The 4th Life Chapter 1: Lives 1 and 2 July 21st 2007, El Salvador. Born in the most dangerous country in the world at the time, the life ahead seems unpromising. Another child to be stuck in the endless cycle of poverty and violence. However, one decision, one opportunity changed everything. My parents, knowing the lack of opportunity, decided to move to San Francisco, California. There I grew up as an American but never at any point did I leave my El Salvadorian language and culture. To this day I take yearly trips to my home country, and when I’m there it’s like I never left. It’s like I could live one life in the US and another in El Salvador. Like most kids, the world was wonder to me, I didn’t think about how little money I had or what had happened before me. However, as I got older the stories about my parents, uncles and cousins' lives progressively made more sense to me and made me realize how lucky I had it and how important it was that I made a difference. It was not until 5th grade that I found my passion without knowing it. My school had a small music program and I chose the flute. Funny enough I originally just liked it because it was shiny but then I began practicing more and more and realized how much I actually liked playing it. This is how my passion began. Chapter 2: Life 3 California was a difficult place to live in without having a lot of money, so my dad found a way to transfer over to Houston, Texas and keep his job. The day I moved was a fever dream, it didn’t hit me that this was more than just a long vacation, it was like I started a third life and my second was finished. I joined my middle school’s band and that’s where my love for music truly flourished. I fell in love with not only making music but also with the feeling of getting better. In 7th grade I decided what I was going to do for the rest of my life, music. Since then I have always pushed myself to become the best. I fell in love with not only music but also with the determination it required. I became addicted to the feeling of becoming better. Furthermore, as I got better more opportunities and experiences opened up that led me to appreciate music even more. My experiences in the Texas All State Band and Orchestras alongside my concerto performances with professional ensembles changed my perception of what music does to people. I originally got into music just because it was fun but after every one of these meaningful performances I got people coming up to me and expressing how much they enjoyed what they heard. There was one particular performance where one sweet old lady that I didn’t not know came up to me and handed me a rose from her bouquet. She then started hugging me, talking about how much she enjoyed my performance and how it made her tear up. At that moment I realized that music did not just make me happy, it made everyone happy. I can also firmly say that my deepest friendships in some way have stemmed from music. Chapter 3: The 4th life Back in middle school my main goal was to be a great soloist, in freshman year of high school I wanted to be an orchestral player, sophomore year I wanted to be a professor, Junior year, a composer and now senior year I want to do production. What’s stopping me from doing it all? In a world where determination and perseverance are the main ingredients in success I feel that I accomplish everything I want. As a matter of fact, I feel that I need to accomplish everything I want. There is a sense of responsibility I have regarding my family’s future. Once I understood this I did not hold back in either music or academics. I am now an honor graduate being in the top 10% of my class, an IB learner and performed highly in every AP exam I took. Music is a very complicated and risky industry but I know that I can thrive due to my ability to take intelligent risks, connect with people and go all into everything without fear. The adventure itself is success to me. I want to take people away from their problems and show that it is experiences that are the real treasures of life, not anything materialistic. I am forever grateful for what a beautiful experience my family has provided me. Every life was amazing. However, it is my turn to pay it back. The real story begins now.

I had absolutely no guidance. Not knowing what to do next was one of the biggest challenges for me as a first generation American student. I had to figure everything out by myself as my parents did not take nearly as advanced classes and had no idea on how to prepare for college. Regarding college I really don’t feel like I have a safety net as I know that it was up to me to become successful. An important fact that I have kept in the back of my mind throughout high school is knowing that my parents would not be able to pay my college tuition without significant scholarships. Despite these challenges I felt that being a first generation student motivated me to work my hardest. Knowing my parents’ struggles and how much they have worked to get where they are has led me to appreciate my life so much more. Every year I take a trip to my home country El Salvador and witness what life is like over there and I often think about how there was a real possibility that I would’ve grown up there. El Salvador used to be one of the most dangerous countries in the world and I became aware of the injustice and conflict through stories from my family. I always cherish my trips to El Salvador and adore spending time with my family but I acknowledge how fortunate I am to have what I have here in the United States. Due to this, I have always taken advantage of every opportunity I am offered. I participated and have been part of the best in band, full orchestra, French Honor Society, musical pit orchestra and Spanish National Honor Society. To further show my resourcefulness I am now in the top 10% of my class, I am an AP scholar and an IB learner. I have already made significant progress in the career I want to pursue which is music performance. I have been a 4 year TMEA All State musician and won various concerto competitions and was recognized in several events and performances. Knowing that I was going into a career that does not guarantee constant cash flow increased the pressure I had on myself. I know what I am going into will be extremely difficult but I have no other choice than to be successful. I am confident in my ability to be successful but I require significant aid to allow me to thrive in this field. I am doing it all for my current family, my future family and my country. I want to show the world that El Salvadordorians are incredibly intelligent and hardworking people. I have already made significant progress in my career and have no plan in losing steam.

No matter who you are or where you’re from, everyone loves one thing, music. Due to that music has always influenced history in a positive way. Classical art and music took Europe out of the dark ages, Bob Marley’s music empowered marginalized communities around the world, rap and hip hop brought attention to racial injustices and pop music has linked cultures internationally. Music is important and I want to be part of that impact. Born in El Salvador, I have always appreciated the advantages I have been offered here in the United States. I am the first in my family to pursue anything regarding college and due to this fact I never had any real guidance in my career and academic goals. Additionally, my family cannot pay for my college tuition without significant aid. The career I have chosen to pursue is a difficult one, music performance. It is truly difficult to thrive in this field and have stable cash flow but I cannot imagine myself doing anything else. As an instrumental performer the feeling of performing is nothing less than a surreal experience. In the moment I lose my sense of place and time and simply become a part of the music that I am creating. The notes and rhythms simply flourish out of me and my mind meticulously carries the story I’m conveying. Performing to me can serve as a way to take both the audience and myself into a different reality. I can bring seemingly insignificant ink on a page to life and tell a story with it. Music performance is a career that I knew I wanted to go into since I was in 7th grade. Since then I have always pushed myself to become the best. I fell in love with not only music but also with the determination it required. I became addicted to the feeling of becoming better. Furthermore, as I got better more opportunities and experiences opened up that led me to appreciate music even more. My experiences in the Texas All State Band and Orchestras alongside my concerto performances with professional ensembles changed my perception of what music does to people. I originally got into music just because it was fun but after every one of these meaningful performances I got people coming up to me and expressing how much they enjoyed what they heard. There was one particular performance where one sweet old lady that I didn’t not know came up to me and handed me a rose from her bouquet. She then started hugging me, talking about how much she enjoyed my performance and how it made her tear up. At that moment I realized that music did not just make me happy, it made everyone happy. I can also firmly say that my deepest friendships in some way stem from music. I have more than just music achievements that show my hard work and resourcefulness. I am in the top 10% of my class, I am an AP scholar, part of the National Society of High School Scholars and an IB learner. Performing is my way of pouring out my emotions and shouting what I cannot express into words. Additionally, there is a sense of control that I feel over myself and people’s lives when I perform that I don’t feel anywhere else. Irish singer-songwriter Bono put it best “Music can change the world because it can change people” With this scholarship I cannot only enter my new life with confidence, but I can also begin truly bettering people’s lives.