From the start, I have always been a person who has believed in following my passions and achieving all I could in them. For me, those passions are both music and education. Music has long been my emotional outlet and my way of communicating the beauty of the world where words could not do it justice. In high school, I was involved in the marching band, concert band, pep band, and jazz band, and held leadership roles in the marching and concert bands. Being able to lead alongside my peers was something I truly loved, and it crossed over into my other passion for education. My mother taught fifth-grade math for over twenty years, and I saw the positive impact she had on her students day in and day out. As I got older, I loved working with kids, whether it be in teachers' aide classes or volunteering at afterschool programs. When it was time to go to college, I decided I want to go to Kansas State University and major in Music Education, as a way of blending those two passions. When it came to college, I never let my drive to achieve all I could slip away. I joined the marching band, which pushed me farther than I had ever gone, but also helped mold me into a better person. In that organization, there is always the sense that you can do better, and that there will always be people around you to support you. I knew it was an environment I wanted to be a part of. The other ensembles I joined, such as the wind symphony, carried that same feeling as well. The amount of work was wild at first, but I quickly got in the groove of working hard and seeing the great benefit from it. Success as a group was something that needed to be celebrated; after all, as performing ensembles, it is not about celebrating one person, it is about lifting everyone up as we work together. Here, I have found great friends, ones that challenge me, but also encourage me along the way. I also knew I wanted to join an organization that would help me give back, both to the music that I love, but also to K-State and Manhattan. Just as Margot did, I believe wholeheartedly that "empowered women empower women". So, I joined Tau Beta Sigma, an honorary band sorority that gives back through service and education. With my sisters, I have been able to help in organizing marching band merchandise that is sold for fundraisers, play Christmas carols at the local Meadowlark Hills nursing home, and help make the bands at K-State better. Through them, I have gained an even better understanding of what it takes to be both a great leader and a great person. It has also opened up opportunities for me to volunteer at a middle school honor band festival for the whole day (one near my hometown that I attended in middle school!), which gave me valuable insight into the impact of helping others foster their new spark for music. In the end, I know that pursuing my passions and striving for the greatest in them will be a journey that is never completed. However, it is a journey that I relish taking. As I rise, I want to help others rise with me, whether that be people along the way or even my future students whom I will teach music to. We all have the potential---it just takes good people around you to help you see it and follow it.

I am inspired to make my community better because the community I am in does not exist in a vacuum. By making it better, I can help others, as well as myself. Beyond that, it can also help those who will come after me. Harkening back to an ancient Greek proverb, the world grows better when old men plant trees in whose shade they will never sit. While I am not yet too old, I still think about what legacy I would like to leave. Part of that legacy is giving back and helping to make my community better, and surrounding myself with people who share those same ideals. It also helps to get involved in things that you are passionate about, which has helped inspire me to help spark change in my community. In the community that I grew up in, I was very passionate about music, and I wanted to help spark that passion in others. In marching band, I lived by the principle of service leadership: carrying your weight as you lead, instead of telling others to do something while you yourself do nothing. When the bleachers needed to be cleaned after a game, or a student needed help with their music, I made sure I was the first to jump to an opportunity because I wanted to help. No matter how small the task, I knew the importance of giving back and helping. It became a phrase we used with each other: "leave it better than you found it." This in turn inspired others to help in cleanup, music, and technique. When I left home and went to college, I still carried that sense of giving back with me. Leaving it better than you found it is something that you can easily do in your day to day, from picking up trash to helping others when they need it. I also joined my college's marching band, and there, there were always opportunities to help others. I often found myself helping move things, picking up after games, and encouraging others in rehearsals. I also joined my school's chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, which is an honorary band sorority that serves the college band and the surrounding community. Through that organization, I found myself serving the band by helping move instruments and put away supplies when the season was over. I also have given back to the community by helping play Christmas carols at a local assisted living home. Beyond this, I went to help students at an honor band festival that was near my hometown (and was a festival I remember participating in when I was younger). Through this, I got to see that spark of passion for music: the reason I love giving back in the first place.

