The communities, friends, and family that have surrounded me my whole life have always supported me and got me to where I am today. With everything that I do, and everything that I work for, I work to pay them back; to support them and express my gratitude for how far they've gotten me. I have come into my senior year facing a new world of stress and responsibilities. I have, as I've come to realize, pushed myself so far that I no longer create time for myself. Between 6 Advanced-Placement classes, my school's honors orchestra, volunteer work, and three local orchestral groups, I've found little time to focus on my future and my possibilities. This year, thus, has been exponentially hard; I've found myself facing problems with my mental health and having little time to address them. My communities, friends, and family, however, keep me grounded while pushing me to move forward. I've found that, with time, effort, and patience, I can heal wherever I am, no matter what I am working on; it is a never-ending effort that I am still learning to utilize. The people and communities in my life have made my future possible, and I owe my future to them, where I will take with me their kindness, efforts, and patience. I find most prominently that in my work within local musical groups and with local musicians, my efforts are seen, recognized, and appreciated, and they help others along the way. Within my local orchestral work, and working with wonderfully talented local musicians, I have come to find that musical fields are incredibly worthwhile, and music, as a career, is not only entirely possible but entirely fulfilling. Working with my county's local orchestra, for example, has granted me the opportunity to perform for many volunteer, local, and fundraising concerts, where music can be enjoyed for free and for the benefit of those in need. Raising money and teaching the importance and beauty of music has guided me to decide to continue music in my academic career. Music has always inspired me, and I have come to understand that music should not always be a luxury to perform or witness. This is possible through the groups I work with and the musicians that work with me - I have been able to spread the message and importance of classical and modern music to so many. As I continue my studies, I will be working to pay them back. I will continue playing with local groups, giving back to how they have supported me, and, as I will study music composition, I will pay tribute to them as they have led me to the path of my future. I will write to tell the stories of those who couldn't, of those who told me theirs and helped me through the challenges that I have faced. I will write to showcase how far they have brought me and to demonstrate that they and their efforts mean everything to me. I will write for communities, for those who need our stories and for those who understand. I will write to help others understand and to tell my story. The communities that raised me and the people who have supported me have made my future possible, and to them I owe everything. As I continue furthering my academic career, I hope that everything I continue to create and pursue can be a tribute to them, and I hope I can continue to give back to the communities I have been found within and will be found within.

Performance has consistently been a large portion of my fears as a musician. This year, however, I took a deep plunge into the world of performance – I performed a solo, entirely from memory, for my school’s Symphonic Orchestra this past Winter concert. It never would have been possible without the support of my accompanist – my pianist friend – as she supported me, critiqued me, and encouraged me every step of the way. I proposed to her over the summer Vittorio Monti’s Czardas – an intensely intricate piece of the violin repertoire, at my current level – as I was excited to work alongside her. We both practiced on our own and, upon returning to school and rehearsing together, realized we still had much to work on. She stuck by me, however, and we worked through our musical discrepancies together. With enough practice and patience and persistence, I began to know my part from memory, and, as the concert approached, we continued to fine-tune our melodies. On stage, with her support and her presence and my eventual confidence, I performed my first solo piece from memory, dancing lightly across the stage and spinning during my few moments of rest – I connected with the audience and told our story. This became my only performance thus far where I can look back on the experience and the memories rather than solely dwell on the mistakes. I utilize music in more than just my personal life and performances. Music, as a language, is a grand gesture of skill that encapsulates the music, possibilities, and stories of the past, present and future. Throughout my high school career, I've utilized this skill to participate in and aid the communities that have always supported me through life. Currently, I am a member of three different local orchestras - my county's Youth Orchestra, an accompanist to the Chesapeake Choral Arts Society, and a volunteer for my county's local homeschool band. Working with my local Youth Orchestra has been one of the most worthwhile opportunities I've thus had within music - we have put on and put together numerous community concerts and performances, including free holiday and festival performances and, recently, a fundraising concert to aid and support those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey. This performance was another huge step for me as a musician. I was appointed as the concertmaster, that being, the first chair and first violinist, that would lead the concert and the musical arrangements with our symphonic group consisting of numerous talented orchestral, band, and percussion players. I had, though brief, a solo as part of one of the group's songs and took weeks of practice to ensure that I could successfully lead in such an important cause. I am immensely proud and grateful for the opportunities to work with and work for my community and to work with and work for the wonderful musicians within my community. This is something I hope to continue as I continue my studies in music - though I plan to focus on composition, I will never forget the communities that raised me and supported me. Through composition, I will pay tribute to those who inspired me to pursue music, telling their story and showcasing the benefits of their support. I will also continue performing alongside local groups, as they have always had so much to provide and perform. I believe that music should not always be a luxury to witness or perform - this vision is what I aim to encapsulate as I continue my education in music and continue to write and perform.

