Darin David Drown, or as many students lovingly call him, "Triple D", was my high school choir teacher. He was incomparable. Although Colorado's Grandview High School did not specialize in the performing arts, the faculty's output proved otherwise. Mr. Drown consistently helped direct the fall musicals (whether in the pit or leading vocal rehearsals), which annually sold out to crowds of approximately 500. He worked with students on audition materials for All-State Choir auditions and, most notably, Mr. Drown created an empire of choirs at Grandview. His top three choirs (Jazz Choir, Chambers Choir, and Bella Voce) have ranked as some of the strongest in the state, especially in recent years. I was in Bella Voce my sophomore year and was lucky enough to travel to compete against other Colorado choirs. That year, Mr. Drown's choirs swept -- first place in four categories. The following year (my junior year), I was in the Jazz and Chambers Choir, and Grandview's strain of dominance continued. Last year, Grandview Jazz students held 14 of the 48 Colorado All-State Jazz Choir spots, which beat the state record established by the previous year's Jazz Choir. All-State Jazz Choir provided incredible networking opportunities. I was personally approached by college recruiters after I sang a solo at the culminating concert. It's so rare to encounter a teacher with as much drive and passion that it rubs off onto their students, but this was a regular occurrence for Mr. Drown. I watched as more and more people turned their casual interest in music into their intended career path after working with Mr. Drown. He certainly changed my life goals. Throughout high school, I often struggled to define my relationship with music. I have always loved to play the piano and to sing, but music is a treacherous career. After attending Interlochen Arts Camp the summer before my sophomore year, I felt more confident that I wanted to pursue music in college, but in what capacity, I was uncertain. That was the year I started to work with Mr. Drown. His dedication and work ethic were exciting. He understands music in a way I aspire to, picking one voice out of large choirs and making miniscule adjustments until overtones created a brilliant chord. Unlike many other choirs, he selected repertoire from various genres: classical, jazz, barbershop, and pop. It enlightened me to start taking my music into different genres; I began investing myself in my piano and vocal studies. Eventually, I became determined to major in piano performance in college. However, the summer before my senior year, I became weary of the opportunities in Aurora, Colorado. I had taken complete advantage of the choir and theatre programs at Grandview, and I knew that my next obstacle, auditioning for college, would be my greatest struggle yet. With the support and guidance of Mr. Drown, I transferred to Interlochen Arts Academy for my senior year. At Interlochen, I have excelled. My piano teacher here claims that in his 50+ years of teaching, he has never seen growth as rapid as mine. After a year of intense work and practice, I am heading to the University of Michigan this fall to pursue music. As a musician, I will try my hand at education at some point, whether I teach beginner pianists or work at a university. I can only hope that I am half the teacher that Mr. Drown was, and I will forever remain grateful for his influence on my life.

I fundraised and donated a pad dispenser for each bathroom and over 75,000 pads to my former middle school so the menstruators could attend class during their periods and everyone was given equal opportunity regardless of their regular bodily function. In doing this, I earned my Girl Scout Silver Award, was invited to be a speaker at the National PERIOD Day Rally in Denver (as shown in the picture), and shared the importance of speaking out against menstrual injustice in my community!