When the World Goes Dim When the world goes dim, I will stop to listen, Even though the cold wind Replaces your voice. When the world loses light, I will open up my eyes, And though I cannot see in the night I will learn from the dark. When the world breaks off the song, I will warm up my voice, And do my best to sing along, Forever trying to keep the melody. When the world takes you, They will not lose your voice. I will take it up too, Till the world has no choice. When the world finally hears, I still will keep talking. Through all the words and tears, Your story will never cease. When this cruel world takes me at last, I will hope I have firmly sowed your legacy, And that your words will not leave fast, And that I have done my duty.

Music is a universal language that everyone can speak, no matter who they are or where they came from. That statement is an idea I have long held dear and is a driving factor behind my passion to pursue the arts. I started music young, playing handbells in my church's bell choir and joining my school's band in fifth grade. Though it was tough, I came to love being able to play music of all types. It really was as I described before: a language I could speak that required no words, just melodies that conveyed every type of emotion imaginable. As I grew older, I knew there was no way I could imagine my life without music, whatever shape or form it took. Through band, I have made lifelong friends and have gained teamwork and perseverance skills that I would not have formed elsewhere. When the pandemic hit, music as I knew it came crumbling to the ground. I always knew band as something that was done in person, dozens of people playing together to form one great harmony. In an instant, that was no longer the norm. With that change came a shift in my mental health, one the likes of which I had never seen before. What came on the news made me anxious, and knowing that this could be what the rest of my high school years were like, I became very nervous about my future. That was when music came back into my life. When I was unsure, I picked up my horn and started playing. In that first lockdown, I played anything I could get my hands on to put my mind at ease, from flowing classical pieces to peppy movie themes that I found online. Music helped me work through many strange emotions that I felt, and in turn, I was excited to practice and learn new things. When the spoken language of the world became uncertain, I learned to speak the calming language of music. This became a big factor in my career choice. I would not be where I am today without all of the phenomenal music teachers I have had over the years. They helped me learn the language of music that has guided me through my tough times, and in turn, I want to be able to give that back. By picking a career in music education, I will be helping to teach the next generation the language of music, and the importance of everyone being able to understand it, no matter what they choose to do in life. After all, music is universal, no matter who you are.

Yet. It's a small word, usually shoehorned in between words of higher value. In the context of having a growth mindset, however, yet is one of the most important words that can be said. I am a person who often thinks in absolutes. If I cannot do something on the first try, my brain tells me I will never be able to do it. If I serve a ball out in the middle of a tennis match, my brain tells me that the next serve will land out as well. Failure easily snowballs in my life, leading me to think that whatever I try is something I cannot grow from. That's where the word yet comes in. Just because I can't do it now does not mean I will never be able to. The power of yet lies in that sentence. I may not understand a topic yet, but if I study diligently and try my hardest, then I can understand. I may not be able to consistently serve in tennis yet, but if I dedicate myself to practice, then I will soon be able to. If I am able to tell myself 'yet', then I will be able to succeed. The use of this word promotes a growth mindset. When you are willing to say that you cannot do it yet, not never, then you will grow more than you ever could have imagined. It may take more time and dedication, but in the end, you will be able to grow if you trust in the power of 'yet'.

"Great things come to those who wait." It's a simple, albeit overused, statement, but it is one that perfectly describes my feelings on patience. In life, it is easy to strive for instant gratification. I know how often I want things to happen right now, and to turn out well. In life, however, there are not many moments where things will instantly turn out well. You have to be willing to let the fruits of your labor grow and ripen so that you can fully enjoy the benefit. Patience is not an easy virtue. It is something I often struggle with. Sometimes, it is more instinctual for me to rush in, beating the door down like a battering ram, instead of waiting for the moment that would benefit me the most. This happens to me in sports, in the classroom, even in my day-to-day life. Over time, I have learned that is is better to wait than try to take the glory by rushing. This also means that others may succeed before you, but you have to be willing to see that if you are patient, you too will get the victory you are seeking, no matter what that victory may be.

