West Family Scholarship Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute." My father is African-American and my mother is white. Growing up, I knew I had a "brown family" and a "white family." I considered myself "tan," but growing up in a diverse, primarily black school district, I truly did not give much thought to my race. When my family moved and I transferred to a less diverse school district in 4th grade, I was quickly made aware of my race by students calling me "chocolate" or the occasional n-word. In high school, I had an experience where an administrator held me and several other black students in a bathroom indicating that he smelled weed, while excusing two white students to "get back to class" while he investigated. That was the first time in my life that I realized adults might judge me as more delinquent than my white peers, purely based on the color of my skin. From then on, I became passionate about issues around social justice. One of the most meaningful service opportunities presented itself during my sophomore year of high school. I have now spent the last three years involved with my school’s “Students Organized Against Racism” team (SOAR), which has allowed me to raise awareness regarding issues around equity in our school and community. With the team, I had the opportunity to write and direct a promotional video to reach a larger and more diverse student audience. Following this experience, we made the decision to include as many people as we could, from all different backgrounds, in our future film projects. This has not only spread awareness about equity and inclusion, but also built friendship and opened doors for people in our creative community, to find their voice and grow as artists. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion, and I would love to use my gifts to help build community and bring people joy through music. I am excited to pursue my degree in Music Technology and Audio Engineering at Belmont University, to better develop my skills and knowledge in the field, and to learn from professionals and mentors at the highest level. Following college graduation, I plan to seek out jobs that include audio engineering and sound in settings such as churches, schools, and theaters, and continuing to help others through volunteer work, while also pursuing my dream of working with artists in the music industry. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. If I were to be awarded this scholarship, it would be an honor to have the opportunity to represent this marginalized group, and continue to live the West Family’s dream. Although I know that my family is blessed, my parents are hard-working educators, which means that their salaries will not come close to covering the high costs of college educations for myself and my siblings. Since my passion is music, and the arts are traditionally under-funded, I have found that there are not as many scholarships available to assist musicians like myself. Earning the West Family Scholarship would mean the world to me, and I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, and service to others. Thank you for your consideration, and for the opportunity to apply for theWest Family Scholarship.

Alice M. Williams Legacy Scholarship The great Stevie Wonder once said, "Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand." This quote resonates deep with me, as I was always a kid who marched to my own beat, so to say. I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I spent time shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs. I also spent time watching videos about music production, and I was thrilled with the different electronic instruments they used. Once I got to middle school, I picked up the Alto Saxophone and it quickly became my favorite hobby. I joined the Jazz Band in seventh-grade, and I loved that I got to spend time with music after school and still got to rehearse and perform with a group. In high school, I picked up the Baritone Saxophone. I gained my love for the rhythm section of music and started listening for basslines and drum sections more than just melodies. I also joined the high school Jazz Band playing Alto Sax, and tried my hardest to earn solos on every song I could. Christmas of 2021, I was gifted a MIDI keyboard and was instantly hooked on music production. With my new experience in music production and audio, I decided to sharpen my skills through weekly volunteer work at my local church, GatheringPoint. There, I switch from running sound for the live streams and also running sound for the main room during services. I’ve learned a lot about mixing during live sound, but also how to work with performers and instrumentalists. I also volunteer to play in the church band for youth group parties and celebrations. This year, my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a super popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who do not attend our church. I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time. By picking the right songs and running sound for the event properly, I could help people make new friends and want to continue to attend church. I was so thankful to have the opportunity to share my talent and connect with the kids at the event. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion, and I would love to use my gifts to help build community and bring people joy through music. My time in high school has been spent in service to others through my school organizations and volunteer work. I believe that if I am blessed with opportunity or talent, I should use that to serve and benefit those around me. I am excited to pursue my degree in Music Technology and Audio Engineering at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Following college graduation, I plan to seek out jobs that include audio engineering and sound in settings such as churches, schools, and theaters, while also pursuing my dream of working with artists in the music industry. Earning the Alice M. Williams Legacy Scholarship would mean the world to me, and I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, and service to others. Thank you for your consideration, and for the opportunity to apply for the Alice M. Williams Legacy Scholarship.

Pamela Branchini Memorial Scholarship The great Muhhamad Ali said, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” Service has been a primary focus throughout my time in high school. Through volunteer work and school organizations, I have dedicated my time and talents to working cooperatively and finding ways to build community for the benefit of all involved. One of the most meaningful service opportunities presented itself during my sophomore year of high school. I have now spent the last three years involved with my school’s “Students Organized Against Racism” team (SOAR), which has allowed me to raise awareness regarding issues around equity in our school and community. With the team, I had the opportunity to write and direct a promotional video to reach a larger and more diverse student audience. Following this experience, we made the decision to include as many people as we could in our future film projects. This has built friendship and opened doors for people in our community that act, film, write stories, or have other creative talents. This will ultimately help more creatives like myself find their voice and grow as artists. I am very proud of this, because without having the resources or people to collaborate with, being a “creative” in film or music can be difficult. I have also dedicated my time through my service to GatheringPoint church. I have worked with my pastor in finding new ways to format our services so that newcomers feel more included and welcome. I volunteer every Sunday as an audio engineer, and got some friends to join me. Now, not only are we spending time at church together every week, but we also use our skills to better the experience of those who attend the church in person or watch services online. This year, my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a super popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who don't attend our church. I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time. By picking the right songs and running sound for the event properly, I could help people make new friends and want to continue to attend church. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion, and I would love to use my gifts to help build community and bring people joy through music. I was so thankful to have the opportunity to share my talent and connect with the kids at the event. Overall, my time in high school has been spent in service to others through my school organizations and volunteer work. I believe that if I am blessed with opportunity or talent, I should use that to serve and benefit those around me. Through my service, I can strengthen my community and build a network of friends that work together to improve ourselves and help those around us. I am excited to pursue my degree in Music Technology and Audio Engineering. Following college graduation, I plan to seek out jobs that include audio engineering and sound in settings such as churches, schools, and theaters, while also pursuing my dream of working with artists in the music industry. Earning the Pamela Branchini Memorial Scholarship would mean the world to me, and I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, and service to others. Thank you for your consideration, and for the opportunity to apply for the Pamela Branchini Memorial Scholarship.

The great Stevie Wonder once said, "Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand." This quote resonates deep with me, as I was always a kid who marched to my own beat, so to say. I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I spent time shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs. I also spent time watching videos about music production, and I was thrilled with the different electronic instruments they used. Once I got to middle school, I picked up the Alto Saxophone and it quickly became my favorite hobby. I joined the Jazz Band in seventh-grade, and I loved that I got to spend time with music after school and still got to rehearse and perform with a group. In high school, I picked up the Baritone Saxophone. I gained my love for the rhythm section of music and started listening for basslines and drum sections more than just melodies. I also joined the high school Jazz Band playing Alto Sax, and tried my hardest to earn solos on every song I could. Christmas of 2021, I was gifted a MIDI keyboard and was instantly hooked on music production. Little did I know, my journey with music and audio would lead me down a path to my greatest personal achievement to date! Through my Multimedia class at Kankakee Area Career Center, I had the opportunity to work on short films with my friends. My classmate and I were thrilled to find out that we won at the state level in SkillsUSA’s Cinematic Video Contest in Peoria, IL. We then had the opportunity to compete in the national level competition in Atlanta! While in Atlanta, I had the awesome opportunity to connect with Killer Mike’s team and got to shadow a session of his at Super Sound Studios. I grew, not only as an engineer, but as a producer as well. With my new experience in audio, I decided to sharpen my skills through weekly volunteer work at my local church, GatheringPoint. There, I switch from running sound for the live streams and also running sound for the main room during services. I’ve learned a lot about mixing during live sound, but also how to work with performers and instrumentalists. I also volunteer to play in the church band for youth group parties and celebrations. Music is everything to me and I believe that pursuing a degree in music production and audio engineering is the best fit for me. Although I know that my family is blessed, my parents are hard-working educators, which means that their salaries will not come close to covering the high costs of college educations for myself and my siblings. Since my passion is music, and the arts are traditionally under-funded, I have found that there are not as many scholarships available to assist musicians like myself. Earning the Gregory Flowers Memorial Scholarship would mean the world to me, even more so because of Mr. Flowers’ values and all that he represented. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. If I were to be awarded this scholarship, it would be an honor to have the opportunity to represent this marginalized group, and continue to live Mr. Flowers’ dream. I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, time, and service to others. Thank you for your consideration and for the opportunity to apply for the Gregory Flowers Memorial Scholarship.

