound and offering new ideas as an outlet to success. People who collaborate in the music industry build and maintain relationships, like how my friends and I got together and made music, or how I started a new friendship in the music lab. And these relationships can lead to new possibilities. This is what collaboration means to me.

Last spring, I was blessed with the opportunity to do something for the community. I had held a 5k event to raise money to give to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This was a task that I had never done before, but I learned so many precious lessons that will aid in my future success. Now, springtime was not the moment that my opportunity actually arose. It really started when I was a freshman, and my English teacher assigned a research project that we would carry out until our senior year. The research topic that I chose ended up being cystic fibrosis. The goal of the project was to do something to help in relation to what the topic was. So, as a runner, I thought it would be a good idea to organize a 5k race to raise money for people with cystic fibrosis. Doing this was particularly meaningful to me since I have never organized a big event or any type of charity event such as this. It involved a lot of persistence and networking to set everything into place. I had to calculate a lot of logistics, like how many shirts we would print, what the design of the shirts would be, where we would hold the event, et cetera. With the help of sponsors whose logos we printed on the shirts, I was able to buy food for the runners and achieve my goal of donating to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. To make the event possible, I coordinated with a company that organizes 5k events. The person who printed the t-shirts ended up giving them to me for free, which was a big help to offset costs. Every step of this process has taught me something new, and in the end, it resonates with me because of the hard work I put into it and the valuable skills I gained in completing it. I hope that completing this project has had a positive impact on the community and has inspired others to put people before themselves. Additionally, I hope it has encouraged more awareness of cystic fibrosis and other important issues in our society. If I, as a high school student, can accomplish this, then anyone has the power to make the world a better place. Imagine how much we could achieve as a community, or even as a nation, if we all committed to helping others.

My name is Harrison Dabbs. I am a high school senior from Sussex County, Delaware who has been doing cross country and track and field since my freshman year. I am involved in my church community as a drummer and a student leader. This scholarship will help me attend trade school and pursue my dream of working in the music industry as an audio engineer. Even though I started running in high school, sports have always been a part of my life. When I was young, my parents enrolled me in soccer and basketball programs. Soccer followed me until the covid pandemic, and then during my freshman year, I joined the cross country team. I still play basketball as well, but not for my school team. Whenever I get the chance, and whenever the weather is nice, I go to the park to play pick-up. Serving the community is also something I practice often. When I was in middle school, I participated in a beach cleanup. It felt good to get trash off the shore, and so I decided that I would continue to serve others. Whenever I see trash, I pick it up. Two years ago, I joined the worship team for my church. I know that I inspire others when I play up there because I remember when I was a kid, I would be inspired by the drummer. I also think that my faith plays a big role in my community service. Jesus said to put others before yourself. When I get out of high school, I plan on staying active in sports and in serving people. My career will focus on helping others create and enjoy music. This scholarship will assist me in paying for six months at the Sheffield Institute for The Recording Arts, where I will learn to mix audio in a studio and live setting. Though the program is only for half a year, it will cost me just under twenty thousand dollars for tuition, and that doesn't include the cost of living. I will be renting an apartment during my time there, living on my own or with roommates. Sheffield Institute does not accept any federal student aid nor do they offer any scholarships besides one for Baltimore County high school students, which I am not. So, money from scholarships is all that I will be able to depend on since my family and I cannot afford to pay such a big sum of money. Music has the power to inspire, heal, and bring people together. With this scholarship, I will be one step closer to being able to serve others through the world of music.

