For as long as I can remember, I have always loved music. My mom said when she was pregnant with me, she would put earphones on her belly so I could hear the music and I would start "dancing." When I was 3 or 4, I began taking piano lessons and loved it! When I was 10, I started drum lessons and a year later was the drummer for the house band for 4 years at the academy where I took lessons. But then, when I was a freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, there was a mass shooting. No one knew where the shooter was at the time when I was locked out of my classroom during the lock down. I was terrified but I was one of the lucky ones. I lost two friends that day and experienced something that I never felt before - real loss and sadness over my friends, and fear of going to school. The things that helped me get through this difficult time was my music and family. At this time, I really dove into my music with my two younger sisters and started our band called Midnight3 in June 2018. We have performed at many events throughout Florida but my favorite concerts were when we raised money for organizations like Surfers for Autism, MSD Strong, Hurricane Relief, Toys for Tots, the American Cancer Society, and others. It feels amazing to pursue my passion for music while helping others in the process. This is something I plan to continue to do when I attend Palm Beach Atlantic University in Fall 2021. One of the reasons I am attending PBA is because they have an excellent Popular Music program where I plan to improve my skills as a musician and songwriter. Ideally, I would love to get a publishing or record deal. I also plan to major in Business so I can learn the best way to market and run my band from a business perspective. Since PBA is a private school, the cost of tuition is higher than a public university. While PBA accepts a portion of the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, the only thing I need to get this scholarship is the SAT requirement. With a 4.9 weighted GPA from taking Honors and Dual Enrollment courses and over 400 hours of community service, I meet their other requirements. However, since summer 2020, I registered at least five times for the SAT, but each time it was canceled due to people testing positive for covid. I was finally able to take it for the first time as a senior in March but missed the score by 20 points. I took it again in May but missed it again by 10 points. I have registered for the last one before the June deadline but risk the chance that it will be canceled like the others. Therefore, I would be so grateful to be awarded the Joe Bonamassa Music Studies Scholarship to help cover a portion of my tuition. I know I can go far, but with your financial support, I can go further and make a positive impact in the world. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and for even considering me for this amazing scholarship.