"Anything that is worth doing isn't always worth doing perfectly." For a perfectionist like me, this statement was as off-putting as sour garbage. There's no way I could set out to do something and not do it perfectly, I told myself. To do anything less than perfectly is to fail, the way I was trained to see it. However, in life, those ideals seldom hold true. I have long had anxiety about starting things for fear they won't end up perfect, and I will be judged accordingly for my failure. Because of that, there are many things I have avoided over the years. Recently, though, I heard that first statement. I thought it didn't really apply to me; after all, why would I want to do something if I knew it wouldn't end up perfect? I have learned, however, that you will have much more fun if you accept that it won't always end up without error. As soon as I adopted that statement, I've made some of the best memories. I've taken up activities and tried to learn songs, even knowing that I may not be good at them. I've also applied that statement to a smaller scale. In school, I used to be afraid to start projects because all I could see was myself failing. I wouldn't take new opportunities for that same reason. Now, I've shifted my thinking. It's okay to try new things and fail in front of those who know you, because they've most certainly done it before too. This statement totally shifted my perspective, and made me more ready to learn new things without being blocked by the fear of failure.

You never know whose eyes are on you, so be an example at all times. That is a principle I strive to live by when I am mentoring others. The things I do to teach others, whether intentional or not, shape how people perceive me and if they want to follow my example. I am in leadership in my band, and as a senior, I feel like I am in a position where I mentor students a lot. Not only am I teaching the underclassmen the ropes in the band, but I am also helping them gain confidence so that they can someday be leaders. As a mentor, I hope to teach others to be confident in what they do and their abilities. In the end, I won't be there forever, so I need them to gain the skills and trust in themselves so that they can take my place and help others. Mentoring isn't just an isolated event; it is like a domino effect, one that I hope to trigger in others. My little actions when people are watching now will help start that.

As people, we are like mosaic artworks. Each piece of our character adds to the tile work, making us a beautiful amalgamation of all that we hold dear and strive to be. For me, my favorite characteristic is my ability to persevere. There have been many instances in my life where I feel like it would've been easier to give up, but the one I think about it most is in the sport of tennis, which I started playing this year. At first, I joined it because I wanted something fun to do my senior year, even though I had virtually no experience with the sport. I quickly learned, however, that this sport was much tougher than I first imagined. Pair that with the fact that our team has only six members, and you can understand how overwhelmed I was at first. This was another instance where it would've been much easier for me to quit; I even had friends and family telling me that's what I should do. However, I wasn't going to let those challenges stop me. Each practice, I decided that I would show up with my best effort and attitude, and learn to bounce back when I messed up. I also decided to apply that to my mindset going into games. At my first meet, I played doubles. Our first two games were pretty discouraging, as we lost in straight sets to girls who seemed to play the court effortlessly. By our third and final match, we weren't sure what to expect. My partner was stuck on the downside: we'd lost the last two, so we had better get ready to lose again. However, I couldn't help but remind her of the positive. We'd gotten better about our serving, and even returned quite a few of the opposing team's fiery attacks. In each match, we didn't lay down and die; we persevered, playing our hardest until the last point. In our last match, we applied that mindset wholeheartedly. While we ended up losing seven sets to nine, we had tried our best and scrapped for each and every point. If we hadn't decided we would persevere, it would've been a let down to ourselves, and a quick loss. In life, I feel like perseverance will be the single most important part of my characteristic 'mosaic'. I know these challenges I face in high school will not be the last time I am knocked down and have to choose to get back up. In all reality, I will never know the exact path my life will take after this, save for the large milestones I want to achieve. The road may be rocky and difficult to navigate, or it may be smooth and free of challenges. But through it all, I will persevere. That much is what I can decide right now and carry for the rest of my life. It might be difficult, but I know persevering will be more worthwhile than giving up in the end. Every good experience I've had so far has come from me choosing not to be discouraged when things went wrong first. Also, every good lesson I've learned has come after falling down and choosing to get back up. Whether it be in tennis, in the classroom, or really anywhere in my life, perseverance has been key and will continue to be so.

