You begin to see the world differently when you listen to a piece of music that starts a fire in you. There is something magical about listening to a large force of instruments creating something beautiful. It reaches into the deepest part of you to bring warmth and excitement. There is an aspect of community whether you are creating or consuming music. It brings people together. World Keeps Spinning by The Brilliance is what made me realize I needed to pursue music. While being a pop song, it brings in a large orchestra to bring life to it. The song talks about how the world is always going to keep spinning and the best thing we can do is love each other. Music connects every single person in the world. No matter your background, you have music that is important to you. Encountering music in any manner brings life and a fresh breath of air to your heart. Being able to pursue music as a career is extremely challenging. Everyone is in competition with each other. This song reminds me that the best thing that I can do is continue to love the people around me and make music. While I am anxious in a practice room angry at myself for not being a better musician, I take a second to remember how hard I have worked to get here. I am studying music so I can spread love to those around me. I was on the direction of music education so that I could teach the next generations how to create music and express themselves. I then began to realize that I need to bring music to those who do not have the chance for it normally. Music therapy is the new path that I have been venturing onto. I want to educate people on how music can help heal the most inner part of them. Music needs to be in shelters and hospitals. It engages the entire brain and brings hope. While the most confused in my life, I listened to this piece of music and realized that I need to bring music to hurting hearts. I want to teach hurting people how to make music themselves. Whether someone is hurting mentally or physically, music can bring hope and courage to any situation. Actively pursuing learning an instrument creates perseverance and is a workout for your brain. The arts give new beginnings to people. There is hope and love in expressing yourself. If I can help even one person to learn how to love with music, all of my anxieties in the practice room will be worth it.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed is a book that completely changed the way I view the world. It showed me that sometimes you need to go completely out of your comfort zone and into the wild, whether that is literal or metaphorical. It is a non-fiction book about a woman who realizes she needs a reset on her life after feeling so lost. Cheryl had gotten divorced and lost her mother to cancer. When she got divorced, she purposely changed her name to something of her own creating: Strayed. Cheryl knew she was on the path of something new and unknown. With little understanding or prior knowledge of hiking, she takes on the adventure of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. In the wild, she is able to confront all of who she is and what she has gone through. This book made me realize that sometimes you have to go completely out of your comfort zone in order to find who you truly are. The scary things are usually the things that you need to do. There is a boldness in taking your own, unknown path. The story is inspiring to see someone else confront all of their past and debate their further existence in the world. Strayed's thoughts and journey that she expresses through her autobiography is powerful. She struggles against her own mind and the wilderness she has ventured into. It expresses that sometimes the place you need to be is simply lost in the wild to come to terms with the things in your heart.

Quality music education has become a privilege. Growing up in a low-income household, I never received private music lessons. The only thing backing up my acceptance into a music program was my drive and the public school system's music programs. I was in the orchestra from third grade all the way up until high school. Going to college for music made me realize that not having private lessons put me in the minority. I recently decided to pursue music therapy so that I can understand the brain better and use music to help those who need some extra love. I had always known I was supposed to be in some sort of ministry, I knew it was to be with youth and I knew I loved music. As I continued in my education and my faith walk, I realized that using music to impact the lives of students struggling was how God was calling me to impact my community. My dream is to be able to provide trauma-informed music lessons to disadvantaged students. Right now, I am in the process of getting involved with SWAN, Scaling Walls A Note at a time. They work with kids of incarcerated parents. They provide after-school music lessons with a small Bible lesson beforehand. Music is a creative outlet for all ages, SWAN is trying to step in to give these children an escape and path that is different from their parents. It is free to the students and gives them a chance to learn an instrument, about music, and the Gospel. It is based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I am from Reading, Pennsylvania which has a poverty level of 41%. Where there is poverty, there is a higher risk of crime. Music gives students a chance to take a step away from the dangers of drugs and gangs. While this program may not be a complete fix, it gives students the chance to grow as a person and see value in themselves. They are able to see the creativity and passion that God has placed in them. A wild dream that is only going to be able to happen with the grace of God is to be able to provide free lessons to students living in poverty. Private lessons are a privilege. They are expensive and families in Reading do not have the money to spare to put their children into lessons. I want to be able to give students quality lessons from the perspective of understanding that they are facing heartache all around them. They may not make it into Julliard, but they will have the life skills that come from pouring their heart into a craft like music. They learn perseverance and self-worth through music. It will give them a chance to escape their heartache, whether it is mental or physical with being able to go to college and get a degree to help them move further in life. Help me achieve this wild dream that God has placed on my heart.