The communities that raised me and the people who have supported me have made my future possible, and to them I owe everything. As I continue furthering my academic career, I hope that everything I continue to create and pursue can be a tribute to them, and I hope I can continue to give back to the communities I have been found within and will be found within. As I start this next chapter of my life, I am going to further my studies in music. I've been learning music by learning the violin for eight years now; recently, I've taken an interest in the composition that makes the music I've performed possible. Alongside one of my closest friends and fellow orchestra members, I've co-arranged now three pieces for my school's chamber orchestra. I've also made one entirely original composition - an orchestral quartet - inspired by one of the books in my AP Literature & Composition class, where themes of grief and progressive understanding surround the song composed around a specific scene from the book. Music has always been an important part of self-expression for me, and beginning to write and compose music of my own has been otherworldly in the same sense. I would like to work with music in such a sense that I can build from the music and stories of the past, as well as contribute to the music and stories of the future. As I make my own compositions, I hope that my education can guide me towards working with developers; making music for games, shows, and movies to help tell a story and move alongside characters and plot is a wonderful utilization of the language that is music - it is where I find that music can hold the most meaning. I hope also that I can encompass the stories of those who need to be heard, such as those who have supported me and my journey. Outside of school, I find the most fulfillment in engaging in local music events and working with the wonderful musicians of my community. I'm currently a prominent member of three separate local orchestras - my county's Youth Orchestra, an accompanist to the Chesapeake Choral Arts Society, and a recent volunteer with my county's local homeschool band. Working with the musicians in these groups has been immensely fulfilling - they have helped me through so much, especially now in my senior year, where I need all the help I can get. I hope that my continued efforts in, within, and surrounding music can pay tribute to their efforts and their aid. Whenever I am working with these amazing groups of wonderful people, I know I am giving back and working with my community in a deeply fulfilling way. Within my Youth Orchestra, for example, we have arranged and put on numerous community-based concerts, including holiday and festival performances and, recently, a fundraising concert to provide relief to earthquake victims in Turkey. For this concert, I was overjoyed to be the concertmaster; to lead the concert and the music as we made large strides towards aid and relief for those we could not directly help. This is what I hope to accomplish and what I hope I am known for as I pursue a deeper understanding of music through composition; I hope to give back to the people, family, and communities that have raised me and inspired me to continue following my passion. I aim also to continue performing with and for local communities, as music should not always be a luxury to access, witness, and perform.

I owe my future to one of my closest friends - had it not been for her, my plan to continue music would not have been so certain. I have known Olivia for four years, since the start of our high school careers, and every day spent alongside her in music has been entirely worthwhile. She, as a student and musician, inspires me greatly, and she always has. I started working with her during our freshman year when she was learning the viola and I was continuing the violin for my fifth year. Since then, she has been teaching herself to play the piano and has come so far as to inspire me to learn music in new, interesting ways. Last year, I came to Olivia with a proposal. There had been a violin solo that I had been eyeing, and I knew that one of the best ways to lighten my workload on the piece would be if she had accompanied me. We learned the piece on our own over the summer before returning to school and adding some rehearsal days together to see how far we'd come. There were a multitude of challenges; I had never worked with an accompanist, and Olivia was uncertain if she could keep up with my pace. She was, however, immensely forgiving and excited to work with me, and we never gave up. Over time, we kept the motivation and practice high between us and, eventually, this became my first fully memorized piece of the violin repertoire. This year, we performed the piece onstage. This past winter concert, me and Olivia performed Vittorio Monti's Czardas - an incredibly expressive, challenging piece between violin and piano that always kept us working and reworking. I felt, for the first time in a performance, comfortable, knowing that she was there with me, and knowing that we both were set on making this performance as self-fulfilling and communicative to the audience as possible. This was the first performance I've had where I could review the mistakes without dwelling on them, as the experience and accomplishment and having worked with Olivia had outweighed the usual self-inflicted doubts and critiques. This performance was an immediate turning point for me. As I played with Olivia, felt the music, spoke with the audience and spun (lightly) around the stage playing Czardas entirely from memory, I understood then that music was more than a calling - it was a passion, and I just needed the support to get me to fulfill this passion. Olivia had got me to that point. Her patience, her kindness, her friendship - she had made this experience so much greater. Had it not been for her outlook on me as a performer, as she consistently supported me, critiqued me, and motivated me, I never would have performed such an intricate solo, and, likely, I would not be as certain to continue as I am today. Music is an art, it is a language, and being able to create in such a way alongside Olivia gave me the final push to realize how beautiful and fulfilling music is as a career. I know that so much of my future studies will be dedicated to her and our efforts together, and I am immensely grateful for our experiences within music. To Olivia, I thank you dearly - working with you has been so fulfilling and enriching and uplifting; I hope that, wherever our differing paths take us, I can work with you again, as I owe my passion, in part, to having worked with you this past year.

