Having an autoimmune disorder and primary immunodeficiency has changed the way my daily life looks. It's changed what I can eat, what I can do, where I can swim, and pretty much controls my life. I took prophylactic antibiotics for years, which took its toll on my body. Now, I perform weekly infusions to help me stay healthy. I had to eliminate many of my favorite foods or fear the consequences. I've spent my life in and out the walls of hospitals. I’ve adjusted the way I exercise to avoid hurting my joints, and sometimes it’s just inevitable. Some days it's hard to wake up or stay awake, and some days your body aches so badly you just want to stay in bed. But from an outside perspective, you would never know…well, except for when my vitiligo took effect when I was a bit older, yet another autoimmune condition to add to the list and one that my “friends” found it easy to make fun of. Having something that adds struggle to your daily living that goes undetected by others can feel invalidating. I’ve always been a very active child with a love for the performing arts, something that takes extraordinary dedication. What others didn’t realize was the extra effort and energy it took for me to continue pursuing my passions. Staying healthy was not always easy. From a young age, I knew I wanted to spread awareness. For example, a lot of people overlook and minimize things like getting their flu shot, but to people like me, it can make a world of difference. When I was in 6th grade, I made a presentation on why getting vaccinated was so important. At 11 years old, I was educating my classmates, my peers, my teachers, my family, and pretty much anyone who would listen. I urged them to help me in my journey to protect my mom, my grandma, myself, and everyone who suffers from autoimmune and immunodeficiency diseases. There are some of us who just cannot protect ourselves, and that is who I fight for. I am lucky that my conditions were detected at a young age, although they were overlooked many times. I remember when I was always sick, and no one had any explanation. I practically lived at the doctor’s office and was constantly on antibiotics and steroids. And before COVID-19 was a thing, I wore a mask to school. My diagnosis also helped save my mother’s life. She was having similar health struggles with no answers of her own from the variety of specialists she was seeing. With a new sense of direction, she was finally able to get tested and treated for her autoimmune and immunodeficiency disorders, and we began to share our story as patient advocates. I would like to spread awareness to people who grew up like me-to the people who are still searching for answers. I want to spread awareness, so no one ever has to feel helpless or confused. Because being a medical mystery is no way to grow up. I believe more time and research should go towards better treatment and faster diagnosis of autoimmune or immunodeficiency diseases. My autoimmune disease has shaped me to be an advocate and a fighter. I will continue to turn my daily struggles into my daily strengths, as I remember there are so many more people who need to be advocated for and championed.

When most people think of theater, they think of Broadway, but I would like to create an environment where all are included regardless of “abilities.” I have volunteered with special needs individuals for several years now with an organization called Camp Able NOLA and realized that it is a passion of mine. Camp Able NOLA is a place where special needs youth and young adults can express their creativity with a great team to support their big ideas. I initially began working with this group as a summer camp counselor and soon realized I wanted to be more involved in this space throughout their year-round youth group activities where every individual is celebrated no matter their differences. It was not long before I realized we shared some common interests, such as a love for music. In fact, the youth groupers took a field trip to come and support me perform in one of my local musicals. Once they saw what live theater was all about, an idea came to me about how I could share this experience. Many of the youth group members had never been given the opportunity to participate in theater, and I was privileged to champion their debut. Therefore, I wrote and directed a modified version of “A Christmas Carol” to spread joy for the holiday season. Being able to learn the social, emotional and communication skills that go along with participation in such an experience was so rewarding to observe. Since then, I’ve continued to use my love for the performing arts to connect with the kids and young adults in many ways, such as writing songs and directing modified plays. As this program grows, we’ve been able to collaborate with the New Orleans Museum of Art that offers not only a space to perform our plays but an alliance to create play props and costumes. However, communication is not always the easiest. Through my journey, I've adapted to new ways of communicating and found that music truly is a universal language. Since I was a young girl, I’ve spent countless hours dedicated to some aspect of the performing arts-music, dance, voice, and theater. Even if I’ve missed some events or usual teenage rites of passage, I know my dedication and hard work has fueled my passion and shaped me into the person I am today. Although I’ve been fortunate to have a limited part-time job teaching in the performing arts, it’s been the work through my volunteerism that’s brought me the most value. It is through this service and sense of community I’ve realized I want to become a certified music therapist to give support where it's needed. I want to use my future to help neurodiverse people and their families connect on a deeper level through the arts and perhaps even create a program of my own someday. There are limited programs to obtain this certification and only one currently in my state that offers this degree, making it that much more difficult to obtain financially. Scholarships will help me continue my education to spread the art of performing to people who don't often have this opportunity. Your support will help connect people and spread joy throughout my community. Thank you for your consideration. (P.S. Please view my video submission here (I was unable to upload due to file size so also wrote an essay). https://youtu.be/auyDEGlvHdM