Quality music education has become a privilege. Growing up in a low-income household, I never received private music lessons. The only thing backing up my acceptance into a music program was my drive and the public school system's music programs. I was in the orchestra from third grade all the way up until high school. Going to college for music made me realize that not having private lessons put me in the minority. I recently decided to pursue music therapy so that I can understand the brain better and use music to help those who need some extra love. I had always known I was supposed to be in some sort of ministry, I knew it was to be with youth and I knew I loved music. As I continued in my education and my faith walk, I realized that using music to impact the lives of students struggling was how God was calling me to impact my community. My dream is to be able to provide trauma-informed music lessons to disadvantaged students. Right now, I am in the process of getting involved with SWAN, Scaling Walls A Note at a time. They work with kids of incarcerated parents. They provide after-school music lessons with a small Bible lesson beforehand. Music is a creative outlet for all ages, SWAN is trying to step in to give these children an escape and path that is different from their parents. It is free to the students and gives them a chance to learn an instrument, about music, and the Gospel. It is based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I am from Reading, Pennsylvania which has a poverty level of 41%. Where there is poverty, there is a higher risk of crime. Music gives students a chance to take a step away from the dangers of drugs and gangs. While this program may not be a complete fix, it gives students the chance to grow as a person and see value in themselves. They are able to see the creativity and passion that God has placed in them. A wild dream that is only going to be able to happen with the grace of God is to be able to provide free lessons to students living in poverty. Private lessons are a privilege. They are expensive and families in Reading do not have the money to spare to put their children into lessons. I want to be able to give students quality lessons from the perspective of understanding that they are facing heartache all around them. They may not make it into Julliard, but they will have the life skills that come from pouring their heart into a craft like music. They learn perseverance and self-worth through music. It will give them a chance to escape their heartache, whether it is mental or physical with being able to go to college and get a degree to help them move further in life. Help me achieve this wild dream that God has placed on my heart.

Quality music education has become a privilege. Growing up in a low-income household, I never received private music lessons. The only thing backing up my acceptance into a music program was my drive and the public school system's music programs. I was in the orchestra from third grade all the way up until high school. Going to college for music made me realize that not having private lessons put me in the minority. I recently decided to pursue music therapy so that I can understand the brain better and use music to help those who need some extra love. I had always known I was supposed to be in some sort of ministry, I knew it was to be with youth and I knew I loved music. As I continued in my education and my faith walk, I realized that using music to impact the lives of students struggling was how God was calling me to impact my community. My dream is to be able to provide trauma-informed music lessons to disadvantaged students. Right now, I am in the process of getting involved with SWAN, Scaling Walls A Note at a time. They work with kids of incarcerated parents. They provide after-school music lessons with a small Bible lesson beforehand. Music is a creative outlet for all ages, SWAN is trying to step in to give these children an escape and path that is different from their parents. It is free to the students and gives them a chance to learn an instrument, about music, and the Gospel. It is based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I am from Reading, Pennsylvania which has a poverty level of 41%. Where there is poverty, there is a higher risk of crime. Music gives students a chance to take a step away from the dangers of drugs and gangs. While this program may not be a complete fix, it gives students the chance to grow as a person and see value in themselves. They are able to see the creativity and passion that God has placed in them. A wild dream that is only going to be able to happen with the grace of God is to be able to provide free lessons to students living in poverty. Private lessons are a privilege. They are expensive and families in Reading do not have the money to spare to put their children into lessons. I want to be able to give students quality lessons from the perspective of understanding that they are facing heartache all around them. They may not make it into Julliard, but they will have the life skills that come from pouring their heart into a craft like music. They learn perseverance and self-worth through music. It will give them a chance to escape their heartache, whether it is mental or physical with being able to go to college and get a degree to help them move further in life. Help me achieve this wild dream that God has placed on my heart.

I love others because I serve a God who loved me first. I find that when I volunteer on a regular basis, I am much kinder to everyone around me. That includes the wealthy people who come into my work and yell at me. I know that everyone is dealing with hurt and has their own story. Every single person has value and deserves to know that they are loved. Volunteering gives me an opportunity to look at others with love and compassion. Sometimes all someone needs is a smile. I may be the only person in the day that is going to talk to them like a human being and not brush them off. I have found that in today's world, we have started to volunteer for our own benefit. It makes us feel better. Volunteering is about taking time to follow the call from God to take care of widows and orphans. Our hearts should be open to take what we have whether that is time or money to be able to take care of our fellow humans. Volunteering is about making sure those who are at disadvantage are given the love and compassion that they deserve. Volunteering should not have the agenda of a morale boost and for personal gain. I could write all of the things I do to volunteer, but then I would be expressing it for my own gain. Instead, I will explain why a scholarship would help me help others. I recently dropped my music education major so that I can pursue a basic music degree and take more psychology classes. I decided my place in the world is not going to be in front of a classroom with children who are required to sit there. Instead, I am supposed to be down in the trenches with people in shelters who just need music as an escape from the hurt inside of them. I want to provide trauma-informed music lessons to children who would never have the chance to touch an instrument otherwise. Music therapy would require three more years of schooling which is going to be hard to afford when I come from a single-income household with a single mother. I have two younger sisters who my mother also provides for. Scholarships are going to be the bridge for me to obtain my master's in music therapy. I am asking you to help me get the education to help others who are in desperate need of music and love.

