I'm a senior, soon to be graduating and my high school career is coming to a close now. I have a passion for music and love playing the trumpet. I'm very involved in leadership in lots of parts of my life as I'm also a part of our local YMCA teen leadership program. As I sit and reflect on the highs and the lows of the last four years, I realize how much I've learned. Music and band have been a huge part of my life and it has helped me so much. I have learned about leadership and how to work with others, even when the situations were tough. I have learned that to attain your goals you must work hard, stay disciplined, and be consistent and I've tried to do that along the way. These values of consistency are applicable outside the realm of band and music and I am extremely grateful that I was able to learn them at such a young age. Through competitive music, I have learned how to lose gracefully. Now because of band and music, whenever I feel like I failed or could have done better, rather than just sitting there and staying dejected, I use the loss as an opportunity to learn and become a better man and a better musician. Being able to take a loss and make the most of it is something that I will forever hold as an important moral and I know that it will help me become the best man, musician, and teacher that I could strive to be. With these experiences of growth, learning, and realization I have come to terms that music means the world to me and is something that I want to learn, teach, and share as a career. This is my goal for my future. I envision teaching music at the university level! I can't wait for the time I can share my joy and passion for music with others. To watch people be moved by music in unison, in the crowd, well, that's something. It's communication with instruments, chords, notes, and so much more. I can't imagine not fulfilling this goal, it's become everything to me. My involvement in our local YMCA, in the capacity I am, with our amazing teen program has been very rewarding. Just last week I was awarded Teen Leader of the Year. It's so easy to give of myself and my time when I love what we are doing in the community. We do everything from helping at children's events to re-painting in our YMCA to working with other teens every week to help them realize their potential. We can make such an impact (and we do!) in our local community at the grassroots level. All of these small and large ways we have given of our time through our club have made a huge impact on the person I am right now. Also though, it's made me take stock of where I am as a young man and helped me realize that the gifts I have been given by volunteering in so many instances have shaped me and very much impacted who I WANT to be too. I am so thankful I made the decision three years ago to get involved in our YMCA. I've been able to couple the leadership skills I've learned there and with my band program into being a better all-around human. This scholarship will help lighten my load of debt for the next four years as a college education has gotten so expensive. Every little bit helps!

Looking ahead, my dream encapsulates music and teaching that music to spread my joy and passion to others, while simultaneously marking my path to success in the arts, which there is a great need for in our country right now.

My mom has always been there for me. She's been my biggest cheerleader and always showed up for every little thing I was ever involved in. Somehow, even though she works a full time job and always has, she always made time to show up to all of the things that were important to me, even as a little kid. Her faith in me has also been instrumental in pushing me to take risks and chase my dreams in music. She has always been a big believer in my abilities and has encouraged me to pursue things that I am passionate about, even if they seem daunting. Watching her journey through life has taught me invaluable lessons that have inspired me to chase my dreams. I have learned from watching her that success does not come easy; it takes perseverance, dedication, and a little bit of courage. It takes doing the right thing even when it feels like it will be easier not to do the right thing. I've seen her make those tough choices, and do the right thing, and it's made me proud of her but also, it's made me want to be like her too. I see her values and morals as she teaches and leads my brother and me by example and it does inspire me. I am one of three boys and I'm the youngest. I was born after my brother Lucas died. He was born with a heart defect So, while there are three of us, only two of us are here on this Earth. Even though he died twenty years ago, I still see my mom struggle at times with her grief and sadness. I also see her work hard to move forward in peace and love despite that unspeakable loss. The strength and inspiration she exudes just by putting one foot in front of the other, just by being there for me (and for my brother) is everything. While I pursue a life in music, which could be a challenging life path and journey, her perspective is different from other parents. That's because she has lost a child. It makes one take stock of what is important in life. All she wants is for me to be happy, period. Since music and the pursuit of music as a career makes me happy, then she's behind me completely. Another way that my mom has inspired me is by showing me how to dream big and help others. She has always advocated for me to find ways to volunteer in the community and as a result, I've found plenty of ways to do that. I play trumpet with a buddy at a local senior living facility and have done it for some time now. It's very fulfilling and they love to hear our music! I also do a lot with my local YMCA in our teen group in the community as well. All of this was initially inspired by my mom when I think about it. She has always been driven by the desire to make a difference in people's lives and it has impacted my life and outlook in many ways. I don't know what I'd do without her guiding force in my life. Our family is better and stronger because of her. She has a positivity about her that rubs off on everyone around her. She makes me better because of that uplifting spirit and happiness she carries with her. She has had a profound impact on all of us and I am grateful for her love every day.