When I walked into the gym for the first time and watched a flag cut through the air and land gracefully in the dancer's hands, I knew what I wanted to do. I joined a Winterguard team, practiced for hours, and felt like I had found my thing. I love the feeling of the vibrations of the loud music, the sound of the flag spinning, and feet stepping daintily across the mat. All the feelings you see described in movies, I feel those as soon as the music turns on and I begin to move. Those feelings, as well as the people who also love it, have helped me through some of my hardest moments. When I start dancing, everything just falls away and all you're left with is the music and yourself. You're not worried about the people around you, or about who watching, or what's going on at home, but instead, you're focused on nothing but the next step. The next pirouette. The next leap. And the feelings. My future aspirations include theatre, including musical. As well as hopefully joining the University of Oregon's winter guard team, and hopefully becoming a team coach myself.

Growing up you're always asked a single question quite often. "What do you want to be when you grow up?". Over time our answers change. Sometimes it can go from a princess to a marine biologist or a cowboy to an astronaut. My answer to that question was always "A Popstar". I'll admit, I probably could've found a better word, but the 6-year-old me was obsessed with the thought of performing as a singer. I don't think there was even a specific moment that created that dream, it was just there from the start. I was always singing to any song I could and was fascinated with people playing/creating music of all kinds. As I got older I did everything I could that was even slightly musical. I joined a choir at a young age, joined a band in elementary school, and self-taught myself piano and ukulele all before I was 13. But then a slight problem occurred. Around the age of 12, I auditioned for a talent show, and in the midst of my audition the music skipped and I had no idea what to do. I ended up bursting into tears and running off stage. That was the start of my ongoing battle with solo stage fright. I began doubting myself and got nervous performing in front of people by myself. To this day I continue to struggle with it, but I don't let the anxiety and nervousness stop me from doing what I love or at least trying. There are moments when this world feels overwhelming. There are moments where it feels like your whole life is falling apart. But, there are also moments when everything feels incredible. Whether it's in the car with the windows down late at night, sitting on your bedroom floor, walking to the bus stop, or even just cooking in the kitchen, music tends to always be the thing that fixes everything. It can be because you relate to the lyrics at that moment or because the beat and melody just give you chills. It's different for everyone. Some people would rather put headphones in and blast their favorite playlist, some people would rather sit and write all their emotions down as lyrics, and some people would rather just sit and play an instrument. Some people do none of the above, and those are people I have a hard time understanding because I do all of that. So, answering the question stated in the beginning, "What do you want to be when you grow up", I've come to a conclusion (And trust me, it's better than "a popstar"). It doesn't matter what I want to BE but more of what I want to DO. I want to write songs that all sorts of people can listen to. I want to write lyrics that people can relate to and find comfort in. I want to produce music that people can listen to and feel like they're not alone. And while I am aware of the fact that that might not be something I can do full-time, it's still something I want to at least do. I want to impact people's lives. Have someone tell me "Your songs helped me through a dark time in my life." or "Your songs always make me happy" would mean my dream was completed. To me, it's not about the fame, or "going on a world tour", or getting a record deal. No. To me, it's about creating something you love and sharing it with the world, and it all starts with a 6-year-old with the dream of being a popstar.

I have always longed for a dystopian life of adventure and chaos. Let me tell you, a worldwide pandemic was not what I meant. I mean Divergent. In my opinion, Divergent is one of the best movies and books to exist in the dystopian realm of literature. I have grown up rereading the books and watching the movies over and over again. To the point where I have it memorized word for word. I love its escapade plot and its plot twists. If we were to put aside the actual story, I am completely in love with the soundtrack the movie uses. The music seems to really draw you in and to me it always makes me feel excited. They use a mix of songs that are equally upbeat and also calm. The music helps the story keep moving while also drawing the attention of the viewers. I have always loved the Divergent trilogy, and continue to read and watch it as much as possible.

I have grown up with music. Whether it was playing an instrument, performing with the choir, or even just writing songs in my bedroom. Music has comforted me in times when nothing else could. Before I came out to my parents as LGBTQ, I always listened to music because it spoke words that I was always too scared to use. I feel like music has impacted me in so many ways. It has given me confidence when I needed it, and it helps me understand myself more. When I get anxious doing simple things, when I overthink little conversations, when I feel too many emotions at once, and become overwhelmed. Music is always there. I'll either sit and write lyrics that I'm too scared to speak aloud or listen to music that explains what I'm feeling. You know how, at the doctors, when you're about to get a shot, they tell you "Think of your happy place"? Well, growing up I realized my happy place is anywhere with music. A concert? Sure. A stage? Sure. My happy place is anywhere I can be myself without judgment. And I feel like music is the best way to feel like that. I hope to attend The University of Oregon, where I plan on getting my bachelor's degree in child education and becoming an elementary school music teacher. I want all children to feel accepted regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual identity, etc. Whether they feel it through music or not is their choice. My goal is to show them the benefits of music while creating a safe environment for them to learn. I hope this scholarship can help me do that.

I have always been a good reader, and I don't mean to be arrogant, but I have always liked reading books. Whether it's Harry Potter, Divergent, Hunger Games, etc. But I have always struggled with writing. Essays, Reports, Claim sentences, you name it. If it wasn't a fictional writing piece then my brain wouldn't comprehend what I needed to write. However, when I transitioned from elementary school to middle school I found a person that helped me immensely with that. Her name was Mrs. Russel. She was my 6th grade Language Arts teacher. Let me tell you, I was not planning on liking her class. I thought it was going to be boring, and that I was going to fail. While I don't remember the exact moment it happened, all I know was something about her that made me hopeful. She always started class with a smile, she always seemed to know what I needed help with, and she was always understanding. I felt like I could tell her anything with zero judgment, even if it had nothing to do with the class or assignments. I began looking forward to her class and wanting to show her that I could write things and actually be good at it. I think that the fact that when I went to middle school and decided to try out for color guard when I found out she was the coach for the parade team, I automatically knew she was a hard-working and compassionate person. She worked hard both as my teacher and as my coach. She inspired me to work harder and to put myself out there more. Even once I went to 7th grade I still spoke to her every day, I still ate lunch in her classroom with my best friend, and I still continued to prove that I could be successful to her. She helped me become a better writer, team member, and overall a better person. She has inspired me in so many ways. Growing up I always wanted to be an actress or singer/songwriter. And while that is still a huge part of my life, Mrs. Russel is definitely the one that introduced me to my true passion. Teaching. Watching her be both a teacher, a coach, and overall a kind person, the main thing that has impacted me is that she taught me how to achieve anything. She taught me how to listen to others, how to help others, and how to work hard. So now, as a sophomore in high school, I plan on applying and hopefully attending the University Of Oregon where I would like to get a bachelor's degree in child education and be a part of their competitive color guard team. I want to become an elementary school teacher and a color guard coach, and I want to be someone that kids can go to when they need help inside and outside the classroom. I want to be the teacher that every student loves. I want to be the teacher and coach that helps students and kids strive to be the best they can be regardless of gender, race, sexual identity, and experiences. I want to teach students that anything is possible and that no dream is too big. And I hope that this scholarship will help me get there.