I never wanted to go into music growing up. On a path of ministry for nearly eight years, I poured my soul into helping others and studying the Bible. Memoizing verses, praying furiously and constantly, leading small groups, and being a welcoming face at my church prepared me for when God tapped me on the shoulder to let me know that we changed directions. Changing my major to music education has been the best choice I have ever made. When I first went to college, I was not a music major that first year. I had never had a private lesson in my life and only ever playing in my school orchestra. The Corona Virus messed up my chance of finally having a strong chance to be first violin. Forget about missing out on prom and graduation, never being in the first row of the violin one section is what I am upset about as a 2020 graduate. When I was told that I would not be an education major when I entered college due to my lacking musical repertoire, I was devastated. I cried in my bed for an hour. After I was done sulking, I decided I needed to put in twice as much work. I began practicing everyday for at least one hour; my family can attest to that. When I got to college and finally had my first violin lesson, I was ready to do whatever my teacher asked me. Learning intonation, vibrato, and different bowings were second to learning how to humble myself. For the first time, I was taking responsibility for my mistakes and not making excuses. I took every piece of advice my teacher gave me and took it with me to the practice room. I worked effortlessly. When I was told I could finally transfer from being a BA in music to a music education major, I was over the moon excited. All of the tears and anxious thoughts from that past year floated away from my mind. Everyday I sit back and think, "I wouldn't rather be doing anything else." I have received so much joy from this small tap on the shoulder. Peace fills me as I think about my future. The idea of spending my days teaching music brings a warmness to my heart. I have even gotten the privilege of teaching piano lessons this past semester to two children ages eight and twelve. This had its own challenges. Everything I was learning in my music and education classes, I was beginning to take into a little practice room every Tuesday for an hour. When I tell people I am a music education major, I feel complete. While it was not always the path I was on, its the path that God has made for me.

I have never gained more insight to the human experience than from watching my step dad battle his alcohol and drug addition. Despite my step dad, Matt, only entering my life when I was fourteen, I wanted to see him overcome his addictions. When my mom started to date Matt, she had no clue of his addictions. She only saw the fun guy at the bar that everyone knew and loved. He would get up to work his sometimes ten hour long HVAC shifts. Slowly, the signs began to appear and my mom was eager to help him. My mother has always been a caring person. This made her jump right in to try and save him; she learned everything possible about addiction. She encouraged him to go to rehab and therapy. While the first rehab did not solve the problem, nor the next... or the next one - Matt is finally four years clean of cocaine. Alcohol has been an entirely different battle though. He stayed sober for a little over three years but recently started drinking again. Sometimes, he stops drinking before he becomes drunk. Sometimes, he doesn't. I am not sure why he started to drink again in all honesty. Addiction eats away at the soul, taking control over every part of your life. It dictates every move, you wonder when and were you will be able to get your "fix". I have not been able to understand the full extent of what Matt has gone through, but I have an idea. I have struggled with a self harm addiction. I did everything I could in order to hide it from the ones I love. I would be good for a while, and then relapse. No one accidentally gets an addiction. There are things that happen behind the curtain that drive someone to these dangerous outlets of drugs and alcohol. Over the seven years that I have known Matt, stories of his childhood began to surface. He would speak of neglect and abuse. I can still see traces of it today. When I watch Matt drink, I don't see a forty year old man, I see a scared eight year old that cannot understand why his parents are not showing him love and taking him to bars. My heart breaks for that little kid that had to endure all of that pain. My heart also breaks for the man I see every day who just wants to feel like he is enough. I do believe that how you respond to life changes can shape your life. When you are faced with a choice, you can either run away from it or face it. Running away can cause you to find yourself doing cocaine in the bathroom of a random gas station. Fighting can mean sitting with your emotions and coming to terms with the things you have experienced and done. I think what I have learned the most is that I understand why people run and turn to drugs and alcohol. I am going into education to maybe show a different path of relief before they are even given a drink. Music is shown to be beneficial in almost all aspects of life. If I can open my classroom to hurting souls and show them the love that they deserve, maybe it should shape the way the rest of their life goes.

