1) I am a resident of Washington state and a 2025 graduate of Bonney Lake High School. I am currently pursuing vocal performance training at Oberlin Conservatory, but there are several obstacles that make it difficult to access the full range of musical training I am aiming for. One of the main challenges is financial need. Many of the summer opera programs and young artist programs I want to attend are expensive, totaling several thousand dollars in tuition alone. Once housing, travel, and required materials are added, the total cost becomes even higher. Even when partial scholarships are offered, there is usually still a significant remaining balance to work off. As a student already managing tuition, living expenses, and academic costs, it is difficult to consistently afford these programs even though they are some of the most valuable training opportunities available for my development as a singer. This limits my ability to participate in intensive summer study that is essential for building a professional career in classical voice. Another obstacle is access to these opportunities. The most competitive young artist programs are selective, and acceptance does not always align with financial feasibility. In some cases, even when I am accepted, I still cannot attend because of the remaining cost. This creates a barrier where earning an opportunity is not always enough to make it possible to take it, which directly impacts my ability to gain consistent high-level coaching, stage experience, and mentorship. My current schedule also plays a role in limiting access. As a student balancing vocal performance training alongside academic responsibilities and collegiate athletics in cross country and track, my time is highly structured throughout the year. Many summer programs require several weeks of uninterrupted availability, which is not always realistic depending on training cycles and other commitments. Despite these challenges, I remain highly committed to my development as a musician. I am a two-time WIAA State Champion in Solo/Ensemble for Baritone Voice and two-time Schmidt Regional Champion and National Semifinalist, and those experiences have reinforced my passion for performance and my drive to continue advancing at a professional level. However, continued progress depends heavily on access to consistent, high-quality opportunities, which are often limited by financial barriers. 2) After completing my degree and advanced vocal training, my goal is to build a professional career as a classical baritone in opera and concert performance. I want to perform in opera houses, festivals, and concert settings where I can continue developing both my vocal technique and my ability to communicate storytelling on stage at a high artistic level. In the short term, I plan to pursue young artist programs and opera apprenticeships. These programs are an essential step in transitioning from academic study into a professional career because they provide intensive coaching, stage experience, and direct exposure to working professionals in the field. I also plan to continue competing in vocal competitions and auditions to refine my repertoire and maintain momentum in my development. Long term, I hope to build a sustainable career that combines performance with continued artistic growth. I am also interested in the connection between psychology and performance, especially how singers manage preparation, focus, and performance anxiety. I would like to eventually incorporate that understanding into teaching or mentorship, helping younger singers build both technical skill and mental resilience. Ultimately, my goal is to remain actively engaged in music throughout my life, not only as a performer but also as someone who contributes his reach of music to the world.

From the choir risers to the track & field, the classroom to the scene, my life has been shaped by a deep belief in the transformative power of education, the arts, and cultural literacy. These aren’t just my passions; they are the framework through which I lead, create, and serve. As an enrolled Vocal Performance and Psychology double-degree student at Oberlin College and Conservatory, with a Film minor, I’ve chosen a path that deliberately combines artistic expression with human understanding. My goal is to use these studies to impact the masses. Whether through writing films that center marginalized voices or through organized performances, I know I have the will to make it happen, in the palm of my hand. This vision has deep roots in my high school journey. I served as ASB Vice President, Choir Club President, and Captain of both Cross Country and Track teams, roles that allowed me to lead through action and connection. I also wrote and produced my own original movie series, Revenge of the Alternates, a passion project that gave students in my community the chance to collaborate on storytelling, develop creative skills, and find representation on screen. Every scene, every line, was written with intention - not just to entertain, but to say something meaningful. Outside of school, I committed myself to service. During the critical years of the pandemic, I worked with Select Family Practice Clinic to assist in the administration of COVID-19 vaccines to countless patients. I took on responsibilities that ranged from managing check-in to post-vaccine observation, helping ensure a smooth, supportive, and safe process during an emotionally charged time. Seeing the relief and hope in people’s eyes reaffirmed my belief in the power of everyday action, and that service is just as pivotal a form of leadership as performance. Even as I pursued these responsibilities, I remained grounded in my love for the arts. As a classical singer, I’ve competed multiple times at the national level, including at the Schmidt Vocal Nationals in Sarasota Opera. Yet talent should serve more than just personal growth. I’ve sung for senior centers, state fairs, school district functions, and community celebrations; because sharing music in spaces where it’s most needed is where its impact becomes real. Alice M. Williams’ legacy deeply inspires me. Like her, I believe that education should not only be a foundation for achievement, but a launchpad for imagination. She believed in students before they believed in themselves, and that belief translated into outcomes beyond expectations. I strive to lead with that same faith in others, in filming, volunteering, or performing. As I enter Oberlin College & Conservatory, I carry not only my experiences but my responsibility to do more. While I may not yet have the bandwidth for outreach programs, I’m eager to find meaningful ways to engage with fellow students and community members, whether that’s organizing student performances in local spaces, coordinating music and mental health talks, or creating platforms for student voices through film and storytelling. By making the connections with the right people, it can work. Receiving the Alice M. Williams Scholarship would be more than a generous gift; it would be an affirmation that the path I’m walking matters. It would help ease the financial burden of pursuing two degrees while allowing me to focus fully on building the programs, art, and advocacy that I more than believe can impact the masses before you know it. To follow in Alice’s footsteps means uplifting others through education and the arts, and that is exactly the journey I intend to continue, in the palm of my hand.