Marshall and Dorothy Smith Music Scholarship The great Stevie Wonder once said, "Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand." This quote resonates deep with me, as I was always a kid who marched to the beat, so to say. I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I spent time shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs. I also spent lots of time growing up watching videos about music production and the recording process, and I was thrilled with the different electronic instruments and other unique items. Once I got to middle school, I picked up my mom’s old Alto Saxophone for fifth-grade band and it quickly became my favorite hobby. I was in love with learning about the instrument, and I was kind of an oddball kid, trying to get all of my friends as invested in their instrument as I was in mine. In high school, I picked up the Baritone Saxophone, which allowed me to be the only freshman in our halftime show during football games. It was through the Bari Sax that I gained my love for the rhythm section of music and started listening for basslines, not just melodies. I also joined the high school jazz band and played Alto Sax, trying my hardest to get solos on every song. Everything changed on Christmas of 2021 when I was gifted a MIDI keyboard. From there, I was hooked on music production. It took some learning, but through lots of tutorial binge-watching, I found my style. Making beats is now a daily occurrence for me, and I’ve connected with lots of artists in the Chicago area. Music production lead to learning about audio, and I have worked on short films with in my Multimedia class. My classmate and I won state in SkillsUSA’s Cinematic Video Contest and had the opportunity to compete in the national level competition in Atlanta. With my new experience in audio, I decided to sharpen my skills through volunteer work at my local church, GatheringPoint. There, I switch from running sound for the live streams and also running sound for the main room during services. I’ve learned a lot about mixing during live sound, but also how to work with performers and instrumentalists. I also volunteer to play in the church band for youth group parties and celebrations. Music is everything to me and I believe that pursuing a degree in music production and audio engineering is the best fit. If I can earn scholarships to be able to attend a program in college, I truly believe that the education would equip me to do great things in my community, in the music industry, and to thrive in my career. Following graduation, I plan to seek out practical jobs that include music, audio engineering, and sound in settings such as churches, schools, businesses, and theaters, while also pursuing my dream of working with artists in the music industry. Earning the Marshall and Dorothy Smith Music Scholarship would mean the world to me. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. If I were to be awarded this scholarship, it would be an honor to have the opportunity to represent this marginalized group, and I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, time, and service to others. Thank you for your consideration and for the opportunity to apply for the Marshall and Dorothy Smith Music Scholarship.

Treye Knorr Memorial Scholarship The great Stevie Wonder once said, "Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand." This quote resonates deep with me, as I was always a kid who marched to the beat, so to say. I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I spent time shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs. I also spent lots of time growing up watching videos about music production and the recording process, and I was thrilled with the different electronic instruments and other unique items. Once I got to middle school, I picked up my mom’s old Alto Saxophone for fifth-grade band and it quickly became my favorite hobby. I was in love with learning about the instrument, and I was kind of an oddball kid, trying to get all of my friends as invested in their instrument as I was in mine. In high school, I picked up the Baritone Saxophone, which allowed me to be the only freshman in our halftime show during football games. It was through the Bari Sax that I gained my love for the rhythm section of music and started listening for basslines more than just melodies. I also joined the high school jazz band and played Alto Sax, and tried my hardest to get solos on every song I could. Everything changed on Christmas of 2021 when I was gifted a MIDI keyboard. From there, I was hooked on music production. It took some learning, but through lots of tutorial binge-watching, I found my style. Making beats is now a daily occurrence for me, and I’ve connected with lots of artists in the Chicago area. Music production lead to learning about audio, and I have worked on short films with my friends in my Multimedia class. My classmate and I won state in SkillsUSA’s Cinematic Video Contest and had the opportunity to compete in the national level competition in Atlanta. With my new experience in audio, I decided to sharpen my skills through volunteer work at my local church, GatheringPoint. There, I switch from running sound for the live streams and also running sound for the main room during services. I’ve learned a lot about mixing during live sound, but also how to work with performers and instrumentalists. I also volunteer to play in the church band for youth group parties and celebrations. While I am very proud of my accomplishments so far, I realize I also have weaknesses and areas where improvement is needed. I have been blessed with a supportive family that has taken on the adult responsibilities, so that I can be a kid and pursue my passions. In addition to learning and refining my skills in audio and music production to prepare for my future career, I feel attending college will be an important period of growth, maturity, and independence for me to also prepare to be a successful adult. Music is everything to me and I believe that pursuing a degree in music production and audio engineering is the best fit. If I can earn scholarships to be able to attend a program in college, I truly believe that the education would equip me to do great things in my community, in the music industry, and to thrive in my career. Although I know that my family is blessed with everything we need, my parents are hard-working educators, which means that their salaries will not come close to covering the high costs of college educations for myself and my siblings. Earning the Treye Knorr Memorial Scholarship would mean the world to me. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. If I were to be awarded this scholarship, it would be an honor to have the opportunity to represent this marginalized group, and I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, time, and service to others. Thank you for your consideration and for the opportunity to apply for the Treye Knorr Memorial Scholarship.

I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I spent time shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs. Everything changed on Christmas of 2021 when I was gifted a MIDI keyboard and became hooked on music production. I found my style and I’ve connected with lots of artists in the Chicago area. I learned about audio and worked on short films in my Multimedia class at Kankakee Area Career Center, where I won State in SkillsUSA’s Cinematic Video Contest, and the opportunity to compete at the national level in Atlanta. With my experience in audio, I decided to sharpen my skills at my church, GatheringPoint. I run sound for live streams and during services every week. I’ve learned about mixing live sound, and how to work with performers and instrumentalists. Some recent events have shown me how I can make a difference with my skills in audio and music. The first was that a short film I directed, scored, wrote, and did sound for, ended up winning a state-level film contest. This helped my multimedia class gain funding and get taken more seriously at my school, which will ultimately help more creatives like myself find their voice and grow as artists. I am very proud of this, because without having the resources or people to collaborate with, being a “creative” in film or music can be difficult. Another recent event was that my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a super popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who don't attend our church. I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time. By picking the right songs and running sound for the event properly, I could help people make new friends and want to come to our church. I realized that this could completely change their lives. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion, and I would love to use my gifts to help build community and bring people joy through music. In addition to my passion for music and church, I also became passionate about social justice and race relations. When I entered high school, I became more aware of the implications of my own race, and the microaggressions and subtle (and not-so-subtle) racial disparities in the larger high school setting. I was a founding member and officer in the Black Student Union, and I was honored to be chosen by administration and teachers for the Students Organized Against Racism group. In these settings, I was able to express my thoughts, share my experiences as a biracial student, and to help make the school a better place for other BIPOC like me and other marginalized groups. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. If I were to be awarded this scholarship, it would be an honor to have the opportunity to represent this marginalized group. Music is everything to me and I am excited to pursue my degree in music production. Following graduation, I plan to seek out practical jobs that include audio and sound in settings such as churches, schools, and theaters, while also pursuing my dream of working with artists in the music industry. Earning the Al Luna Memorial Scholarship would mean the world to me, and I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, and service to others.

The great Stevie Wonder once said, "Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand." This quote resonates deep with me, as I was always a kid who marched to my own beat, so to say. My inspiration to pursue music came from my grandfather who passed away when I was young. Before he passed, he bought me a plastic toy piano, despite my mom's strict rule that I could not have any annoying toys. My grandfather excitedly exclaimed that he had a premonition that I was going to be musically gifted. Once I got to middle school, I played the Alto Saxophone that my grandfather had given my mother as a child. When I was 13, the COVID-19 pandemic happened. I had tons of time on my hands, and I spent a lot of it listening to music. Eventually I came across “Tyler, The Creator,” and went down the rabbit hole of Hip-Hop and R&B music. I have so much love for hip-hop as a genre, and I want to have the same impact as a producer that these artists have had on me. I spent lots of time watching beat breakdowns and instrumental recreations of my favorite songs, and naturally gained an interest in the music production side. I started making beats on GarageBand, and despite the rocky start, I loved the creative process that came with it. I've been making beats for the last three years, and last year I got into the audio world by working on short films and running sound at my church. Some recent events have shown me how I can make a difference with my skills in audio and music. The first was that a short film I directed, scored, wrote, and did sound for, ended up winning a state-level film contest. This helped my multimedia class gain funding and get taken more seriously at my school, which will ultimately help more BIPOC creatives like myself find their voice and grow as artists. I am very proud of this, because without having the resources or people to collaborate with, being a BIPOC creative in film or music can be difficult. Another recent event was that my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a super popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who don't attend our church. I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time. By running the event properly, I could help people make new friends and want to continue to come to our church. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion, and I would love to use my gifts to help build community and bring people joy through music. My dream of becoming a musician has never waivered since I received that first plastic piano. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. If I were to be awarded this scholarship, it would be an honor to have the opportunity to represent this marginalized group. I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, time, and service to others. Earning the Charles B. Brazelton Memorial Scholarship would help make my dreams of attending a school for audio engineering and music production a reality, since the arts remain underfunded and very few scholarships are available. Thank you for your consideration as a candidate for the Charles B. Brazelton Memorial Scholarship.

