I grew up in a small town in rural West Virginia with a population of less than five thousand people. My high school graduating class was large for its size at 125 students graduating. I sat and waited for my name to be called as patiently as I possibly could, my leg keeping time at 200 beats per minute, I wanted my ticket out. The following year did not go as expected as I ended up flowing into the crowd with people who I thought were supposed to be my friends. I started to make choices that helped to temporarily relieve the pain I felt of not achieving what I had hoped that year and eventually found myself not recognizing who I saw in the mirror each day. I didn’t want to continue to lose myself, It was time to make a major change. I’ve always been heavily involved in music, it was also my way of mending the hurt I felt and helped me to find purpose in my life. “Wait, is that an option?” I thought to myself, “could I use music to help people with mental health issues like myself?”. I began to sort through what felt like dozens of articles to eventually find what is known as music therapy. People were using music therapy for all sorts of different reasons: Neurological rehabilitation, Parkinson’s disease management, drug and alcohol addiction, coping with mental health issues, intellectual and learning disabilities. I finally found what felt like my calling and I made it my mission to make this dream a reality. In my searching for the best music therapy program I came across Colorado State University and Immediately fell in love. I’ve been working retail for the past four years and saving what I could on $16 an hour. I was determined to make Colorado my new home and start fresh. In August of 2023, I was finally able to make the dream a reality. I packed up my car, all my belongings and my dog and set out for the long drive to Colorado. I am currently in my sophomore year at Colorado State University in the music therapy department and still trying to find my footing here in the beautiful state. I want to continue my education in this program and work with individuals with mental health related issues. I would love to have my own private practice one day and coordinate with shelters for using therapy dogs with patients, Occupational therapists, rehabilitation therapists and other coordinating areas that would help my future clients find their peace like I finally have.