Growing up, I was always surrounded by dance as my parents were Latin ballroom dancers who toured around the world. My mother studied dance at Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Steps on Broadway, and DanceSport. I always watched them teach classes and afterward my mom gave me salsa, cha-cha, merengue and bachata lessons. When I was 5yrs old, I enrolled in ballet classes and chorus at church. I auditioned for Chorus in 4th grade. My mother wanted me to sing in Spanish. My teacher recommended me for Honors Chorus starting in 5th grade and I loved the experience so much, that I participated through middle school! In high school, I explored theater and Acting became one of my favorite forms of the arts, until I discovered Musical Theater. While my mother positively impacted my participation in performing arts, my brother has impacted everything else I do. Growing up in my household has always been a struggle. My dad left us when I was 7 and my brother 3, and my mom had to raise us on her own. When they divorced, my dad chose not to share the responsibility of raising us, financially or emotionally. Extracurricular activities were impossible because we couldn't afford them as my mother’s health deteriorated. Then, my mother noticed delays in my brother’s development. After numerous evaluations, he was diagnosed with severe Autism and other health issues. I spent most of my afternoons after school in waiting rooms. My brother went to Marcus Autism Center, for speech, occupational, physical, and feeding therapies. I found myself not understanding why he behaved the way he did and sometimes having ugly thoughts about him and the entire situation. Life seemed to revolve around my brother and there was not enough time for me. My mom noticed my struggles around the divorce, my brother, and my lack of concentration in school. When I went to therapy, I felt better. Music Therapy changed my life. She enrolled me in performing arts programs that were close to home that offered scholarships. However, those activities were limited to our low-income community. My mother’s health stabilized, and my brother benefitted from early intervention. We made sure to always include my brother even though large crowds, noise, and lights would bother him. Now he is acclimated. Now he knows I’ll be on stage. During auditions and rehearsals, my brother joins in conversations that were not easy for him. Now he independently asks questions about songs, scenes, or cast members. Sometimes I catch him watching me rehearse. My friends and teachers know Marco now. They greet him always making sure to acknowledge and include him. The smile on his face says it all and he feels better about being at a performance, which at one point seemed unimaginable. I enjoy the arts and achieving my dreams regardless of all the obstacles life has thrown our way. However, I am most proud of the impact that my love for the arts has made on my brother's life. Nothing has deterred me from making it this far despite facing adversity in my situation. Hard work and persistence are the key elements I witnessed my mother use to achieve great things, and that is what she has instilled in me. My dream is to perform all over the world and on Broadway, while positively impacting all audiences. That is why I am pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre and applying for as many scholarships as possible to help me achieve that goal.

Growing up, I was always surrounded by dance as my parents were Latin ballroom dancers who toured around the world. My mother studied dance at Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Steps on Broadway, and DanceSport. I always watched them teach classes and afterward my mom gave me salsa, cha-cha, merengue and bachata lessons. When I was 5yrs old, I enrolled in ballet classes and chorus at church. I auditioned for Chorus in 4th grade. My mother wanted me to sing in Spanish. My teacher recommended me for Honors Chorus starting in 5th grade and I loved the experience so much, that I participated through middle school! In high school, I explored theater and Acting became one of my favorite forms of the arts, until I discovered Musical Theater. While my mother positively impacted my participation in performing arts, my brother has impacted everything else I do. Growing up in my household has always been a struggle. My dad left us when I was 7 and my brother 3, and my mom had to raise us on her own. When they divorced, my dad chose not to share the responsibility of raising us, financially or emotionally. Extracurricular activities were impossible because we couldn't afford them as my mother’s health deteriorated. Then, my mother noticed delays in my brother’s development. After numerous evaluations, he was diagnosed with severe Autism and other health issues. I spent most of my afternoons after school in waiting rooms. My brother went to Marcus Autism Center, for speech, occupational, physical, and feeding therapies. I found myself not understanding why he behaved the way he did and sometimes having ugly thoughts about him and the entire situation. Life seemed to revolve around my brother and there was not enough time for me. My mom noticed my struggles around the divorce, my brother, and my lack of concentration in school. When I went to therapy, I felt better. Music Therapy changed my life. She enrolled me in performing arts programs that were close to home that offered scholarships. However, those activities were limited to our low-income community. My mother’s health stabilized, and my brother benefitted from early intervention. We made sure to always include my brother even though large crowds, noise, and lights would bother him. Now he is acclimated. Now he knows I’ll be on stage. During auditions and rehearsals, my brother joins in conversations that were not easy for him. Now he independently asks questions about songs, scenes, or cast members. Sometimes I catch him watching me rehearse. My friends and teachers know Marco now. They greet him always making sure to acknowledge and include him. The smile on his face says it all and he feels better about being at a performance, which at one point seemed unimaginable. I enjoy the arts and achieving my dreams regardless of all the obstacles life has thrown our way. However, I am most proud of the impact that my love for the arts has made on my brother's life. Nothing has deterred me from making it this far despite facing adversity in my situation. Hard work and persistence are what I witnessed my mother achieve great things, and it is what she has instilled in me. My dream is to perform all over the world and on Broadway while achieving success in positively impacting all audiences!