Ever since I was young, I've been immersed in music. I started learning the drums at seven years old, and now, I play on a worship team at my church. I also dabble a little with guitar and bass, and I've learned the basics of mixing audio. My musical journey started when I was a toddler, when my parents had gotten me a little drum that I had so much fun hitting. Then, after a few years, they upgraded me to a starter kit. I enjoyed messing around with that kit until, eventually, my mom asked me if I wanted to take drum lessons. Seven-year-old me was very enthusiastic when I heard this, and I said yes. So, I connected with a drum teacher, and my parents bought a 5-piece kit and cymbals off of him. He taught me the basics—rudimentals and such. Through him, I was able to play my first song on the drums. However, he was always sick, and I wasn't able to have many drum lessons that year, so I went to a new one. His name was Mr. Carmine. He taught me mostly everything I know today. I have learned to read music and play every type of song imaginable through him. Mr. Carmine taught me more than just rudiments; I learned different ways to play the drums, including syncopation, and many other technical things. Though I no longer take drum lessons, I owe all of my skills to him. Being a musician, I have been able to connect with others by jamming out with them. I have also connected with my friends by just listening to music with them. Also, listening to music has helped me concentrate on my studies in school. Since I'm a musical person, I've decided that I want to center my career around music. I applied to the Sheffield Institute for the Recording Arts in Maryland, where they will teach me to become an expert audio engineer. My real dream is to be a drummer in a worship collective. However, drumming won't pay the bills unless my band is successful. So, I'm going to stick with audio engineering for now. I'll be able to work with successful artists and help push out the best sounds in the industry. When I hear a song on the radio, I want to be able to say, "I mixed that!" or "I helped make that!" I'm in high school now, currently finishing up my senior year. Once I graduate, I'll be able to pursue my dream of drumming and audio engineering. Until then, I will keep playing and keep learning!

My field of interest is in the music industry. I'm going to become an audio engineer, which is someone that mixes audio, whether it be for a song, podcast, live setting, or some other recording. My desire to be an audio engineer stemmed from my love of music. I've been playing drums since I was seven years old, and I just love listening to music. I have played with other musicians for fun, and I am a part of my church's worship team. So, I have decided that I would turn music into a professional career by becoming an audio engineer. I would love to work in a studio and help artists record and master their songs. By working with artists, I will help in creating music for all to enjoy. More specifically, I'd like to work with Christian artists whose aims are to spread joy, positivity, and the truth about Jesus. Being able to use my talents and skills to glorify God and brighten others' lives is what I hope to do.

As a high school student-athlete, I have faced several problems that have tested my resilience and helped me to become a better competitor and athlete. These problems include setbacks from both injuries and limited resources. My first setback was from an injury that I sustained during flag football in gym class. In an attempt to get my classmate's flag, I somehow twisted my finger and fractured it. The break was so bad that I needed surgery to correct my finger's alignment. To my dismay, my surgeon wouldn't let me run cross country or indoor track in case I fell on my hand. Because of that, I missed the conference and state championships for cross country. I also missed most of the indoor track season. From this injury, I learned to be more cautious when doing other activities. I've changed from acting carefree to having a more proactive approach towards injury prevention. My second setback came the following year in August. I was skimboarding at the beach, and I fell and sprained my toe. I couldn't run for a month, so I didn't get to do pre-season training with the cross country team, and I missed the first meet. This hindered my progress, and I didn't finish off the season as well as I wanted to. But, I learned the importance of practice, and the following summer, I stuck to the cross country training plan every day. Injuries weren't the only challenges I have faced, however. During my freshman and sophomore years, our track team had only one coach, whose forte was distance. As someone who was trying out high jump, this wasn't a good thing for me. My coach was able to help a little bit with basic technique, but he wasn't able to spend much time with us jumpers since he had an entire team to coach. Facing this challenge taught me that I needed to work hard to be the best I can be. Because we didn't have a high jump coach, and our head coach was too busy with everyone else, I would practice high jumping on my own with the help of my dad, who used to do high jump in the decathlon. Whenever I could, I'd get my dad to come with me to the local school track or to my school and practice jumping. Overcoming this challenge in this way has helped me to become more self-reliant and perseverant. Furthermore, our track team doesn't have a track, so it's harder to do workouts since we're not practicing on an actual track. However, we have learned to not give up. We still do adequate workouts on our turf field and around the school property, and we go to the neighboring school sometimes to do sprint workouts on their track. I've realized that training effectively isn’t about the setting, but about how committed one is to putting in the work. Over the years of doing high school track and cross country, I have faced numerous challenges including injuries and lack of proper coaching and facilities. Despite these challenges, I have learned how important it is to show up to practice and to train hard no matter the circumstance. Overall, these obstacles that I've faced have made me a better athlete and stronger person, and I plan on continuing to use what I've learned in future facets of my life.