In my life, adversity has never been a single mountain to be conquered. Rather, it has been a series of peaks, ones where you reach the top but continue to climb. Resiliency is key in a journey like that. When I was sixteen months old, I was diagnosed with type one diabetes. In type one diabetes, the immune system mistakenly sees the insulin producing cells of the pancreas as foreign and attacks them. When those cells are destroyed, and insulin can no longer be produced, a person must inject insulin to regulate their own blood sugar levels. This condition is also a chronic condition, meaning there are no days off from it. Many people would see it as an 'easy' challenge, since it is virtually all I have known for the past seventeen years. However, it is a challenge that presents itself every day. As I've grown, I've had to figure out how to manage my blood sugar levels through class, sports, and other activities. I've never been one to back away from something, even when it is difficult. Because of that, I still stay active in my school and community, even when managing my diabetes has made that a bit more challenging. As I said before, I don't necessarily see my adversity as one that can be overcome, at least not in one single movement. However, over the years, I have learned how best to manage my condition through the sports I play and activities I do (such as marching band). I have also spent time talking to others who also have type one diabetes in my community, and helping them through the struggles they may be having. The best thing to do when you achieve something is to turn around and help others do the same. If no one did that, I probably would't be where I am, because many people have helped me get to where I am today. It has also taught me that you can achieve anything you want to, even if it takes more work. In my future, I see resilience as something that will be essential to my success. In college, I plan on doing music and being in the marching band. I know this will be very physically challenging, but I also know that if I do not give up, I will have gained a very important experience in my life. In the end, I won't remember the pain or how hard it was to balance my health and my activities. I will remember the memories I made, and the people I met. I also know that resiliency will be important in my future career. As an aspiring educator, I have heard from nearly every person I have talked to that teaching will be a lot of work. They aren't paid or appreciated as much as other professions, yet they often do more work. I know that I will have to be able to not be knocked down when I face hardships there, whether it be with students or society. If I am able to stay strong, I feel that I will be a much better teacher and role model to my future students. In my life's journey, I have faced the adversity of having type one diabetes. While this is something that can't really be overcome, it is something I have learned to live and thrive with. The resiliency that it has taught me has changed me into a better person. In my future, I hope to apply that resiliency not only to my classroom, but to the world around me.

For me, hope has always been a root motivation in life. As long as there is hope, there will be life, even if the flicker of hope is smaller than the flame of a dying candle. When it grows, the zest for life grows with it. Hope is our air. As long as we breathe, it will be present in each of us. When I think of what gives me hope for the future, I often focus on the small picture. It's easy to look at the big things going on in this world and lose hope. I know that I wasn't the only one who, when coronavirus hit, learned to only look at the bad things that were happening. It became easy to see the world in absolutes: rising cases, climate crises, social justice issues, the list goes on and on. No longer was it easy to see the little joys. If I only paid attention to what I saw on the news, as well as the views of others, I don't think I would have much hope for the future. But instead, I looked at the little things. Small acts of kindness, such as a friend reaching out to talk or a teacher going out of their way to help during virtual learning, became part of my fire of hope. In short, as long as we were still willing to help each other, I would still have hope in the world ahead. My friends talking to me when we were all isolated gave me hope that the future will stay connected, no matter the circumstance. Teachers going out of their way to help us when we were all remote gave me hope that education will always find a way, and helped me realize my passion for education. Even little things with my family, like laughing over a video we saw, gave me hope that not everything will be bad, even if the situation would make you think so. I have also tried to keep that fire alive in personal ways. If I want to have hope for the future, I have to be a catalyst for it, as well. There are no innocent bystanders in a positive future. So this year, I started to go out of my way to do good. I did my best as a leader in the school, helped people when they needed it in class, and made a point to thank teachers for what they were doing. Small things like holding doors fueled this, too, because if we care enough to help others, even in a small way, the future will be brighter. Hope is not something that comes in large amounts. It is a small flickering flame, fueled by each of us. I have hope that the future will be better because each of us are willing to make it so. As long as we are willing to help one another, the future will always have a chance to be better.

