Hello, my name is Jaycee Teague! I play a variety of instruments but my passion lies with the guitar. Ever since I was little, I have always had an overwhelming sense of inspiration when it came to music. I would watch different movies or shows with well-designed music and think, “I want to make something like that. I would love to be able to play an instrument just like them.” I remember feeling so inspired as a ten-year-old girl. I would pull out my toy keyboard and use a pedestal fan as a microphone. I did not know what I was doing but I was creating. It satisfied something inside me. Along the way, I decided that I wanted to buy a guitar. With my young mind and all of my seventy dollars, I made an impulsive purchase. I bought a guitar that was very bad quality. Despite the difficult playability, I still learned a few chords on it. After taking a break because I had a hard time playing it, my parents eventually bought me a better guitar and I have not stopped learning since. Now I am eighteen years old and I have played for six years. I am completely self taught so my style varies from a combination of many guitarists on Youtube, along with techniques I have acquired on my own. I play fingerstyle guitar so I tend to pluck out the melody and play the chords at the same time. Because of my love for music, I began to create my own. I started producing music about three years ago. Some of my biggest accomplishments have been being able to teach guitar and encouraging music into the lives of others. I have also been given the opportunity to produce music for other artists. I love collaboration. It is cool getting to incorporate my style into someone else's song. However, my greatest accomplishment has been creating background music for my favorite YouTube channel! The account is called “Glory Stories.” It is a huge opportunity being that I am a small artist and the channel has almost thirty-two thousand subscribers. I have accomplished a lot so far and can not wait to see what the future holds. My plans are to attend college in pursuit of music. On the down side, music college is very expensive. That is the reason I am applying for this scholarship. My ultimate dream would be to use my music to make the world a better place. I just have this feeling that it is what I am supposed to do with my life. Creating art is something that has helped me live. I want others to be able to experience the same thing. To end, I want to say thank you to this organization for this scholarship opportunity as it is a gateway into the future of like minded students.

Hello, my name is Jaycee Teague. I have a very rare eye condition that is often referred to as Morning Glory Syndrome. In brief definition, it is a birth defect where the optic nerve does not properly connect to the brain. There are many other aspects but to keep it short, I process things a lot slower than most people do. As if this condition is not rare enough, I have it in both eyes which is even more rare. Up until I was about eight years old I had an eye doctor that was not educated and never put me in glasses. My mom started to realize something was wrong and switched doctors. That is when we found all of this out. Due to the lack of glasses my left eye began to strain to see for my right. Now I'm partially blind in that eye. Growing up I always worried about being the last one to finish a work in class or even bigger things like if I was going to miss out on important milestones such as driving. However, with God and determination all of that has been possible. Now I'm in my senior year of high school and I'm going to graduate with honors...and I can drive! I am also a guitar teacher. How crazy and exciting is that? If I were to tell my younger self about what I have accomplished so far, I would not believe it. I have gained so many amazing opportunities like learning Braille and getting to help out other visually impaired kids through this process. To elaborate on my future goals and how I have overcome obstacles, it's simply music. Music is my passion and 100% my purpose in life. I'm a musician and producer and have been doing these things for about 6 years. Music is my way of truly expressing myself and coping. I have only done small projects for personal music and friends but who knows where I will be in the future? My dream is to attend Belmont University in Nashville Tennessee to get a degree in Music Business. I then hope to share my story and music with the world as an inspiration and encouragement. I have already started my mission and can only imagine where this journey will take me. I do not see my problems as a disability but more as a uniqueness that holds millions of opportunities. If you would like to listen to my music, it is on all streaming services under Jaycee Teague:)

Hello, my name is Jaycee Teague. Before I get into the main questions, I thought I would share a little information about my disability. I have a very rare eye condition that is often referred to as Morning Glory Syndrome. In brief definition, it is a birth defect where the optic nerve does not properly connect to the brain. There are many other aspects but to keep it short, I process things a lot slower than most people do. As if this condition is not rare enough, I have it in both eyes which is even more rare. Up until I was about eight years old I had an eye doctor that was not educated and never put me in glasses. My mom started to realize something was wrong and switched doctors. That is when we found all of this out. Due to the lack of glasses my left eye began to strain to see for my right. Now I'm partially blind in that eye. Growing up I always worried about being the last one to finish a work in class or even bigger things like if I was going to miss out on important milestones such as driving. However, with God and determination all of that has been possible. Now I'm in my senior year of high school and I'm going to graduate with honors...and I can drive! I am also a guitar teacher. How crazy and exciting is that? If I were to tell my younger self about what I have accomplished so far, I would not believe it. I have gained so many amazing opportunities like learning Braille and getting to help out other visually impaired kids through this process. To elaborate on how I have overcome obstacles, it's simply music. Music is my passion and 100% my purpose in life. I'm a musician and producer and have been doing these things for about 6 years. Music is my way of truly expressing myself and coping. I have only done small projects for personal music and friends but who knows where I will be in the future? My dream is to attend Belmont University in Nashville Tennessee to get a degree in Music Business. I then hope to share my story and music with the world as an inspiration and encouragement. I have already started my mission and can only imagine where this journey will take me. I do not see my problems as a disability but more as a uniqueness that holds millions of opportunities.