"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything." - Plato Music has always been a part of my life; I've grown up listening to music that my parents had on the radio, and I listen to music every day—whether it's in the car, while I'm eating, while I'm doing schoolwork, and even while I'm taking a shower! I'm also a musician. My musical journey all started when I was a toddler, and my parents had gotten me a little drum that I had so much fun banging. Then, after a few years, they upgraded me to a starter kit with a bass drum, a snare drum, a crash cymbal, and a high tom. I enjoyed messing around with that kit until, eventually, my mom asked me if I wanted to take drum lessons. Seven-year-old me was very enthusiastic when I heard this, and I said yes. So, I got connected with a drum teacher, and my parents bought a 5-piece kit and hi-hat cymbals off of him. He taught me the basics—rudimentals and such. Through him, I was able to play my first song on the drums. However, my drum teacher was always sick, and I wasn't able to have many drum lessons that year, so I went to a new one. His name was Mr. Carmine. He taught me mostly everything I know today. I have learned to read music and play every type of song imaginable through him. Mr. Carmine taught me more than just rudiments; I learned different ways to play the drums, including syncopation, and many other technical things. Though I no longer take drum lessons, I owe all of my skills to him. I have been drumming for 11 years now, and I've also picked up guitar and bass. My main instrument is still the drums, however, and I've gotten many opportunities to play with other musicians. Aside from basement jam sessions, I've also played for my church's worship team and for the youth group worship team, and I've been a part of these groups for two or three years now. I hope to continue to impact people's lives through worship in whatever church or churches I get connected to in the future. To further my education after high school, I plan on going to Sheffield Institute to become a certified audio engineer. I want to be surrounded by music wherever I go, whether that be live mixing at a concert or working with musicians in a studio. I know that my love for drumming and my future career field will help me to make a lasting impact.

My favorite aspect of Minecraft has got to be its Multiplayer capabilities. I love how I can experience the sandbox of Minecraft with my buddies, whether it be mining for diamonds or building a cool house. I remember playing on a world with my friends, and we made so much progress on it. We made it to the nether, raided some bastions and fortresses, and even had netherite gear. I remember wandering the warped forests, afraid to look in the eyes of the endermen, and dying and losing our loot, having to run back and quickly get it. We made it to the end, too. That was fun. After the strenuous battle against the dragon, and dying multiple times, we were able to conquer the end. A couple of my friends even got elytra from the end towers. Another part of multiplayer that resonated with me was the servers such as The Hive, which was a bedrock rip-off of Hypixel. We would play death runs and bed wars and do parkour in the lobby. We would also play build battles, which I really enjoyed. Seeing my friends' terrible builds and what they were supposed to be building made me laugh so much. Overall, the fact that I can connect and make memories with my friends on Minecraft is what I like so much about it.

I’ve always been a musical person. I love listening to music, and I’ve been playing the drums since I was seven years old. Music is a passion of mine. It’s something that I just really enjoy, especially when I share it with others. Music has shaped who I am today, so I’ve decided that I would pursue music as a career. Specifically, I’m going to be an audio engineer with the desire to give others an enjoyable experience and to give them an opportunity to worship God. That being said, my goals in mind are to tour and to work for a company or studio and to maybe work with worship artists. Before a song can be released, it must be mixed by the engineer to sound clean and perfect. The same must happen for live performances; the instruments must be mixed so that the show doesn’t sound terrible. Making everything smooth and nice for everyone so that they can have the best possible experience is something that I want to do. With my field of work, I’ll have many opportunities to work with different people and companies. As a Christian, I would like to work with worship artists so that I can give people a chance to worship the Lord and connect with him. Music will continue being a part of my life as I go towards this next step. With this scholarship, I will be able to serve others and worship the Lord in the process.