The great Stevie Wonder once said, "Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand." This quote resonates deep with me, as I was always a kid who marched to the beat, so to say. My inspiration to pursue music came from my grandfather who passed away when I was young. Before he passed, he bought me a cheap toy piano and noise maker, despite my mom's strict rule that I could not have any annoying toys as a baby. My grandfather excitedly exclaimed that he had a premonition that I was going to be musically gifted. Once I got to middle school, I played the Alto Saxophone that my grandfather had given my mother as a child. When I was 13, the COVID-19 pandemic happened, I had tons of time on my hands, and I spent a lot of it listening to music. Eventually I came across “Tyler, The Creator,” and I went down the rabbit hole of Hip-Hop and R&B music. I have so much love for hip-hop as a genre, and I want to have the same impact as a producer that these artists have had on me. I spent lots of time watching beat breakdowns and instrumental recreations of my favorite songs, and naturally gained an interest in the music production side of things. I started making beats on GarageBand, and despite the rocky start, I loved the creative process that came with it. I've been making beats for the last three years, and last year I got into the audio world by working on short films and running sound at my church. Some recent events have shown me how I can make a difference with my skills in audio and music. The first was that a short film I directed, scored, wrote, and did sound for, ended up winning a state-level film contest. This helped my multimedia class gain funding and get taken more seriously at my school, which will ultimately help more BIPOC creatives like myself find their voice and grow as artists. I am very proud of this, because without having the resources or people to collaborate with, being a BIPOC creative in film or music can be difficult. Another recent event was that my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a super popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who don't attend our church. I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time. By running the event properly, I could help people make new friends and want to continue to come to our church. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion, and I would love to use my gifts to help build community and bring people joy through music. My parents are hard-working educators, which means that their salaries will not come close to covering the cost of college educations for myself and my siblings. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. If I were to be awarded this scholarship, it would be an honor to have the opportunity to represent this marginalized group. I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, time, and service to others. Earning the Lucent Scholarship would help make my dreams of attending a school for audio engineering and music production a reality. Thank you for your consideration as a candidate for the Lucent Scholarship.

The great Martin Luther King Jr. is often quoted saying, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." While the Monroe Justice and Equality Scholarship seeks ideas on how law enforcement agencies can improve relationships with the African American population in the United States, the key word is in the question… RELATIONSHIPS. The question is related to law enforcement, but I think I want to first take some time to talk about someone who is living this goal in my community on a smaller scale, and working hard to make the high school environment at my school a more equitable environment where African American students feel safe and valued. The person I see day-to-day fighting for equity and improved experiences for BIPOC is my father, Cornell Middlebrook, who is also a Dean of Students at my high school. My father grew up in an unstable household, but used his talents in football to change his situation. Coming from Detroit with two parents with unstable jobs, he knew his family would not be able to afford to send him to college. So he gave his all to the sport, stayed focused, and invested in his talents, which led him to receiving a full-ride scholarship to play at Purdue University. This helped him earn his education to be a teacher and coach, which brought him to his first job at Kankakee High School. My father's leadership kept youth in the area out of trouble, and instilled persistence, discipline, and strength in his players in a city where a high crime rate and gang violence claimed the lives of many of the youth in the community. Today, my father is the dean of students and football coach at my primarily white high school. His being here has helped create equal opportunity and psychological safety for black students, because he is the only black administrator in the building, and one of three black staff members that are not security guards or custodians. My father has prioritized building relationships with black students, and has been able to shed light on the perspectives these students may have when they would not have been fairly represented or defended before. Aside from that, my father has helped to be a positive black role model to students in my school, where the staff is primarily white and from a suburban or rural background. In this way, he not only supports students of color, but also combats racism or prejudice that students in the building may experience. At home, my father has been a great leader to myself and my siblings, and he has shaped me as I learn what it means to be ambitious and successful as a young black man in America. All this to say, I feel the most important way law enforcement can improve relationships with the African American community is through relationships and representation. Black kids and community members need to see black and brown faces in uniform and in leadership. They need to see positive interactions between law enforcement officers of all colors and their community. When black kids and stakeholders have positive experiences with law enforcement and trust that officers are acting in their best interest, it may begin to chip away at the hostile relationships that have deep historical roots. Because my father is visible and present and black kids have formed relationships with him, he now sees that parents and kids are more likely to gracefully accept the consequences when necessary. Thank you for the opportunity to be considered as a candidate for the Monroe Justice and Equality Memorial Scholarship.

David Foster Memorial Scholarship Influence can come in many different shapes and sizes. While I know the David Foster Memorial Scholarship asks for me to speak about a high school teacher who changed my life, the person I would like to write about is not only a leader in my high school, but also a leader in my home. The most important person in my life that inspires me is my father, Cornell Middlebrook, who also serves as a Dean of Students at my high school. My father grew up in an unstable household, but used his talents in football to change his situation. Coming from Detroit with two parents with unstable jobs, he knew his family would not be able to afford to send him to college. So he gave his all to the sport, stayed focused, and invested in his talents, which led him to receiving a full-ride scholarship to play at Purdue University at the Division I level. This helped him gain his education to be a teacher and coach, which brought him to his first job at Kankakee High School. As head coach, he led the football team to the finals in 2008 for the first time in school history and received “Young Citizen of the Year” from the local newspaper. My father's leadership kept youth in the area out of trouble, and instilled persistence, discipline, and strength in his players in a city where a high crime rate and gang violence claimed the lives of many of the youth in the community. Today, my father is the dean of students and football coach at my primarily white high school. His being here has helped create equal opportunity for black students, because he is the only black administrator in the building, and one of three black staff members that are not security guards or custodians. My father has shed light on the perspectives black students may have in different situations when they would not have been fairly represented or defended before. Aside from that, my father has helped to be a positive black role model to students in my school where the staff is primarily white and from a suburban or rural background. In this way, he not only supports students of color, but also combats racism or prejudice that students in the building may experience. At home, my father has been a great leader to myself and my siblings. He has also helped shape me as I go through my teenage years. He has taught me what it means to be ambitious and successful as a young black man in America. Overall, my father inspires me because of how many areas he has improved himself, as a father, as a coach, as an administrator, and as a man. I one day hope to have as much influence on my own children and my community as he has on ours. By seeing him give that effort throughout my life, I have seen the way that you can change a space by being a positive presence and role model, and by giving your best effort in everything you do. Thank you for the opportunity to share my dad’s legacy, and to be considered as a candidate for the David Foster Memorial Scholarship.

Redefining Victory Scholarship The great Muhhamad Ali said, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” Service has been a primary focus throughout my time in high school. Through volunteer work and school organizations, I have dedicated my time and talents to finding ways to build community for the benefit of all involved. Working cooperatively and using my time and skills for the betterment of everyone in my community is what success looks like to me. I have spent the last three years involved with my school’s Students Organized Against Racism team (SOAR), which has allowed me to raise awareness regarding issues around equity in our school and community. With the team, I had the opportunity to write and direct a promotional video to reach a larger and more diverse student audience. Following this experience, we made the decision to include as many people as we could in our future film projects. This has built friendship and opened doors for people in our community that act, film, write stories, or have other creative talents. I have also dedicated my time through my service to GatheringPoint church, where I have been very involved in my youth group. I have worked with my pastor in finding new ways to format our services so that newcomers feel more included and welcome. I volunteer every Sunday as an audio engineer, and got some friends to join me. Now, not only are we spending time at church together every week, but we also use our skills to better the experience of those who attend the church in person or watch services online. In 2021, through my connection to GatheringPoint, I began volunteering for Tim Tebow’s “Night to Shine” prom events for people with disabilities. Last year I served as a “buddy” to one of our honored guests who has Downs Syndrome. It was my job to make sure that he was comfortable and having a good time, and that I could help him with anything he might need that night. I had the best time with him that night, and learned about how he always expressed pure joy in the face of adversity. This year, I was excited to assist with running the lighting, audio, and visual aspects of the event. It was so rewarding to see the joy on the faces of the guests as they were all crowned kings and queens of the prom! I was happy to be able to create lighting, sound, and record video that made them look and feel their absolute best. This has opened my eyes to the importance of making ALL people feel appreciated, seen, and connected through friendship. Overall, my time in high school has been spent in service to others through my school organizations and volunteer work. I believe that if I am blessed with opportunity or talent, I should use that to serve and benefit those around me. Through my service, I can strengthen my community and build a network of friends that work together to improve ourselves and help those around us. I am excited to pursue my degree in Music Technology and Audio Engineering. Following college graduation, I plan to seek out jobs that include audio engineering and sound in settings such as churches, schools, and theaters, while also pursuing my dream of working with artists in the music industry. Through service, I learned the true meaning of SUCCESS. Earning the Redefining Victory Scholarship would mean the world to me, and I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, and service to others. Thank you for your consideration, and for the opportunity to apply for the Redefining Victory Scholarship.

