From 5th grade on, music has been a rock for me. The band room has become my second home and the people I make music with become family. I grew up watching my sister at her marching band competitions, and I had my heart set on playing the euphonium after I heard the marching baritones playing. (However, my first dream was to play bari sax, but that was soon reimagined when I realized it was bigger than me.) Music and playing my instrument guided me and gave me a way of expression when times got hard in my life. When my grandma passed away, my brother went to the military and was deployed, and my sister was in and out of the hospital, I turned to music. It was a controllable thing that led me to find peace and joy during those times. I know it sounds cliche, but music really was what kept me whole. Music and the people it brought me to Through my high school years, I have realized the importance of band in my life. As I continue the next step of my journey, I hope to bring the joys of music to those around me. I have witnessed many of my peers go through the struggles of their music programs dissolving. There are way too many rural schools lacking a band teacher. I hope to bring the spark of music back to one of these schools. Music has been a guiding factor in my life, and I want my students to have the same experience. This fall, I will be attending the University of Nebraska Omaha to earn my degree in Music Education. Throughout my college experience, I will participate in UNO’s wind ensemble and pep band to further my musical experience. With the Music Education degree, I want to become a band teacher at a rural school. My band teacher has changed my life for the better. If I can do that for just one student, it will be worth it. Within 5 years of receiving my Bachelor’s degree, I hope to earn my master’s degree in Music Therapy. From there, I will either continue my teaching career while applying my new knowledge, or slightly curve paths to full-time music therapy. Band has been a guiding factor of my life for the past 7 years. One person can make ripples that turn into waves. Through my career, I hope to change lives through the power of music.

From 5th grade on, music has been a rock for me. The band room has become my second home and the people I make music with become family. I grew up watching my sister at her marching band competitions, and I had my heart set on playing the euphonium after I heard the marching baritones playing. (However, my first dream was to play bari sax, but that was soon reimagined when I realized it was bigger than me.) Music and playing my instrument guided me and gave me a way of expression when times got hard in my life. When my grandma passed away, my brother went to the military and was deployed, and my sister was in and out of the hospital, I turned to music. It was a controllable thing that led me to find peace and joy during those times. I know it sounds cliche, but music really was what kept me whole. Music and the people it brought me to supported me through everything, good and bad. Through my high school years, I have realized the importance of band in my life. As I continue the next step of my journey, I hope to bring the joys of music to those around me. I have witnessed many of my peers go through the struggles of their music programs dissolving. There are way too many rural schools lacking a band teacher. I hope to bring the spark of music back to one of these schools. Music has been a guiding factor in my life, and I want my students to have the same experience. This fall, I will be attending the University of Nebraska Omaha to earn my degree in Music Education. Throughout my college experience, I will participate in UNO’s wind ensemble and pep band to further my musical experience. With the Music Education degree, I want to become a band teacher at a rural school. My band teacher has changed my life for the better. If I can do that for just one student, it will be worth it. Within 5 years of receiving my Bachelor’s degree, I hope to earn my master’s degree in Music Therapy. From there, I will either continue my teaching career while applying my new knowledge, or slightly curve paths to full-time music therapy. Band has been a guiding factor of my life for the past 7 years. One person can make ripples that turn into waves. Through my career, I hope to change lives through the power of music.