Its hard to sum up all my mother, Debbie, has done for me. She became a single mom to three kids nine years ago when my father and her divorced. my father does the "bare minimum" while my mother has done everything in her power and ability to ensure my sisters and I have a good life. While looking at colleges, my mother never said a word about the cost. Debbie did not even get to graduate high school due to family troubles and her battle with OCD. All she has wanted for me is to be able to go to college and never batted an eye when I had dreams of going into ministry or music education. Neither made money, she just insisted I do something I enjoyed. My mom takes whatever job that she can with a one exception - it still allows for her to be present in her children's life. My mother has never missed a single game, concert, or event in my life or my two younger sisters. She is our biggest supporter. When needing to find a new violin so I could further my musical studies, Debbie worked around finances so that we would be able to afford one. My mother is the most compassionate person with the biggest heart, but not particularly known for her singing voice. Despite not knowing anything about music in the slightest, she came with me to get my violin and did all she could to ensure I got the best one. While trying out different violins, I remember my mom saying "I don't know violins and I know there aren't brands, but which is the best? I just want her to have the best one for her." It was a big investment so I spent about an hour going back and forth playing each one. As I found the right one, she was excited for me. My mother has not always been the best mother, but she has always been the most loving one. We fight, mess up, and do things that hurt the other. In the end, we always have each other backs. She is the person I call when I am unsure of what to do, have a bad day, or just need someone to bug with my nonsense. I am there for her when things are going bad with a boyfriend or she needs a ride home from the bar when going out for a drink or two. Debbie is my best friend, biggest supporter, and most importantly - my amazing, strong, and loving mother.

Going to a Bible college doesn’t make it easy to be bisexual. I hear stories from friends who have been outed and their education threatened. With required chapels, many of us sit through lectures of why we are wrong and need to change our ways. I hold my breath when topics regarding the LBGT+ community comes up. You learn very fast who you can and cannot trust. Despite coming from an accepting family, I still am thrown daggers of disappointment and disgust. I was struck with the realization that my best friends would most likely not attend my wedding if it was to a woman. With all of that being said, I still love my Bible college peers with all of my heart. I see them as works of God who do not understand. Going into music education, I want to be a home for students who are struggling with accepting themselves while trying to combat the comments of society. Music allows students to express themselves and find an escape. I want to teach LGBT+ students that they were made perfect in Gods image, even if their pastor is degrading them. Being bisexual and a Christian has never been easy. I have had to fight my way through my own thoughts and the doctrine that I grew up on. Throughout this process I have come closer to God than I have ever before. My confidence is much higher and I know I am strong enough to face anything that comes my way. With music education, I aim to pass on a love of others, confidence, and perseverance. Students who are coming to terms with their identity will know that they are strong enough to face the adversity, and when they get tired of fighting - they have music that they can turn to. Whether that is listening or creating music, I want to teach them how to escape and find peace in the melodies. The best way of showing the love of Jesus is being with the people. As a music teacher I am going to be showing the love of Jesus to every child that sits in front of me. Their background means nothing to how I will treat them or view them because they are all made perfectly by the Creator. I was not sent to judge. I am being sent out into the world to minister to people in love. I don’t have to speak the name of Jesus in order to show them that they are loved by Him. My classroom with be a place of love and acceptance, just how Jesus would have wanted it.

Being a student athlete who is majoring in music education, life can get pretty chaotic. While working three different small jobs, I was able to manage my 20 credit load along with playing lacrosse. What made it possible was a strict schedule, self discipline, an understanding community, and the pure grace of God. I would prepare myself each day by going to the gym for thirty minutes to lift. This got my mind ready for the day. Throughout my morning, I would pray and ask God to center my mind and prepare me for what was ahead. This got my heart and spirit ready for the day. I would pack up my many bags by 8 am and head to the building most of my classes were in. I would have a bag for my class materials, one for sheet music I would need throughout the day, and a bag for lacrosse practice. My clearly laid out schedule helped me remember when and where I committed myself at any minute. My lacrosse coach was very understanding of my position - I was the only girl on the team that was a music education major. I had worked out a deal with my coach that I would not be there for the entire practice, but I would give my all when I was there. The hour I would spend on the field was dedicated solely to lacrosse and getting out all of the other stress of the day. When I would leave from practice to go to another class, work, or a rehearsal - I would set my mind to be dedicated to that activity. When I was in the practice room - that time was just for improving my musical skills. When I was studying - that time was just for assignments. The daily prayers to get me ready for my day fueled me to focus on the task at hand. When my mind would drift, I would take a second to breathe. A small prayer asking for peace would sit in my heart for a few seconds. Then I was back to the task at hand. When I could tell I was getting drained, that was explained to my community. Everyone was understanding and supportive of what I was doing. I was able to keep my 3.7 gpa up because of the absolute grace of God. None of it would have been possible if I tried to lean on my own strength. God was the reason I was able to have the strength and endurance to manage my hectic schedule.