According to statistics, about 14.5 percent of boys will be diagnosed with ADHD. Of the students with ADHD who enroll in college, only about 5 percent will graduate. I am determined to be in that 5 percent. As a young child, my parents and teachers marveled at how quickly I memorized, absorbed, and learned information about my odd topics of interest. I learned all of my letters and letter sounds, seemingly without being taught, sang entire songs word for word without making mistakes, had movies memorized, used vocabulary far above what would be appropriate for my age, and preferred to hang around adults and teachers to get all of my endless string of questions about the universe answered. While physical and athletic tasks were more difficult for me, learning was effortless when it came to the things I was interested in, like music. However, once I got further into elementary school, I was placed in gifted classes and began having a difficult time staying focused to learn new information, and also to stay organized, keep track of assignments and papers that were due, and to be independent in my responsibilities. I engaged in off topic conversations about my interests and struggled to keep up with my schoolwork. After discussions with my teachers and my doctor, I was diagnosed with ADHD. My doctor felt medication might be the answer to help my "absent minded professor" brain organize itself and to help me keep up with my responsibilities at school. I did not like the way the medication felt, told my mom that it gave me anxiety, and I did not like the effect it had on my creative musical brain. In 6th grade my family met with my teacher and school team to develop a 504 plan. The plan was necessary to provide me the accommodations that I needed at school to be able to demonstrate my true level of knowledge and potential. I know that my ADHD has impacted my learning, but I was then able to earn good grades and progress in those classes in order to be able to make it to college and be accepted in a major (music production and audio engineering) where my full creativity can thrive. While it was a more difficult journey, I am thankful for those who supported me along the way. A recent event which showed my how I can have an impact on my community was that my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who don't attend our church. I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time. By running sound for the event properly, I could help people make new friends and want to come to our church. I realized that this could completely change their lives. I have always had a passion for music production. While ADHD hindered my academic progress, my hyperfocus helped me to thrive with music. After college, I plan to pursue a career as an audio engineer and music producer. Music is my dream, and the Joieful Connections Scholarship would be a significant help in making my dreams of attending a university for music production a reality! Ultimately, music is my greatest passion, and I would love to use my gifts to help build community and bring people joy through music. Thank you for the opportunity to be considered as a candidate for the Joieful Connections Scholarship.

They called me the "Absentminded Professor" or the "Mayor of Preschool." As a young child, my parents and teachers marveled at how quickly I memorized, absorbed, and learned information about my sometimes odd topics of interest. I learned all of my letters and letter sounds, seemingly without being taught, sang entire songs word for word without making mistakes, had movies memorized, used vocabulary far above what would be appropriate for my age, and preferred to hang around adults and teachers to get all of my endless string of questions about the universe answered. While physical and athletic tasks were more difficult for me, learning was effortless when it came to the things I was interested in. However, once I got further into elementary school (probably about third grade), I was placed in gifted classes and began having a very difficult time staying focused to learn new information, and also to stay organized, keep track of assignments and papers that were due, and to be independent in my responsibilities. I often engaged in off topic conversations about my interests, daydreamed, and struggled to keep up with my schoolwork. After discussions with my teachers and my doctor, I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. My doctor, parents, and teachers felt medication might be the answer to help my "absentminded professor" brain organize itself and to help me keep up with my responsibilities at school. I did not like the way the medication felt, told my mom that it gave me anxiety, and I did not like the effect it had on my creative brain. My parents agreed to let me stop taking the medication, but felt we needed a plan to help me to be more successful at school. In 6th grade my family met with my teacher and school team to develop a 504 plan. Many great teachers had helped and accommodated me along the way, and saw my bright mind and high potential. However, once I was in middle school, teachers expected a higher level of independence, and had less tolerance for my difficulties. The 504 plan was necessary to provide me the accommodations that I needed at school to be able to demonstrate my true level of knowledge, skill, and potential. While I still choose not to take medication, my 504 plan has been very helpful during my schooling. I have not needed as many accommodations as I have matured and developed skills and responsibility, but the 504 plan allowed me to be able to show my true potential. I know that my ADHD has impacted my learning when it comes to academic areas that were less interesting to me, but I was able to earn good grades and progress in those classes in order to be able to make it to college and be accepted in a major where my full creativity can thrive. While it was a more difficult journey, I am thankful for my parents and teachers who supported me along the way. Music is everything to me and I believe that pursuing a degree in music production and audio engineering is the best fit for me. While sitting in classes and being expected to focus on topics that were less interesting to me has been challenging, I thrive in creative spaces. If I can earn scholarships to be able to attend a program in college, I truly believe that the education would equip me to do great things in my community, in the music industry, and to thrive in my career. While I am very proud of my accomplishments so far, I realize I also have weaknesses and areas where improvement is needed, as well. I have been blessed with a supportive family that has taken on the adult responsibilities, so that I can be a kid and pursue my passions. My parents have been able to shield me from many harsh realities, while also allowing me to fall down, when necessary. In addition to learning and refining my skills in audio and music production to prepare for my future career, I feel attending college will be an important period of growth, maturity, and independence for me to also prepare to be a successful adult. I feel this is the area where I have the most room for improvement. Earning the Rick Levin Memorial Scholarship would help make my dreams of attending college a reality. Thank you for your consideration as a candidate for the Rick Levin Memorial Scholarship.

Psalms 98:4-7 says, "Shout for JOY to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn— shout for joy before the LORD, the King." I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember, and from a very young age, nothing brought me more joy. While I have grown up attending church with my family, the music I liked best was Stevie Wonder, Prince, and the Motown music my family played. In fifth grade, I began playing my mom's old Alto Saxophone, that my grandfather had given to her in fifth grade, and it changed my life. I joined all of the bands that my schools and community had to offer, fighting to earn solos in all of the jazz band pieces available. In high school, I even volunteered to learn the Bari Saxophone in order to be the only Freshman musician in the halftime show at the football games. I received a MIDI keyboard for Christmas in 2021, and then began branching out into music production. However, when I was young, my music was for me, and while I loved for my family to sit at my concerts, my passion for music was very much my own. As I began to mature and expand my interests, many mentors have shown me kindness on my journey as a musician. A turning point was when the audio engineer at my church agreed to let me shadow him and begin helping as a volunteer. I switch from running sound for the live streams and also running sound for the main room during services. I also volunteer to play saxophone in the church band for youth group parties and celebrations. THIS was when I began to realize that I could use my talents and love of music to glorify God and to bring joy to others. A recent community event where I had the opportunity to really realize the impact and positive effect I could have on others was when my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a super popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who do not attend our church. I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time. By picking the right songs and running sound for the event properly, I could help people want to continue to come to our church and learn about Jesus. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion, and I would love to use my gifts to help build community in Jesus, and bring people joy through music. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. If I were to be awarded the Gregory Chase Carter Memorial Scholarship, it would be an honor to have the opportunity to represent this marginalized group, and achieve my dream of attending college. Like Gregory, I hope to continue to pay it forward through my talents, time, and service to others. Thank you for your consideration and for the opportunity to apply for the Gregory Chase Carter Memorial Scholarship.

Psalms 98:4-7 says, "Shout for JOY to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn— shout for joy before the LORD, the King." I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember, and from a very young age, nothing brought me more joy. While I have grown up attending church with my family, the music I liked best was Stevie Wonder, Prince, and the Motown music my family played. I began playing my mom's old alto saxophone in fifth grade, and it changed my life. I joined all of the bands that my schools and community had to offer, and then began branching out into music production. However, when I was young, my music was for me, and while I loved for my family to sit at my concerts, my passion for music was very much my own. As I began to mature and expand my interests, many mentors have shown me kindness on my journey as a musician. A turning point was when the audio engineer at my church agreed to let me shadow him and begin helping as a volunteer. I switch from running sound for the live streams and also running sound for the main room during services. I also volunteer to play in the church band for youth group parties and celebrations. THIS was when I began to realize that I could use my talents and love of music to glorify Jesus and to bring joy to others. A recent event where I had the opportunity to really realize the (J)esus (O)thers (Y)ourself principle was when my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a super popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who do not attend our church. I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time. By picking the right songs and running sound for the event properly, I could help people want to continue to come to our church and learn about Jesus. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion, and I would love to use my gifts to help build community in Jesus, and bring people joy through music. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. If I were to be awarded the Gloria Millander "I am 3rd" J.O.Y. Scholarship, it would be an honor to have the opportunity to represent this marginalized group, and achieve my dream of attending college. I hope to continue to pay it forward through my talents, time, and service to others. Thank you for your consideration and for the opportunity to apply for the Gloria Millander "I am 3rd" J.O.Y. Scholarship.

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute." My father is African-American and my mother is white. Growing up, I knew I had a "brown family" and a "white family." I considered myself "tan," but growing up in a diverse, primarily black school district, I truly did not give much thought to my race. When my family moved and I transferred to a less diverse school district in 4th grade, I was quickly made aware of my race by students calling me "chocolate" or the occasional n-word. In high school, I had an experience where an administrator held me and several other black students in a bathroom indicating that he smelled weed, while excusing two white students to "get back to class" while he investigated. That was the first time in my life that I realized adults might judge me as more delinquent than my white peers, purely based on the color of my skin. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. It would be easy to blame the world for making things more difficult for me, I used the adversity as fuel to ignore the people who seemed to be rooting against me, and to prove them wrong. I grind and work harder than anyone when it comes to studying, learning, and practicing my skills in the area I am passionate about, audio and music production. I reach out to professionals in the field asking for opportunities to shadow them or asking for advice. I communicate with my teachers to get support in order to be successful in my classes. When I feel that my race might be a factor in how successful I am on my path, I choose to surround myself with people who embrace me for my diversity, and who will always cheer me on. For the last 4 years, I have chosen to volunteer for Tim Tebow's Night to Shine, which is a formal prom event for high school and adults with disabilities. Last year I served as a personal "buddy" for a man with Downs Syndrome. I had the best time with him that night, and learned about how he always expressed pure joy in the face of adversity. I try to think of him and remember him smiling through his challenges, when ever I start getting down on myself. This year, I am excited to be assisting with running the lighting, audio, and visual aspects of the event, and I am so excited to see the joy on the faces of the guests as they are crowned kings and queens of the prom! I am thankful that I am able to use my talents and my time to serve others in this way. If I were asked to give advice to others with similar circumstances to mine, I would tell them not to give their time or energy to the people who are rooting against them. Always be respectful and take the high road, but then grind harder and climb higher and leave them in your dust. Use your time, energy, and talents to help others, and surround yourself with people who exude joy in the face of their difficult circumstances. Earning the Simon Strong Scholarship would mean the world to me. I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, time, and service to others. Thank you for your consideration as a candidate for the Simon Strong Scholarship.