Growing up, I was always surrounded by dance as my parents were Latin ballroom dancers who toured around the world. My mother studied dance at Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Steps on Broadway, and DanceSport. I always watched them teach classes and afterward my mom gave me salsa, cha-cha, merengue and bachata lessons. When I was 5yrs old, I enrolled in ballet classes and chorus at church. I auditioned for Chorus in 4th grade. My mother wanted me to sing in Spanish. My teacher recommended me for Honors Chorus starting in 5th grade and I loved the experience so much, that I participated through middle school! In high school, I explored theater and Acting became one of my favorite forms of the arts, until I discovered Musical Theater. While my mother positively impacted my participation in performing arts, my brother has impacted everything else I do. Growing up in my household has always been a struggle. My dad left us when I was 7 and my brother 3, and my mom had to raise us on her own. When they divorced, my dad chose not to share the responsibility of raising us, financially or emotionally. Extracurricular activities were impossible because we couldn't afford them as my mother’s health deteriorated. When my grandmother came to visit or help us, it was for a very short period of time. Although all her children were adults, her youngest (my uncle) seemed to always be battling some type of addiction. My grandfather visited too, but he's a recovering alcoholic and compulsive gambler. Needless to say, he couldn't help us in any way. Then, my mother noticed delays in my brother’s development. After numerous evaluations, he was diagnosed with severe Autism and other health issues. I spent most of my afternoons after school in waiting rooms. My brother went to Marcus Autism Center, for speech, occupational, physical, and feeding therapies. I found myself not understanding why he behaved the way he did and sometimes having ugly thoughts about him and the entire situation. Life seemed to revolve around my brother and there was not enough time for me. My mom noticed my struggles around the divorce, my brother, and my lack of concentration in school. When I went to therapy, I felt better. Music Therapy changed my life. She enrolled me in performing arts programs that were close to home that offered scholarships. However, those activities were limited to our low-income community. Once again, the few family members we had were always dealing with either their addiction or my uncle's. My mother’s health stabilized, and my brother benefitted from early intervention. We made sure to always include my brother even though large crowds, noise, and lights would bother him. Now he is acclimated. Now he knows I’ll be on stage. During auditions and rehearsals, my brother joins in conversations that were not easy for him. Now he independently asks questions about songs, scenes, or cast members. Sometimes I catch him watching me rehearse. My friends and teachers know Marco now. They greet him always making sure to acknowledge and include him. The smile on his face says it all and he feels better about being at a performance, which at one point seemed unimaginable. I enjoy the arts and achieving my dreams regardless of all the obstacles life has thrown our way. However, I am most proud of the impact that my love for the arts has made on my brother's life. My dream is to perform on stage all over the world and on Broadway. Nothing has stopped me so far despite facing adversity!

Growing up, I was always surrounded by dance as my parents were Latin ballroom dancers who toured around the world. My mother studied dance at Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Steps on Broadway, and DanceSport. I always watched them teach classes and afterward my mom gave me salsa, cha-cha, merengue and bachata lessons. When I was 5yrs old, I enrolled in ballet classes and chorus at church. I auditioned for Chorus in 4th grade. My mother wanted me to sing in Spanish. My teacher recommended me for Honors Chorus starting in 5th grade and I loved the experience so much, that I participated through middle school! In high school, I explored theater and Acting became one of my favorite forms of the arts, until I discovered Musical Theater. While my mother positively impacted my participation in performing arts, my brother has impacted everything else I do. Growing up in my household has always been a struggle. My dad left us when I was 7 and my brother 3, and my mom had to raise us on her own. When they divorced, my dad chose not to share the responsibility of raising us, financially or emotionally. Extracurricular activities were impossible because we couldn't afford them as my mother’s health deteriorated. Then, my mother noticed delays in my brother’s development. After numerous evaluations, he was diagnosed with severe Autism and other health issues. I spent most of my afternoons after school in waiting rooms. My brother went to Marcus Autism Center, for speech, occupational, physical, and feeding therapies. I found myself not understanding why he behaved the way he did and sometimes having ugly thoughts about him and the entire situation. Life seemed to revolve around my brother and there was not enough time for me. My mom noticed my struggles around the divorce, my brother, and my lack of concentration in school. When I went to therapy, I felt better. Music Therapy changed my life. She enrolled me in performing arts programs that were close to home that offered scholarships. However, those activities were limited to our low-income community. My mother’s health stabilized, and my brother benefitted from early intervention. We made sure to always include my brother even though large crowds, noise, and lights would bother him. Now he is acclimated. Now he knows I’ll be on stage. During auditions and rehearsals, my brother joins in conversations that were not easy for him. Now he independently asks questions about songs, scenes, or cast members. Sometimes I catch him watching me rehearse. My friends and teachers know Marco now. They greet him always making sure to acknowledge and include him. The smile on his face says it all and he feels better about being at a performance, which at one point seemed unimaginable. I enjoy the arts and achieving my dreams regardless of all the obstacles life has thrown our way. However, I am most proud of the impact that my love for the arts has made on my brother's life. Nothing has deterred me from achieving my goals and pursuing my dreams despite all the adversity I've faced in my life. Hard work and persistence are the key elements to success, no matter what success might look like for any one person. It is what I witnessed from my mother and she instilled in me when she was facing adversity. My dream is to perform on stage all over the world and on Broadway positively impacting all audiences!