To embody Chidubè’s legacy is to live with a conscious intentionality—pursuing growth in mind, spirit, and service. For me, this has meant elevating not only my own journey, but the journeys of others through music, leadership, and education. Whether I’m performing an the National Anthem at Nike Oregon Relays or leading community initiatives as ASB Vice President, I strive to make an impact that resonates far beyond the stage or the classroom. Academic excellence is a value I live out with purpose. I’ve pursued a challenging course load with APs and honors classes while being involved in everything from National Honor Society to student government. My aspiration is to double major in Vocal Performance and Psychology, fields that reflect my desire to uplift others through both emotional connection and mental health advocacy. From performing jazz standards to volunteering at health fairs for the Tanzanian diaspora, my identity as a performer and servant leader is rooted in connecting deeply with people—emotionally, culturally, and spiritually. Music is not just my gift—it’s my ministry. I’ve sung for countless people, from the Fairmont Hotel to senior centers at Friday night bingo. One moment that stuck with me was when I sang Moon River at the Washington State Fair, where a woman in her 70s told me that song was her late husband’s favorite. She thanked me for the joy I brought to her day. In that moment, I realized that the voice I was gifted wasn’t just about talent—it was about healing. It was about self-growth in the person, impacted by my story told by music. That’s why I continue performing anywhere and everywhere—because art has the power to reach souls. Yet, life hasn't been without its challenges. I lost a close friend, Chance Stovall, to fentanyl poisoning. That pain became part of my voice when I sang O Del Mio Amato Ben, a song about lost love. That performance became a turning point—showing me how grief and growth can coexist, and how music can help others process their own journeys of loss, trial, and tribulation. These are the kinds of meaningful connections I want to cultivate throughout my life. My commitment to service also extends through leadership. As ASB Vice President, I helped create a new community rally tradition alongside Bonney Lake’s local vendors and leaders, helping unify our school and city. We celebrated every part of our community—marching band, sports, small businesses, cultural clubs—because unity starts with recognition. That work led our school to become a Jostens Platinum School of Distinction, and it’s a legacy I hope the team continues building. In five years, I can visualize myself performing professionally - but more importantly, connecting with people through voice, through empathy, through healing. Whether in an opera house, a jazz combo, or a clinic, I will carry Chidubè’s legacy by making others feel seen, valued, and inspired. Because at the end of the day, life is a journey I hold in the palm of my hand—and I plan to walk that journey with purpose, passion, and a heart dedicated on service.