The most important person in my life that inspires me is my father, Cornell Middlebrook. My father grew up in an unstable household, but used his talents in football to change his situation. Coming from Detroit with two divorced parents with unstable jobs, he knew his family would not be able to afford to send him to college. He gave his all to the sport, stayed focused, and invested in his talents, which led him to receiving a full-ride scholarship to play at Purdue University at the Division I level. This helped him gain his education to be a teacher and coach, which brought him to Kankakee High School. As head coach, he led the football team to the finals in 2008 for the first time in school history and received young citizen of the year from the local newspaper. My father's leadership kept myself and my siblings, as well as the youth in the area out of trouble, and instilled persistence, discipline, and strength in his own children and players in a city with high crime rate and gang violence. Today, my father is the dean of students and football coach at my primarily white high school. Him being here has helped create equal opportunity for black students, because he is the only black administrator in the building, and one of three black staff members that aren't security guards or custodians. My father has shed light on the perspectives black students may have in different situations when they wouldn't have been fairly represented before. Aside from that, my father has helped to be a positive black role model, not only to myself and my siblings but also to students in my school where the staff is primarily white and from a suburban or rural background. In this way, he not only supports students of color, but also combats racism or prejudice that students in the building may experience. My father has been a great leader to myself and my siblings, as well as the students in the community, and has helped shape me as I go through my teenage years. He has taught me what it means to be ambitious and successful as a young black man in America. Overall, my father inspires me because of how many areas he has improved, as a father, as a coach, an administrator, and as a man. I one day hope to have as much influence on my own children and my community as he has. By seeing him give that effort throughout my life, I've seen the way that you can change a space by being a positive presence and giving your best effort in everything you do . Growing up listening to my dad play Stevie Wonder, Prince, and all the greats, instilled a love of music in me. I am excited to pursue my degree in Music Technology. During my years in college, if I am able to make my dream a reality, I plan to return home on Sundays to continue to serve my church family with their audio engineering and musical needs. Following graduation, I plan to seek practical jobs that include audio engineering and sound in settings such as churches, schools, and theaters, while also pursuing my dream of working with artists in the music industry. Earning the Raise Me Up to DO GOOD Scholarship would mean the world to me, and I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, and service to others. Thank you for your consideration as a candidate for the Raise Me Up to DO GOOD Scholarship.

The great Stevie Wonder once said, "Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand." This quote resonates deep with me, as I was always a kid who marched to my own beat. I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I spent time shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs. Everything changed on Christmas of 2021 when I was gifted a MIDI keyboard and became hooked on music production. I learned about audio and worked on short films where I won State in SkillsUSA’s Cinematic Video Contest, and the opportunity to compete at the national level in Atlanta. I am excited to pursue my degree in Music and Audio Technology. Following graduation, I plan to seek out practical jobs that include audio in settings such as churches, schools, and theaters, while also pursuing my dream of working with artists in the music industry. While I have been blessed with lots of opportunities, I have also faced significant challenges. My father is African-American and my mother is white. Growing up, I knew I had a "brown family" and a "white family." I considered myself "tan," but growing up in a diverse, primarily black school district, I truly did not give much thought to my race. When my family moved to a less diverse school district in 4th grade, I was quickly made aware of my race by students calling me "chocolate" or the occasional n-word. In high school, I had an experience where an administrator held me and several other black students in a bathroom indicating that he smelled weed, while excusing two white students to "get back to class" while he investigated. That was the first time in my life that I realized adults might judge me as more delinquent than my white peers, purely based on the color of my skin. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. If I were to be awarded this scholarship, it would be an honor to have the opportunity to represent this marginalized group. I would hope to someday pay it forward through my talents, time, and service to others. For the last 4 years, I have chosen to volunteer for Tim Tebow's Night to Shine, which is a formal prom event for people with disabilities. Last year I served as a "buddy" for a man with Downs Syndrome. I had the best time with him, and learned about how he always expressed pure joy in the face of adversity. Although I have experienced adversity related to my race, and it would have been easy to blame the world for making things more difficult for me, I used the adversity as fuel to ignore the people who seemed to be rooting against me and prove them wrong. I grind and work harder than anyone when it comes to studying, learning, and practicing my skills with audio and music. I reach out to professionals in the field asking for opportunities to shadow them or asking for advice. I have learned to communicate with my teachers to get support in order to be as successful as I can in my classes. When I feel that my race might be a factor in how successful I am on my path, I choose to surround myself with people who embrace me for my diversity, and who will always cheer me on. Thank you for the opportunity to be considered for the Mark Green Memorial Scholarship.

The great Stevie Wonder once said, "Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand." This quote resonates deep with me, as I was always a kid who marched to my own beat. I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I spent time shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs. Everything changed on Christmas of 2021 when I was gifted a MIDI keyboard and became hooked on music production. I learned about audio and worked on short films in my Multimedia class at Kankakee Career Center, where I won State in SkillsUSA’s Cinematic Video Contest, and the opportunity to compete at the national level in Atlanta. I am excited to pursue my degree in Music and Audio Technology. Following graduation, I plan to seek out practical jobs that include audio in settings such as churches, schools, and theaters, while also pursuing my dream of working with artists in the music industry. While I have been blessed with lots of opportunities, I have also faced significant challenges. My father is African-American and my mother is white. Growing up, I knew I had a "brown family" and a "white family." I considered myself "tan," but growing up in a diverse, primarily black school district, I truly did not give much thought to my race. When my family moved to a less diverse school district in 4th grade, I was quickly made aware of my race by students calling me "chocolate" or the occasional n-word. In high school, I had an experience where an administrator held me and several other black students in a bathroom indicating that he smelled weed, while excusing two white students to "get back to class" while he investigated. That was the first time in my life that I realized adults might judge me as more delinquent than my white peers, purely based on the color of my skin. That year, I joined the Black Student Union where I was a founding member and officer. I quickly learned that, ironically, I sometimes was also not "black enough" to fit in with my black peers. I felt that I was not always listened to or taken seriously when working with BSU. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. If I were to be awarded this scholarship, it would be an honor to have the opportunity to represent this marginalized group. I would hope to someday pay it forward through my talents, time, and service to others. Although I have experienced adversity related to my race, and it would have been easy to blame the world for making things more difficult for me, I used the adversity as fuel to ignore the people who seemed to be rooting against me and prove them wrong. I grind and work harder than anyone when it comes to studying, learning, and practicing my skills with audio and music. I reach out to professionals in the field asking for opportunities to shadow them or asking for advice. I have learned to communicate with my teachers to get support in order to be as successful as I can in my classes. When I feel that my race might be a factor in how successful I am on my path, I choose to surround myself with people who embrace me for my diversity, and who will always cheer me on. Thank you for the opportunity to be considered for the Theresa Lord Future Leader Scholarship.

The great Stevie Wonder once said, "Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand." This quote resonates deep with me, as I was always a kid who marched to the beat, so to say. I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I spent time shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs. In fifth grade, I picked up the Alto Saxophone, and it quickly became my favorite hobby. I then joined Jazz Band and played in the Kankakee Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra. In high school, I played Baritone Saxophone and was the only freshman in our football halftime show. I also joined the high school Jazz Band, and tried to earn solos on every song. Everything changed on Christmas of 2021 when I was gifted a MIDI keyboard and became hooked on music production. I found my style and I’ve connected with lots of artists in the Chicago area. I learned about audio and worked on short films in my Multimedia class at Kankakee Area Career Center, where I won State in SkillsUSA’s Cinematic Video Contest, and the opportunity to compete at the national level in Atlanta. With my experience in audio, I decided to sharpen my skills at my church, GatheringPoint. I run sound for live streams and during services every week. I’ve learned about mixing live sound, and how to work with performers and instrumentalists. Some recent events have shown me how I can make a difference with my skills in audio and music. The first was that a short film I directed, scored, wrote, and did sound for, ended up winning a state-level film contest. This helped my multimedia class gain funding and get taken more seriously at my school, which will ultimately help more creatives like myself find their voice and grow as artists. I am very proud of this, because without having the resources or people to collaborate with, being a creative in film or music can be difficult. Another recent event was that my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a super popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who don't attend our church. I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time. By picking the right songs and running sound for the event properly, I could help people make new friends and want to come to our church. I realized that this could completely change their lives. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion, and I would love to use my gifts to help build community and bring people joy through music. Music is everything to me and I am excited to pursue my degree in Music Technology and Audio Engineering. During my years in college, if I am able to make my dream of attending Columbia College a reality, I plan to return home on Sundays to serve my church family with their audio and musical needs. Following college graduation, I plan to seek out practical jobs that include audio engineering and sound in settings such as churches, schools, businesses, and theaters, while also pursuing my dream of working with artists in the music industry. Earning the Neil Margeson Sound Scholarship would mean the world to me, and I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, and service to others. Thank you for your consideration, and for the opportunity to apply for the Neil Margeson Sound Scholarship.