I was watching a children's television show. A short scene of a simple quartet - that's all it took. There he was, the violinist, standing tall, creating familiar music to move the story along. That's when I decided - I wanted to learn the same instrument, to play music for others and create an environment that encapsulated the history of composition and the future of all its possibilities. It was, of course, very hard to start, and oftentimes still is. But it was everything. I am never done learning, and I have loved so much of what I have learned. Music has always inspired me. This was just the start of fulfilling said inspiration. I started learning music at the age of 9, and I don't intend to stop anytime soon. This school year, I have realized, in full, the potential I have through music. This past winter concert, I worked alongside my pianist friend to prepare and perform a complicated piece - Vittorio Monti's Czardas - as a solo. This has been one of the hardest pieces I have aimed to learn, but the payoff was otherworldly. This became my first fully memorized piece with practice. In performing, I connected with the audience - I told them a story. This became my only performance thus far that I could look back on and focus on the experience and the accomplishment rather than the mistakes on stage - this became integral to moving toward my future in music. This performance was one of many steps toward my decision to further study music. The others consisted of witnessing wonderful performers, having wonderful teachers, and, largely, the experience of arranging and composing music myself. For my school's chamber orchestra this year, I worked together with my closest friend and fellow orchestra member to arrange two pieces for the upcoming spring concert. We arranged one full-orchestra piece and one duet between ourselves. We aimed to portray the grandeur of our orchestra's abilities through our full arrangement, with interchanging harmonies and extensive dynamic changes. The duet was arranged to tell our story, in a sense; the song tells the story of keeping connected through changes, which has been an integral message to each other in our senior year. Recently, for an English assignment, I took themes and a scene from a book we read to create a moving quartet piece inspired by grief and understanding. This was my first original composition, and the messages within it continue to inspire me to write more. Music with a purpose is music that moves, and I hope to continue this idea through my studies. I aim to continue studying music by studying composition - composition that tells stories, that moves hearts, that builds from the music and stories of the past and influences the music and stories of the future. I aim to give thanks to the communities and people that raised me through my compositions; I aim to pay tribute to my inspirations through music and to support those of my community in need as they had once supported me. I aim to create music that holds a purpose. I hope that, with practice and study, I can perform alongside my own compositions, and that my stories can be told in full through what I continue to create and what I continue to play. Music has always inspired me. I hope now that I can inspire music; that I can create and tell stories to their fullest extent through composing and performing my own music for media, orchestras, and whoever connects with the music I create.

Music has always meant a lot to me as a creative person; so often music finds a way to express what I cannot. Recently, one piece that has meant a lot to me has been Movin' Right Along from "The Muppet Movie" for its heartwarming message and the connection I've made with one of my closest friends through it. As I've made my way through senior year, the friendships I've made have become increasingly important. As we all will take different paths in this next chapter of our lives, the idea of staying connected as we move forward has become a necessary practice. This is what Movin' Right Along has meant to me and my best friend - to keep going, and to stay connected through it all. For our senior year, my best friend and I wanted to go out with a bang, particularly with our school's Symphonic Orchestra where we perform together. We took on the challenge of composing an original arrangement of this piece, which fit the pop-based theme of our upcoming Spring concert and allowed us to work together to play a duet we both would love. Movin' Right Along has a particular line that sticks out to us: Fozzie sings, "You're ready for the big time," and Kermit responds, "Is it ready for me?" When my best friend got accepted to her dream college, I curated a handmade gift to celebrate, based on this song that we now connect over; I made us matching bracelets, which simply say "Movin' Right Along," in honor of such accomplishment and connection. This song, as simple as it is, means a lot to me and the love that I share with my friends, and I cannot wait to carry it with me throughout my next chapter.