Growing up, I was always surrounded by dance as my parents were Latin ballroom dancers who toured around the world. My mother studied dance at Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Steps on Broadway, and DanceSport. I always watched them teach classes and afterward my mom gave me salsa, cha-cha, merengue and bachata lessons. When I was 5yrs old, I enrolled in ballet classes and chorus at church. I auditioned for Chorus in 4th grade. My mother wanted me to sing in Spanish. My teacher recommended me for Honors Chorus starting in 5th grade and I loved the experience so much, that I participated through middle school! In high school, I explored theater and Acting became one of my favorite forms of the arts, until I discovered Musical Theater. While my mother positively impacted my participation in performing arts, my brother has impacted everything else I do. Growing up in my household has always been a struggle. My dad left us when I was 7 and my brother 3, and my mom had to raise us on her own. When they divorced, my dad chose not to share the responsibility of raising us, financially or emotionally. Extracurricular activities were impossible because we couldn't afford them as my mother’s health deteriorated. Then, my mother noticed delays in my brother’s development. After numerous evaluations, he was diagnosed with severe Autism and other health issues. I spent most of my afternoons after school in waiting rooms. My brother went to Marcus Autism Center, for speech, occupational, physical, and feeding therapies. I found myself not understanding why he behaved the way he did and sometimes having ugly thoughts about him and the entire situation. Life seemed to revolve around my brother and there was not enough time for me. My mom noticed my struggles around the divorce, my brother, and my lack of concentration in school. When I went to therapy, I felt better. Music Therapy changed my life. She enrolled me in performing arts programs that were close to home that offered scholarships. However, those activities were limited to our low-income community. My mother’s health stabilized, and my brother benefitted from early intervention. We made sure to always include my brother even though large crowds, noise, and lights would bother him. Now he is acclimated. Now he knows I’ll be on stage. During auditions and rehearsals, my brother joins in conversations that were not easy for him. Now he independently asks questions about songs, scenes, or cast members. Sometimes I catch him watching me rehearse. My friends and teachers know Marco now. They greet him always making sure to acknowledge and include him. The smile on his face says it all and he feels better about being at a performance, which at one point seemed unimaginable. I enjoy the arts and achieving my dreams regardless of all the obstacles life has thrown our way. However, I am most proud of the impact that my love for the arts has made on my brother's life.