As a young child, my parents and teachers marveled at how quickly I memorized, absorbed, and learned information about my sometimes odd topics of interest. I learned all of my letters and letter sounds, seemingly without being taught, sang entire songs word for word without making mistakes, had movies memorized, used vocabulary far above what would be appropriate for my age, and preferred to hang around adults and teachers to get all of my endless string of questions about the universe answered. While physical and athletic tasks were more difficult for me, learning was effortless when it came to the things I was interested in. However, once I got further into elementary school (probably about third grade), I was placed in gifted classes and began having a very difficult time staying focused to learn new information, and also to stay organized, keep track of assignments and papers that were due, and to be independent in my responsibilities. I often engaged in off topic conversations about my interests, daydreamed, and struggled to keep up with my schoolwork. After discussions with my teachers and my doctor, I was diagnosed with ADHD-inattentive type My doctor, parents, and teachers felt medication might be the answer to help my "absent minded professor" brain organize itself and to help me keep up with my responsibilities at school. I did not like the way the medication felt, told my mom that it gave me anxiety, and I did not like the effect it had on my creative brain. My parents agreed to let me stop taking the medication, but felt we needed a plan to help me to be more successful at school. In 6th grade my family met with my teacher and school team to develop a 504 plan. While many great teachers had helped and accommodated me along the way, and saw my bright mind and potential, once in middle school, teachers expected a higher level of independence and had less tolerance for my difficulties. The plan was necessary to provide me the accommodations that I needed at school to be able to demonstrate my true level of knowledge and potential. While I still choose not to take medication, my 504 plan has been helpful during my schooling. I have not needed very many accommodations as I have matured and developed skills and responsibility, but the 504 plan allowed me to be able to show my true potential. I know that my ADHD has impacted my learning when it comes to academic areas that were less interesting to me, but I was able to earn good grades and progress in those classes in order to be able to make it to college and be accepted in a major where my full creativity can thrive. While it was a more difficult journey, I am thankful for my parents and teachers who supported me along the way. I have always had a passion for music production. While ADHD hindered my academic progress, my hyperfocus helped me to thrive with music. I taught myself on my Mom’s computer when I was fourteen, and I have loved the learning process since then. After college, I plan to pursue a career as an audio engineer and music producer. I have found that many of my peers are hanging out with friends, while I am focused on making beats, building my skills, and networking with people in the industry to develop my craft. Music is my dream, and the Gabriel Martin Memorial Scholarship would be a significant help in making my dreams of attending a university for music production a reality!

I’ve been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I spent lots of time on Pandora, shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs and watching their music videos on YouTube. I also spent lots of time growing up watching Andrew Huang’s YouTube videos about music production and the recording process, and I was thrilled with the different electronic instruments and other unique items he used in his videos. Once I got to middle school, I picked up the Alto Saxophone in fifth-grade band and it quickly became my favorite hobby. After school got out, I’d come home with my sax and learn different songs online, from the Star Wars theme to Megalovania from the video game, Undertale. I was in love with learning about the instrument, and I was kind of an oddball kid, trying to get all of my friends to join the school band. If they were already in Band, I tried to get them as invested in their instrument as I was in mine. I also joined our Jazz Band in seventh-grade. I loved that I got to spend time with music after school and still got to rehearse and perform with a group. In high school, I picked up the Baritone Saxophone, which allowed me to be the only freshman in our halftime show during football games. It was through the Bari Sax that I gained my love for the rhythm section of music and started listening for basslines and drum sections more than just melodies. I also joined the high school jazz band and played Alto Sax, and tried my hardest to get solos on every song I could. Everything changed on the Christmas of 2021 when I was gifted a MIDI keyboard and a copy of FL Studio. From there, I was hooked on music production, emulating the style of Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator in all of my beats. It took some learning, but through watching Kenny Beats’ live streams on Twitch, lots of tutorial binge-watching, I found my style. Making beats is now a daily occurrence for me, and I’ve connected with lots of artists in the Chicago area. Through music production, I learned a lot about audio and have worked on short films with my friends in my Multimedia class at Kankakee Area Career Center. Through my Multimedia class, I won state in SkillsUSA’s Cinematic Video Contest and had the opportunity to compete in the national level competition in Atlanta. While in Atlanta, I connected with Killer Mike’s team and got to shadow a session of his at Super Sound Studios and learned a lot about the recording process. I grew, not only as an engineer, but as a producer as well. With my new experience in audio, I decided to sharpen my skills through volunteer work at my local church, GatheringPoint. There, I switch from running sound for the live streams and also running sound for the main room during services. I’ve learned a lot about mixing during live sound, but also how to work with performers and instrumentalists. I also volunteer to play in the church band for youth group parties and celebrations. Music is everything to me, and since I was not gifted with athletic ability, music helped me find my calling, as well as my people and sense of belonging. Earning the Nick Lindblad Memorial Scholarship would help make my dreams of attending a school for audio and music production a reality. Thank you for your consideration as a candidate for the Nick Lindblad Memorial Scholarship.

I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I spent time shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs. Everything changed on Christmas of 2021 when I was gifted a MIDI keyboard and became hooked on music production. I found my style and I’ve connected with lots of artists in the Chicago area. I learned about audio and worked on short films in my Multimedia class at Kankakee Area Career Center, where I won State in SkillsUSA’s Cinematic Video Contest, and the opportunity to compete at the national level in Atlanta. With my experience in audio, I decided to sharpen my skills at my church, GatheringPoint. I run sound for live streams and during services every week. I’ve learned about mixing live sound, and how to work with performers and instrumentalists. Some recent events have shown me how I can make a difference with my skills in audio and music. The first was that a short film I directed, scored, wrote, and did sound for, ended up winning a state-level film contest. This helped my multimedia class gain funding and get taken more seriously at my school, which will ultimately help more creatives like myself find their voice and grow as artists. I am very proud of this, because without having the resources or people to collaborate with, being a creative in film or music can be difficult. Another recent event was that my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a super popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who don't attend our church. I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time. By picking the right songs and running sound for the event properly, I could help people make new friends and want to come to our church. I realized that this could completely change their lives. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion, and I would love to use my gifts to help build community and bring people joy through music. In addition to my passion for music and church, I also became passionate about social justice and race relations. When I entered high school, I became more aware of the implications of my own race, and the microaggressions and subtle (and not-so-subtle) racial disparities in the larger high school setting. I was a founding member and officer in the Black Student Union, and I was honored to be chosen by administration and teachers for the Students Organized Against Racism group. In these settings, I was able to express my thoughts, share my experiences as a biracial student, and to help make the school a better place for other BIPOC like me and other marginalized groups. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. If I were to be awarded this scholarship, it would be an honor to have the opportunity to represent this marginalized group. Music is everything to me and I am excited to pursue my degree in Music Technology. Following graduation, I plan to seek out practical jobs that include audio and sound in settings such as churches, schools, and theaters, while also pursuing my dream of working with artists in the music industry. Earning the Peter and Nan Liubenov Scholarship would mean the world to me, and I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, and service to others.

My inspiration to pursue music came from my grandfather who passed away when I was young. Before he passed, he bought me a cheap toy piano and noise maker, despite my mom's strict rule that I couldn't have any annoying or poorly made toys as a baby. My grandfather's reasoning was that he knew I was going to be a musical person. Once I got to middle school, I picked up saxophone and played the Alto Sax my grandfather had given my mother as a child. I fell in love with the instrument and taught myself random songs from YouTube tutorials, along with participating in my middle school's band program. Eventually I took up music production and have been learning the craft throughout high school. I plan on majoring in music production and audio engineering in college. I have so much love for hip-hop as a genre, and it has completely changed my life. I want to have the same impact as a producer that artists like Kanye West, Tyler, The Creator, and Pharrell Williams have had on me. When I was 13, the COVID-19 pandemic happened and I was at home all day, and I had tons of time on my hands. I spent a lot of it listening to music, because my family just got on Apple Music's family plan, and it was my first time having full access to music that I didn't hear on the radio or on TV. Eventually I came across the song EARFQUAKE by Tyler, The Creator, and I went down the rabbit hole of Hip-Hop and R&B music. I spent lots of time watching beat breakdowns and instrumental recreations of my favorite songs, and naturally gained an interest in the music production side of things. I started making beats on GarageBand, and despite the rocky start, I loved the creative process that came with it. I've been making beats for the last three years, and last year I got into the audio world by working on short films and running sound at my church. Some recent events have shown me how I can make a difference with my skills in audio and music. The first was that a short film I directed, scored, wrote, and did sound for, ended up winning a state-level film contest. This helped my multimedia class gain funding and get taken more seriously at my school, which will ultimately help more creatives like myself find their voice and grow as artists. I am very proud of this, because without having the resources or people to collaborate with, being a creative in film or music can be difficult. Another recent event was that my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a super popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who don't attend our church. I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time. By picking the right songs and running sound for the event properly, I could help people make new friends and want to continue to come to our church. I realized that this could completely change their lives. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion, and I would love to use my gifts to help build community and bring people joy through music. Earning the Christal Carter Creative Arts Scholarship would help make my dreams of attending a school for audio and music production a reality. Thank you for your consideration as a candidate for the Christal Carter Creative Arts Scholarship.