My favorite Disney character has always been a classic one - Cinderella. She has meant a lot to both my family and me, and she has always symbolized a better, hopeful future that has given me the inspiration to continue fighting for my place in my life. Cinderella has always been a powerful story in my family, specifically for my mother. As a child, she grew up facing numerous disabilities and health issues. Her favorite story, throughout it all, was always Cinderella, and the powerful idea that love overcomes all boundaries. To this day, she is inspired by the story of and behind Disney's Cinderella - something she has passed onto me. Since Cinderella had given my mother strength and hope for her to live strongly and fully, I've been lucky to say the story and the character has done the same for me. Cinderella has always been my favorite Disney character aside from the shared experiences she brought. She taught me that, even when life is hard, there is always a place for me in the world, and that help can come when and where I least expect it. She taught me that love exists in a very real way for me out there in the world, and, of course, that it can't hurt to make a wish and believe in it. The world is bright and kind; I must be too. Cinderella's story and character is a hopeful story of becoming oneself outside of the perception of others. It is a story of love and growth. It is a story about being loved for who you are - something that Cinderella had to face herself as she learned to love and learned to love herself. Disney's Cinderella has always been a story about hope and perseverance and love; it is a story I am forever grateful to carry with me and learn from. Cinderella has inspired my family for generations and will continue to inspire for generations. Other than it being a shared experience between my family, the meanings and morals behind Cinderella and her story have inspired me and given me the courage to exist as I am unabashedly. Nobody can order me to stop dreaming, and I will continue to dream and dream and dream forever - I will continue to fight for my place in a world that can accept me exactly as I am.

One of the most important pets I've ever had in my life was my family's Cocker Spaniel, Paige. When me and my parents had Paige in our care, she was already old, and she was always gentle. Paige was a special symbol in my life, as well as the lives of my parents, and she brought a spark of joy and love wherever she went. This, of course, was a reflection of my grandmother, to which she was previously owned. My grandma and the light she brought with her is, to this day, one of the most important symbols of guidance in my life, and Paige's presence and love were no exception. My grandma had always played an important role in my life. She was always patient, gentle, and kind; not unlike the dog that she had left in our care with her departure. When I was 7, my grandma had passed away after a failed surgery. What I remember from her, however, was not her struggle, but rather her impact on the people and the lives around her. She was a lighthouse for the lost and a hope for the hopeful. Every bit of her passion and her compassion was reflected in the people she loved, as well as the dog she loved, and I had the eventual pleasure of taking under my wing. Paige had brought my family together when they needed it most. After my grandma had passed, my grandfather, who needed the support the most, gave Paige under the care of me, my mom, and my dad. Caring for her was easy yet challenging; she was a reminder of the life no longer there. More importantly, however, she was a reminder that life goes on, and that we must continue caring for others even when the world feels cruel. Paige was the symbol of my grandma that continued living after her death, and she reminded us that, even when one life is not there, their actions live on through their love and their influence; love is a continuous act that lives on past the passing of life. Besides being a symbol of love, Paige had taught me patience and responsibility, not unlike many children learn with their first pets. Since Paige was old and gentle, I had to learn to be gentle in response. She didn't have much of a want to play, but she always gave love and asked to be loved back; an easy ask for delicate dog. Taking her on walks around the neighborhood in such a time of distress and need brought me clarity as I witnessed the world around me led by my grandmother's senior dog. The patient, gentle, and kind dog that I had begun to take care of unknowingly took care of me, too, as well as those hurting around me. I am immensely grateful for the understanding, love, and fortitude that Paige brought me and my family in such a time of need. As Paige has passed, I remember her in the way I practice patience; I remember her in the way I grant gentleness to those who need it; I remember her in the way I keep kindness under my belt. I remember Paige for the reminder of my grandmother she had brought and I remember her for the love and light she had reflected. Paige had brought a calm to an uneasy household, and she had brought warmth to we who had needed it most.

