In the words of jazz musician Herbie Hancock, “music happens to be an art that transcends language”. Throughout the journey of my life, this has proved especially true. Music is my way of impacting the people around me and sharing a small part of myself with the world. During my time at Cibola High School, I have been given the privilege of representing the band and creating a positive impact on younger students. In 2021, I served as color guard captain, and this most recent season, I have had the great honor of serving as drum major. While in these positions of leadership, I’ve learned more about myself and have experienced more personal growth than I have at any other time in my life. As drum major, I helped facilitate a healthy working relationship between peers and between students and teachers, made sure that everyone had the tools they needed to be successful, and interfaced with leaders from other schools. My leadership philosophy is one of collaboration and mutual respect, which helps create a welcoming and caring environment that is both comfortable and productive for students, leaders, and instructors alike. Outside of my leadership within music, I have also witnessed the deep emotional impact that music has on the people around us. Participating in the Albuquerque Youth Symphony, playing in honor groups, and playing in other solo settings, I have seen the profound experience that music evokes in listeners. A moment that I will never forget is when I had the opportunity to perform at an APS board meeting, and the board president was moved to tears. I was the first student musician to perform since COVID, and what I thought was a small playing opportunity deeply touched the people who experienced my music. Another great privilege that I have had was playing the world premiere of a piece dedicated to the late director of bands at UNM. I had an extensive oboe melody, and the impact this piece had on the community, his colleagues, and his family is unmatched. In addition to my musical endeavors, I have also used my passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) to serve younger members of the community. Over the Summer of 2020, I was a volunteer junior docent at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Because this program was virtual, our primary focus was creating an online presence for the museum and increasing community outreach and involvement with the sciences. I chose to be a part of a group of volunteers that created videos of guided at-home experiments that could be performed by younger children. Becoming a part of New Mexico’s scientific community and sharing my love and curiosity about the universe with younger generations has been fulfilling, and has sparked my passion even further. Using my skills and passions to create a lasting impact on my community is something that brings me great joy and fulfillment. I intend to continue with both music and science throughout the rest of my life and hope to keep making an impact, however small it may seem at the time.