My name is Simon Swai, and this passion of singing is something that I’ve been so grateful to journey in on the community, State, National, and International level. Since I was young, I’ve always loved to sing and make sure I, and my audience have a fun and memorable experience. Since 3rd grade, my best friend Chance Stovall loved singing as well, him pushing me forward, and even through criticisms and racism throughout my middle school years, he was always there for me. Even after moving from Texas, I kept in touch with Chance, regularly updating each other about our lives. I appreciate the many years I’ve dedicated to choir since 3rd grade, to now at Bonney Lake High School in Washington. When I entered the high school programs, I was astounded by the sense of positivity, community, and the opportunities that arise from building connections in the palm of your hand. Over the past four years, I have proudly participated in our school's top two choirs, Chamber Choir and Vocal Persuasion Jazz Choir, and served as Choir President during my junior and senior years. Through my high school career, I’ve entered the regional solo/ensemble competition since freshman year, and through junior year(the next one takes place this February), I’ve been the Valley Region Champion and have gone to State - freshman year taking 12th place, and sophomore year with 3rd place. In my junior year, the day before the regional competition, on January 31st, 2024, I got a call informing that Chance had passed away. He ingested something laced with fentanyl, and he never woke up. I had just texted him not even a month ago. I can’t describe the complex emotions of grief, sorrow, and pain that hit initially. He was the one who stood by me when no one else did. The piece that I had performed at solo/ensemble last year, is an Italian Aria, titled O Del Mio Amato Ben. Its translation means “O Lost Enchantment of My Dearly Beloved”, with the feelings of depression, grief, and sorrow at the center of the performance. I’ve always made it the core of my performance to tell the story, and give it to the audience, with the various emotions of love, joy, happiness, but for me, that song is how I cope with the loss of my dear friend. That year, I not only got to State, but placed 1st, and became the State Champion for Baritone Voice. Following that, I entered the regional Schmidt Vocal competition, and qualified to the semifinals of the Nationals, which took place in Sarasota. I still recall the day I got home after becoming the State Champion, I looked in the mirror, and in my consciousness, I saw Chance. He said to me: “Thank you. Keep going.” Whether performing for myself, or the audience at competitions, senior centers, state fairs, my family, and all the way up to the opera houses across the country - I want to assure I give a compelling, transformative experience that can impact their lives, and live in their hearts, as Chance did for me. That, is what fuels my unwavering drive for excellence.

My name is Simon Swai, a senior in high school, and I intend to impact the world through not only my future career, but my future hobbies, passions, and skills that I intend to wield for the greater of this world, one community and area at a time. I was born in Cary, North Carolina, and even when I didn't know what life was all about, I always had an energy and vigor to it. While my family moved from NC to Texas, and from Texas to Washington, throughout changes in life, I always seemed to find a way to make connections and build relationships with friends, family, staff, and others in my community. It is through my community that I was able to find my passions, such as singing, running track and cross country, as well as leading others in our ASB, also known as Student Government, or STUCO. As I journeyed across the world, through honor conferences for choir, State and National Competitions for Solo singing, and even the local track and Cross Country meets where I interact with other teams from around the county, I always made sure that the impact I leave is something that if I encounter that connection once more, to build it up stronger than when I last saw it. The same applies to vice versa. At my school, we recently were nominated as a Platinum Jostens Renaissance School of Distinction, thanks to the efforts of the student council, alongside myself, in always making sure to build relationships through our events, dances, assemblies, and our halls. Jostens Renaissance has a set of values that I have made a priority to live through in consistency, called the 6Rs. The 6 R's stand for RESPECT + RECOGNIZE + REWARD + REINFORCE + RELATIONSHIPS = RESULTS. It's by wielding these values in dedication that I believe it is possible to impact the world, scale by scale. If you respect other people, recognize their worth, abilities, talents, and character, and reward them with kindness, you build RELATIONSHIPS that you can strengthen to finally achieve long-term and positively impactful results. I am grateful that through these values, I have been able to positively impact other communities, and lift other communities up even higher in positivity and mutual values. It's through these values, that I am where I am today, as a Choir President for the last 2 years, the Student Body Vice President, as well as Track Spirit Captain for the last 3 years. I am thankful to live in a place where my fellow peers and classmates have a sense of belonging in the community, as well as the residents of the town of Bonney Lake, through our community rallies ran in STUCO, and our senior center visits and recitals from choir, and elementary and middle school track meets that we volunteer at. I intend to do the same, as I pursue an education in Vocal Performance, giving audiences an experience that can reside in their hearts and in their spirits as they go through their walks of life. Slowly, but surely, those small positive impacts all amount of together and create a larger impact. First a community, then a town, then a district, a state, a region, and so on. As such, it is my unwavering belief that when we are united in purpose, we are much greater than the sum of our parts. And for positively impacting the world, my final thought is that in this journey called life, to remember to not only focus on the product, but to enjoy the process.