Learning to take care of myself throughout the school year has not been an easy feat. With six AP classes, three different orchestral groups, and clubs, friends, and family, making the effort to have time for my health is still difficult. It is, however, necessary, and immensely helpful. Taking the time to allow myself expression, betterment, and comfort through my senior year has so far helped me succeed much more than before, where my mental, physical, and nutritional health was not as prioritized. Throughout the school year, I've been maintaining and bettering my mental, physical, and nutritional health through art, introspective walks, and healthy, sustainable foods. Taking time for myself through art has helped me mentally by allowing me to express myself greatly, while still learning and progressing with artistic practice. Since I'm in an AP Art class this year, the art I've been making in class is made intentionally, with specific purpose and requirements, with the intention of outside perception. However, I find I'm most expressive when I create for myself, with or without specific purpose. When I take time to sit down and create freely, I'm tending largely to my mental health; I know and am grateful that the practice is good for my progression as an artist, but I'm mostly grateful for my ability to create, and, subsequently, express myself. Self-expression through art has become a strong outlet for me which has, and will continue to, better my mental health and mindset as I navigate my senior year. I've found that, when days are unusually long, and I have the time for fresh air, taking walks around my neighborhood has helped me to clear my head and move my body in a way that isn't too demanding. My neighborhood walk is around a 45-minute walk, which is just enough time for me to breathe and be present within and around the world, as well as get fresh air and gentle physical activity that gives me a boost throughout the day. These walks are particularly helpful on stressful days that give me headaches or migraines. I find it hard to focus on anything when my body aches, and taking a walk helps to, metaphorically and literally, clear my head. Simple physical activities have given me clarity on numerous occasions and will be continued practices throughout my health journey. Fueling my brain and my body with healthier, more sustainable foods has allowed me to feel well and strong through my long days. By making the choice to eat a vegetarian diet for years, I am not only making a conscious decision to do my part in helping the world, but I am making a conscious effort in helping my health, as well. I now eat more vegetables and make an effort to make more of my meals, and I've felt the generous effects. I have more energy and will throughout the day and am grateful for all of it. Taking more care of my health through my nutrition has rejuvenated and recovered me from my long and stressful days. Though it's hard, and takes, what sometimes feels like, a greater amount of effort, taking care of myself through art, exercise, and proper food and fuel have kept me healthy, happy, and harmonious throughout the school year. My health is important to me, and, by taking more time to ensure and act upon this, I have felt much more self-supported within my busy and constant schedule. I am immensely grateful for my mind, my body, and my health for all that they have improved by me and alongside me.

Each morning I wake again And my head tells me that I'm dead; that I'm dying. So little time to breathe, So much longer to survive. "Dying, dying, dying." But I can feel the sun; I can hear the birds and how they sing with the sky. I can smell the flowers; the leaves; the dew; I can see the world that holds me and the home that grounds me, And the crisp and gentle air grazes the weak smile that which I am allowed to muster. The streets are busy and all but dead, And the trees will revive once more. Again, and again, and again will spring show Her forgiving face to the world. For the first time I am reminded that I am allowed hope. And it fills my bones; my lungs; my chest. The day will come when everything is good once more, And there I will stand, In the heart of it all. Again, I remember: I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive.

I want understanding, not compliance. The world becomes increasingly harder to navigate for the marginalized as struggles, stigmas, and stereotypes continue to block the paths of success and comfort. The world has a tendency to aim to silence those who are brave enough to live as they are. Thankfully, as time progresses, generally, so do mindsets. There are great progressions that I have been lucky enough to live through and see take effect. Still, it tends to surprise me; how has it only been 7 years since same-sex marriage became legal in the United States? What took us so long to reach change, and why is it still so heavily debated? As a bisexual Christian student who struggles with identity and faith every day, I've been taught that living as I am should not be easy, nor should it feel easy. I'm taught that I'm wrong, that I'm confused or insecure. It's all I'm ever made out to be. But in reality, I'm kind, passionate, and loving. The assumptions placed onto my shoulders are made entirely from who I've declared I love and the inherent wrongness created around that identity. Even still, in today's world, it's not hard to find acceptance and love, just as it is not hard to find a passionate criticism. I've found, however, that many of those who claim to love me do little to understand what it means to be what I am - what it means to be who I am - and feel little need for more progressive changes. As long as I feel accepted, they feel they have done their job around me. Many of those who respect me do not understand me or my peers. They do not understand that love is precious and beautiful no matter the vendor and recipient. I am made of nothing but love; and yet still many think me a sinner for it. They don't understand that the word "homosexual" was never originally in the Bible, and instead was an inaccurate translation added to a 1946 Revised Standard Version. They don't understand that my God would love me as I am and would not reject me for who I love. But I understand. And I love them still. It is in my nature to love. My beliefs are full of love for those around me. And I understand that what they were taught has reigned much larger and much longer than anything I could hope to preach. I understand that now more than ever is love a vital necessity for uplifting those who need it, and for so long have my queer friends and family been put down for their love and their lives. I understand how important it is to understand. I understand how important it is to be understood. And I hope one day the world can treat queerness in the same way. I don't only want your respect, I want your understanding. I want you to understand that I couldn't choose who I would love, and that I'm thankful for every part of it. That who I love and how I identify has made me everything I am, and that I am nothing lesser for it, and to extend that understanding towards the queer people of the world, because we need it now more than ever. I want you to understand. I want the world to understand.