Hello, my name is Jaycee Teague. Before I get into the main questions, I thought I would share a little information about my disability. I have a very rare eye condition that is often referred to as Morning Glory Syndrome. In brief definition, it is a birth defect where the optic nerve does not properly connect to the brain. There are many other aspects but to keep it short, I process things a lot slower than most people do. As if this condition is not rare enough, I have it in both eyes which is even more rare. Up until I was about eight years old I had an eye doctor that was not educated and never put me in glasses. My mom started to realize something was wrong and switched doctors. That is when we found all of this out. Due to the lack of glasses my left eye began to strain to see for my right. Now I'm partially blind in that eye. Growing up I always worried about being the last one to finish work in class or even bigger things like if I was going to miss out on important milestones such as driving. However, with God and determination all of that has been possible. Now I'm in my senior year of high school and I'm going to graduate with honors...and I can drive! I am also a guitar teacher. How crazy and exciting is that? If I were to tell my younger self about what I have accomplished so far, I would not believe it. I have gained so many amazing opportunities like learning Braille and getting to help out other visually impaired kids through this process. To elaborate on how I have overcome obstacles, it's simply music. Music is my passion and 100% my purpose in life. I'm a musician and producer and have been doing these things for about 6 years. Music is my way of truly expressing myself and coping. I have only done small projects for personal music and friends but who knows where I will be in the future? My dream is to attend Belmont University in Nashville Tennessee to get a degree in Music Business. I then hope to share my story and music with the world as an inspiration and encouragement. I have already started my mission and can only imagine where this journey will take me. I do not see my problems as a disability but more as a uniqueness that holds millions of opportunities. If you would like to listen to my music, it is on all streaming services under Jaycee Teague:) Attached is a picture of my eyes and a Youtube link to a single I named after my condition! It is a dedication to all of the people who have it.

The dream version of myself would be to use music as a source of encouragement to make the world a better place. Success is not determined by money or the number of people who know me but by the determination that I have fulfilled my purpose.

My name is Jaycee Teague and I am seventeen years old. In these years I have faced the nature of the world. By the "nature of the world" I do not mean the beautiful mossy oak trees or the sound of chirping birds, I am referring to the brokenness and heartache that just seems to continuously grow every year. Many people have their own way of finding hope through these troubling circumstances. For me, I find strength through my passion for music and faith. Unfortunately, some people struggle to find their way. My goal is to go to college and expand upon my experience in the pursuit of being an encouragement to others. That is why this scholarship would truly be meaningful to me! In reality, it does not matter who you are or where you are from, there are going to be hardships to overcome. Between hormones, the unknown fact of comparing ourselves to others, and millions of other unfortunate situations, students struggle with mental health daily. I can not help but question, how do we grow? How do I help myself? How can I use my experience to benefit others? I have a theory that music can be the solution to all of our problems. I am living proof that this concept can work. In August of 2021, Hurricane Ida demolished my house. This left me and my family in pieces, due to it being a family home and our loss of a lot of personal items. I mended myself by playing guitar and concentrating on every positive note I played. I compared these notes to my life and used them to become confident in my walk. I am aware that others have faced situations far more difficult than mine, but my message is that music can be an essential part of life. I play various instruments, produce my own music, and enjoy the leisure of listening. However, even for people who are not music lovers, it can still have a huge impact on their life. I once read a story about a person who faced depression due to his brother's death. In his article, he states, “I turned to songwriting to navigate the murky, deep waters of my depression and grief, where there was no such thing as a ‘wrong’ lyric or chord combination. When all I felt was numb, rhythms and chords helped me feel something again. When words weren’t working, I could sing.” Music has the ability to influence emotions and make us feel something that other things could not. My idea is that anyone who hears an uplifting tune will inevitably be influenced by it. I have constructed a safe space for myself and others by creating my own encouraging music. I want to go to music college so I can have further reach in my community and to others. I have already commenced several streams from countries such as Russia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Chile, France, the Philippines, and South Africa and I can only imagine the people it could touch with the guidance I would receive from music college. I do not want my music to reach the world for fame or money but merely to improve mental health. Going to college will provide me with more connections to give me the jump start needed to begin my career in saving the world! Source: nami.org(National Alliance on Mental Illness)article… How-Music-Saved-My-Life My socials to learn more about me and my music… Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiz6uF7Q9x8O5Ggy3jhlgfg Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090142626978&mibextid=LQQJ4d