I am Maya Diaz, a 17 yr. old Hispanic girl aspiring to become a performing arts major. My problem is that I struggle with anxiety, ADD and depression. The life experiences I've gained so far have proven to be a solution for me with invisible disabilities and can help others too. Growing up, I was always surrounded by dance as my parents were Latin ballroom dancers who toured around the world. My mother studied dance at Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Steps on Broadway, and DanceSport. I always watched them teach classes and afterward my mom gave me salsa, cha-cha, merengue and bachata lessons. When I was 5yrs old, I was enrolled in ballet classes and chorus at church. I auditioned for Chorus in 4th grade. My mother wanted me to sing in Spanish too, but I began struggling with anxiety after my parents divorced and I couldn't fathom singing in Spanish when being in front of a crowd was difficult enough. Nevertheless, my mother encouraged me to continue with the hopes that my anxiety would slowly fade away. My teacher recommended me for Honors Chorus starting in 5th grade and I loved the experience so much, that I participated through middle school! In high school, I explored theater and Acting became one of my favorite forms of the arts, until I discovered Musical Theater. While my mother positively impacted my participation in performing arts, my brother has impacted everything else I do. Growing up in my household has always been a struggle. My dad left us when I was 7 and my brother 3, and my mom had to raise us on her own. When they divorced, my dad chose not to share the responsibility of raising us, financially or emotionally. Extracurricular activities were impossible because we couldn't afford them as my mother’s health deteriorated. Then, my mother noticed delays in my brother’s development. After numerous evaluations, he was diagnosed with severe Autism and other health issues. I spent most of my afternoons after school in waiting rooms. My brother went to Marcus Autism Center, for speech, occupational, physical, and feeding therapies. I found myself not understanding why he behaved the way he did and sometimes having ugly thoughts about him and the entire situation. Life seemed to revolve around my brother and there was not enough time for me. My mom noticed my struggles around the divorce, my brother, and my lack of concentration in school. When I went to therapy, I felt better. Music Therapy changed my life. She enrolled me in performing arts programs that were close to home that offered scholarships. However, those activities were limited to our low-income community. My mother’s health stabilized, and my brother benefitted from early intervention. We made sure to always include my brother even though large crowds, noise, and lights would bother him. Now he is acclimated. Now he knows I’ll be on stage. During auditions and rehearsals, my brother joins in conversations that were not easy for him. Sometimes I catch him watching me rehearse. My friends and teachers know Marco now. They greet him always making sure to acknowledge and include him. The smile on his face says it all and he feels better about being at a performance, which at one point seemed unimaginable. I enjoy the arts and achieving my dreams regardless of all the obstacles life has thrown our way. However, I am most proud of the impact that my love for the arts has made on my brother's life and my anxiety. I have achieved the lead role in my high school musical.

Growing up in Atlanta, GA, I was always surrounded by dance as my parents were Latin ballroom dancers who toured around the world. My mother studied dance at Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Steps on Broadway, and DanceSport. I always watched them teach classes and she taught me salsa, cha-cha, merengue and bachata at the age of 5. Every Saturday she taught at the Latin American Association in Atlanta, and she made sure I went to learn with all the other children in the class. When I was 5yrs old, I enrolled in ballet classes and chorus at church. There are many churches in Atlanta, GA and some of them offer art programs for children aside from religious education. When it became available, I auditioned for Chorus in 4th grade. My mother hoped I would sing in Spanish too. My teacher recommended me for Honors Chorus starting in 5th grade and I loved the experience so much, that I participated through middle school! In high school, I explored theater and Acting became one of my favorite forms of the arts, until I discovered Musical Theater. Atlanta seems to be growing very quickly with theatre and acting all around. While my mother positively impacted my participation in performing arts, my brother has impacted everything else I do. Growing up in my household has always been a struggle. My dad left us when I was 7 and my brother 3, and my mom had to raise us on her own. When they divorced, my dad chose not to share the responsibility of raising us, financially or emotionally. Extracurricular activities were impossible because we couldn't afford them as my mother’s health deteriorated. We also lived in an area that didn't offer as many arts programs within the public schools or anywhere after school. Also, this particular city requires you to travel by car 100% of the time. So, that made it difficult even when my grandmother would fly in from New York to help my mom when she was recovering from surgeries. My grandmother didn't drive and couldn't take me to any extracurricular activities. Then, my mother noticed delays in my brother’s development. After numerous evaluations, he was diagnosed with severe Autism along with other health issue and visual impairment. I spent most of my afternoons after school in waiting rooms. My brother went to the Marcus Autism Center, speech therapy, occupational, physical, and feeding therapies. If anyone has been to Atlanta, GA, they know how terrible the traffic can be. That can make any trip twice as long. I found myself not understanding why my brother behaved the way he did and sometimes having ugly thoughts about him and the entire situation. Life seemed to revolve around my brother and there was not enough time for me. My mom noticed my struggles around the divorce, my brother, and my lack of concentration in school. When I went to therapy, I felt better. Music Therapy changed my life! She enrolled me in performing arts programs that became available and were close to home offering scholarships. However, those activities were limited to our low-income community. My mother’s health stabilized, and my brother benefitted from early intervention. We made sure to always include my brother even though large crowds, noise, and lights would bother him. Now he is acclimated. Now he knows I’ll be on stage. During auditions and rehearsals, my brother joins in conversations that are normally not easy for him. Now he independently asks questions about songs, scenes, or cast members. Sometimes I catch him watching me rehearse. My friends and teachers know Marco too. They greet him and always make sure to acknowledge and include him. The smile on his face says it all and he feels better about being at a performance, which at one point seemed unimaginable. I enjoy the arts and achieving my dreams regardless of all the obstacles life has thrown our way. I am proud of what I've been able to accomplish, as well as making my mother proud. However, I am most proud of the impact that my love for the arts has made on my brother's life.