As a young child, my parents and teachers marveled at how quickly I memorized, absorbed, and learned information about my sometimes odd topics of interest. I learned all of my letters and letter sounds, seemingly without being taught, sang entire songs word for word without making mistakes, had movies memorized, used vocabulary far above what would be appropriate for my age, and preferred to hang around adults and teachers to get all of my endless string of questions about the universe answered. While physical and athletic tasks were more difficult for me, learning was effortless when it came to the things I was interested in. However, once I got further into elementary school (probably about third grade), I was placed in gifted classes and began having a very difficult time staying focused to learn new information, and also to stay organized, keep track of assignments and papers that were due, and to be independent in my responsibilities. I often engaged in off topic conversations about my interests, daydreamed, and struggled to keep up with my schoolwork. After discussions with my teachers and my doctor, I was diagnosed with ADHD-inattentive type My doctor, parents, and teachers felt medication might be the answer to help my "absent minded professor" brain organize itself and to help me keep up with my responsibilities at school. I did not like the way the medication felt, told my mom that it gave me anxiety, and I did not like the effect it had on my creative brain. My parents agreed to let me stop taking the medication, but felt we needed a plan to help me to be more successful at school. In 6th grade my family met with my teacher and school team to develop a 504 plan. While many great teachers had helped and accommodated me along the way, and saw my bright mind and potential, once in middle school, teachers expected a higher level of independence and had less tolerance for my difficulties. The plan was necessary to provide me the accommodations that I needed at school to be able to demonstrate my true level of knowledge and potential. While I still choose not to take medication, my 504 plan has been helpful during my schooling. I have not needed very many accommodations as I have matured and developed skills and responsibility, but the 504 plan allowed me to be able to show my true potential. I know that my ADHD has impacted my learning when it comes to academic areas that were less interesting to me, but I was able to earn good grades and progress in those classes in order to be able to make it to college and be accepted in a major where my full creativity can thrive. While it was a more difficult journey, I am thankful for my parents and teachers who supported me along the way. I would love to have a career in the music/audio industry, and the Dylan's Journey Memorial Scholarship would be a significant help in making my dreams of attending a university for music production and audio engineering a reality! Based on how involved I am locally with the audio and music projects in my community, after furthering my training through an audio engineering and music production degree, I know I would do a great job bringing my skills and talents to a greater audience. Thank you for your consideration as a candidate for the Dylan's Journey Memorial Scholarship.

I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, while other kids were watching SpongeBob and playing with toys, I spent lots of time on Pandora, shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs and watching their music videos on YouTube. I also spent lots of time watching YouTube videos about music production and the recording process, and I was thrilled with the different electronic instruments and other unique items I saw in the videos. For several Christmases in a row, my parents challenged themselves to find unique instruments as gifts, one of my favorites being an Ocarina that I thought was hilarious when I played it with my nose. Everything changed on Christmas of 2021, when I was gifted a MIDI keyboard. From there, I was hooked on music production. After college, I plan to pursue a career as an audio engineer and music producer. I have found that many of my peers are focused on hanging out with friends, while I am focused on making beats, building my skills, and networking with people in the industry to help develop my craft. I am currently dual enrolled at my local university and have had the privilege of running sessions with local talent out of our studio on campus. I have also been doing lots of work in my community, on and off campus, as a live sound engineer. At my church, GatheringPoint, I started serving last summer as an audio engineer for the live streams and online services, and I eventually worked my way into being the audio engineer for the main house. I love how hands-on I get to be during the sermon and with the band performances. Some recent events have shown me how I can make a difference with my skills in audio and music. The first was that a short film I directed, scored, wrote, and did sound for ended up winning a state-level film contest. This helped my multimedia class gain funding and get taken more seriously at my school, which will ultimately help more creatives like myself find their voice and grow as artists. Without having the resources or people to collaborate with, being a creative in both film or music can be difficult. Another recent event was that my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a super popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who don't attend our church. I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time. By picking the right songs and running sound for the event properly, I could help people make new friends and want to continue to come to our church, which could completely change their lives. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion and I would love to use my gifts to help build community and bring people joy through music. Although I know that my family is blessed with everything we need, my parents are hard-working educators, which means that their salaries will not come close to covering the high costs of college educations for myself and my siblings. Since my passion is music, I have found that there are not as many scholarships available to assist musicians like myself. Music is my dream, and the Chris Ford Scholarship would be a significant help in making my dreams of attending a university for music production a reality! Thank you for your consideration for the Chris Ford Scholarship.

I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, while other kids were watching SpongeBob and playing with toys, I spent time on Pandora, shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs and watching their music videos. I also spent lots of time watching YouTube videos about music production and the recording process, and I was thrilled with the different electronic instruments and other unique items he used. For several Christmases in a row, my parents challenged themselves to find unique instruments as gifts, one of my favorites being an Ocarina that I thought was hilarious when I played it with my nose. Everything changed on Christmas of 2021, when I was gifted a MIDI keyboard. From there, I was hooked on music production. Making beats is now a daily occurrence, and I have connected with lots of artists in the Chicago area. After college, I plan to pursue a career as an audio engineer and music producer. I have found that many of my peers are hanging out with friends, while I am focused on making beats, building my skills, and networking with people in the industry to develop my craft. I am dual enrolled at my local university and have had the privilege of running sessions with local talent in our studio on campus. It has been a very rewarding process to see a song come to fruition from me producing the beat to hearing the finished product. I have also been doing lots of work in my community. At my church, GatheringPoint, I started serving last summer as an audio engineer for the live streams and online services, and worked my way into being the audio engineer for the main house. I love how hands-on I get to be during the sermon and with the band performances. I have also focused on working with audio in the film world, as well. Last year at my school’s Career Center, I took a Multimedia Production class and learned a lot about both audio and video. At the end of the year, I wrote, directed, and worked on audio for a film that won a State-level contest, and I had the honor of competing at Nationals in Atlanta, Georgia. Although I know that my family is blessed with everything we need, my parents are hard-working educators, which means that their salaries will not come close to covering the high costs of college educations for myself and my siblings. Since my passion is music, and the arts are traditionally under-funded, I have found that there are not as many scholarships available to assist musicians like myself. I have worked consistently in the fast food industry for about 20+ hours per week since my sophomore year in high school. I was able to get a job on a work permit at age 15. I plan to continue to work either on campus or near my college to help lessen the financial burden on my family once I leave for college. I am not afraid of hard work, but unfortunately, with the high cost of the schools that have my major, I need much more assistance to be able to commit to attending one of their programs. Music is my dream, and the Joe Gilroy Scholarship would be a significant help in making my dreams of attending a university a reality! After furthering my training, I know I would do a great job bringing my skills and talents to a greater audience. Thank you for your consideration as a candidate for the Joe Gilroy Scholarship.

As a young child, my parents and teachers marveled at how quickly I memorized, absorbed, and learned information about my sometimes odd topics of interest. I learned all of my letters and letter sounds, seemingly without being taught, sang entire songs word for word without making mistakes, had movies memorized, used vocabulary far above what would be appropriate for my age, and preferred to hang around adults and teachers to get all of my endless string of questions about the universe answered. While physical and athletic tasks were more difficult for me, learning was effortless when it came to the things I was interested in. However, once I got further into elementary school, I was placed in gifted classes and began having a very difficult time staying focused to learn new information, stay organized, keep track of assignments and papers that were due, and to be independent in my responsibilities. I often engaged in off topic conversations about my interests, daydreamed, and struggled to keep up with my schoolwork. After discussions with my teachers and my doctor, I was diagnosed with ADHD-inattentive type. I did not like the way the medication felt, told my mom that it gave me anxiety, and I did not like the effect it had on my creative brain. My parents agreed to let me stop taking the medication, but felt we needed a plan to help me to be more successful at school. While many great teachers saw my bright mind and potential, once in middle school, teachers had less tolerance for my difficulties. A 504 plan was necessary to provide me the accommodations that I needed at school to be able to demonstrate my true level of knowledge and potential. Although I know that my family is blessed with everything we need, my parents are hard-working educators, which means that their salaries will not come close to covering the high costs of college educations for myself and my siblings. Since my passion is music, and the arts are traditionally under-funded, I have found that there are not as many scholarships available to assist musicians like myself. I have also found that my major in music production and audio engineering is not offered by many state schools, and the schools where I have auditioned, been admitted, and earned merit scholarships have tuition costs that are out of reach for my family without additional assistance. Even in 2025, I know that BIPOC and other minority students like myself, often do not have the same opportunities as students from majority groups. If I were to be awarded this scholarship, it would be an honor to have the opportunity to represent this marginalized group. I would hope to someday pay it forward through my finances, talents, time, and service to others. Thank you for your consideration and for the opportunity to apply for the Julius Quintin Jackson Scholarship.

I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, while other kids were watching SpongeBob and playing with toys, I spent time on Pandora, shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs and watching their music videos. I also spent lots of time watching Andrew Huang’s YouTube videos about music production and the recording process, and I was thrilled with the different electronic instruments and other unique items he used. For several Christmases in a row, my parents challenged themselves to find unique instruments as gifts, one of my favorites being an Ocarina that I thought was hilarious when I played it with my nose. Everything changed on Christmas of 2021, when I was gifted a MIDI keyboard. From there, I was hooked on music production. It took some research, but through watching Kenny Beats’ live streams on Twitch, lots of tutorial binge-watching, I found my style. Making beats is now a daily occurrence, and I have connected with lots of artists in the Chicago area. After college, I plan to pursue a career as an audio engineer and music producer. I have found that many of my peers are hanging out with friends, while I am focused on making beats, building my skills, and networking with people in the industry to develop my craft. I am dual enrolled at my local university and have had the privilege of running sessions with local talent in our studio on campus. It has been a very rewarding process to see a song come to fruition from me producing the beat to hearing the finished product. I have also been doing lots of work in my community. At my church, GatheringPoint, I started serving last summer as an audio engineer for the live streams and online services, and worked my way into being the audio engineer for the main house. I love how hands-on I get to be during the sermon and with the band performances. Some recent events have shown me how I can make a difference with my skills in audio and music. The first was that a short film I directed, scored, wrote, and did sound ended up winning a state-level film contest and helped my multimedia class gain funding and get taken more seriously. This will ultimately help more creatives like myself find their voice and grow as artists. Without having the resources or people to collaborate with, being a creative in both film or music can be difficult. Another event was that my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a super popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who don't attend our church. I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time. By picking the right songs and running sound properly, I could help people make new friends and want to continue to come to our church, which could completely change their lives. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion and I would love to use my gifts to help build community and bring people joy through music. The Sunshine Legall Scholarship would be a significant help in making my dreams of attending a university for music production and audio engineering a reality! After furthering my training, I know I would do a great job bringing my skills and talents to a greater audience. Thank you for your consideration as a candidate for the Sunshine Legall Scholarship.

I have been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. As a kid, while other kids were watching SpongeBob and playing with toys, I spent time on Pandora, shuffling through Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson songs and watching their music videos. I also spent lots of time watching Andrew Huang’s YouTube videos about music production and the recording process, and I was thrilled with the different electronic instruments and other unique items he used. For several Christmases in a row, my parents challenged themselves to find unique instruments as gifts, one of my favorites being an Ocarina that I thought was hilarious when I played it with my nose. Everything changed on Christmas of 2021, when I was gifted a MIDI keyboard. From there, I was hooked on music production. It took some research, but through watching Kenny Beats’ live streams on Twitch, lots of tutorial binge-watching, I found my style. Making beats is now a daily occurrence, and I have connected with lots of artists in the Chicago area. After college, I plan to pursue a career as an audio engineer and music producer. I have found that many of my peers are hanging out with friends, while I am focused on making beats, building my skills, and networking with people in the industry to develop my craft. I am dual enrolled at my local university and have had the privilege of running sessions with local talent in our studio on campus. It has been a very rewarding process to see a song come to fruition from me producing the beat to hearing the finished product. I have also been doing lots of work in my community. At my church, GatheringPoint, I started serving last summer as an audio engineer for the live streams and online services, and worked my way into being the audio engineer for the main house. I love how hands-on I get to be during the sermon and with the band performances. I have also focused on working with audio in the film world, as well. Last year at my school’s Career Center, I took a Multimedia Production class and learned a lot about both audio and video. At the end of the year, I wrote, directed, and worked on audio for a film that won a State-level contest, and I had the honor of competing at Nationals in Atlanta, Georgia. Due to some lucky networking, I connected with an engineer at Super Sound Studios and sat in at a session Killer Mike was recording in. It was inspiring to be in the same room as a team of Grammy-winning engineers and producers, and I have received lots of great mentorship and advice from them this past year. I have always had a passion for music production. I decided to teach myself on my Mom’s computer when I was fourteen, and I have loved the learning process since then. Although I do not have any music officially released, I do have lots of unreleased collaborations with musicians in my community. I have also connected and worked on songs with artists online, and I am very proud of the songs I have had a hand in writing and producing. Music is my dream, and the AnQuan Lee Palmer Scholarship would be a significant help in making my dreams of attending a university for music production a reality! After furthering my training, I know I would do a great job bringing my skills and talents to a greater audience. Thank you for your consideration as a candidate for the AnQuan Lee Palmer Scholarship.

A black leader in my life that inspires me is my father, Cornell Middlebrook. My father grew up in an unstable household, but used his talents in football to change his situation. Coming from Detroit with two parents with unstable jobs, he knew his family wouldn't be able to afford to send him to college, so he gave his all to the sport, stayed focused, and invested in his talents, which led him to receiving a full-ride scholarship to play at Purdue University at the Division I level. This helped him gain his education to be a teacher and coach, which brought him to Kankakee High School, where as head coach, he led the football team to the finals in 2008 for the first time in years and receiving young citizen of the year from the local newspaper. My father's leadership kept youth in the area out of trouble and instilled persistence, discipline, and strength in his players in a city with high crime rate and gang violence. Today, my father is the dean of students and football coach at my primary white high school. Him being here has helped create equal opportunity for black students because he is the only black administrator in the building and one of three black staff members that aren't security guards or custodians. My father has shed light on the perspectives black students may have in different situations when they wouldn't have been fairly represented before. Aside from that, my father has helped to be a positive black role model to students in my school where the staff is primarily white and from a suburban or rural background, which not only supports students of color, but also combats racism or prejudice that students in the building may carry. My father has been a great leader to myself and my siblings as well and has helped shape me as I go through my teenage years and has taught me what it means to be ambitious and successful as a young black man in America. Overall, my father inspires me because of how many areas he has improved, as a coach, an administrator, and as a man. I one day hope to have as much influence on my community as he has because I've seen the way that you can change a space by being a positive presence and giving your best effort at what you do by seeing him give that effort throughout my life.

My inspiration to pursue music came from my grandfather who passed away when I was young. Before he passed, he bought me a cheap toy piano and noise maker, despite my mom's strict rule that I couldn't have any annoying or poorly made toys as a baby. My grandfather's reasoning was that he knew I was going to be a musical person. Once I got to middle school, I picked up saxophone on the Alto Sax my grandfather got my mother and I fell in love with the instrument and taught myself random songs from YouTube tutorials, along with being in my middle school's band program. Eventually I took up music production and have been learning the craft throughout high school and I plan on majoring in it in college. I have so much love for hip-hop as a genre and it has completely changed my life and I want to have the same impact as a producer that artists like Kanye West, Tyler, The Creator, and Pharrell Williams have had on me. When I was 13, the COVID-19 pandemic happened and I was at home all day, so I had tons of time on my hands and spent a lot of it listening to music because my family just got on Apple Music's family plan and it was my first time having full access to music that I didn't hear on the radio or on TV. Eventually I came across the song EARFQUAKE my Tyler, The Creator and I went down the rabbit hole of Hip-Hop and R&B music. I spent lots of time watching beat breakdowns and instrumental recreations of my favorite songs and naturally gained an interest in the music production side of things. I started making beats on GarageBand and despite the rocky start, I loved the creative process that came with it. I've been making beats the last 3 years and last year I got into the audio world by working on short films and running sound at my church. Some recent events have shown me how I can make a difference with my skills in audio and music. The first was that a short film I directed, scored, wrote, and did sound for ended up winning a state-level film contest and helped my multimedia class gain funding and get taken more seriously at my school, which will ultimately help more creatives like myself find their voice and grow as artists, which I am very proud of because without having the resources or people to collaborate with, being a creative in both film or music can be difficult. Another recent event was that my church selected me to DJ our youth program's dodgeball tournament. This is a super popular event in our town for middle schoolers, even those who don't attend our church, and I realized that the choices I made while selecting songs helped welcome people into not only our church, but potentially any church for the first time, so by picking the right songs and running sound for the event properly, I could help people make new friends and want to continue to come to our church, which could completely change their lives. Ultimately, music is my greatest passion and I would love to use my gifts to help build community and bring people joy through music.