Change is something we want to see happen, but often do not want to work towards. Enacting change is hard, and keeping it going is even more difficult. However, when the work pays off, it is a reward unlike any other. In my community, I want to help push for support for a wider variety of careers. I live in a rural area in Kansas, where the focus is put on careers in the field of agriculture. Many people want to go into that field; others, however, want to go in a totally different path. In addition to that, many students in the school do not plan on living in an agricultural area when they are older. A change to focus on all types of careers would help students who want to pursue things not often found in our rural community. This would include careers like coding, art, and design, to name a few. This push could also help students who are unsure about what they want to do to find their niche. By preparing students for a life beyond this small town, we can help build America's workforce of tomorrow. In the country, I would like to see a change in student loans, in the area of student loan forgiveness. More often than not, students choose not to go to college because they are unable to get a loan, or know they won't be able to pay it off. This makes higher education acessible to only those who come from money. While those richer students seek college, those who cannot afford it have to enter the workforce, when they may have been much better suited for a job that needed higher education. While there are multitudes of scholarships available, sometimes that is not enough. If students went into college knowing that they wouldn't be paying loans for the rest of their lives, then more students would go to university, and get better paying jobs. In the world, I would like to see more focus put on combating climate change. While these first two goals concern our future, there will be no future if we do not adress what we have done to our climate. Big corporations need to be made to comply to rules that limit their emissions, and lawmakers need to be agressive on the bills they make concerning climate change. With this issue, there is no 'back up' if we fail. If we are not agressive about our futures now, there will be no future for my generations and the generations after. Besides pushing governments to enact laws that help our planet, we can also do our part. Little things like using reusable containers and recylcing can help combat climate change. While those things are small, they can help change the world. I act locally to make a difference in a variety of ways, all across these three problems. Before COVID hit, I was very involved in recycling with my high school. Each month, we would collect recycling from people both in town and in the neighboring communities. People throughly appriciated this service, mostly because the majority of them didn't know what to do with their recyclable materials. Their main option was to drive about two hours away, a long stretch for a problem that could easily be solved by simply throwing the materials away. By offering a free and local service, we helped do our part and educate the community about recylcing. I have also decided to take a class in school where I can help teachers by being a teacher's aide. While this may not sound like much, I feel that it is a great way to help grow the community I live in. I spend my time helping students one on one, helping them figure out what they learn best and what they are most interested in. The final way I help in my community is volunteering through my school's National Honor Society. As a member of NHS, I get to volunteer in a number of ways and better by community. One example of this was when I helped recycle plastic bags into cords that could be woven into sleeping blankets for the homeless. Not only were we giving back, but we were helping the planet. Change is like a mountain, standing tall and imposing. But if you are willing to work, and heave clear goals in mind, summiting that mountain won't be as difficult as you assumed it to be. And when you finish, you will have a beautiful sight to look out on, all beacuse you dared to enact change.

When women have big ideas, we are often dismissed as irrational thinkers. When we are assertive, we are instead branded as bossy. When we have missteps, we are seen as failures. Yet many times, men aren’t judged as harshly by others when they do any of the aforementioned things. They get free run and forgiveness; they get a seat at the table. So what can society do to empower women when the cards are stacked against them? The answer is simple. Give them a seat at the table, and let their voice be heard by every ear. As a society, we can initiate this change by being conscious about including women from all walks of life in places where we make decisions. This doesn’t just mean including one woman in a group full of men and calling it empowerment. Just in the same way you can’t place a single piece of lettuce in a bowlful of croutons and call it a salad, having one female in an otherwise all-male group isn’t true equality that us women are looking for. Including women effectively is, in essence, the definition of giving us a seat at the table. When women are included, we are empowered to share our ideas and promote growth that benefits other women as well as men. We need to make sure that women are just as well represented, and their voices are heard as well. More focus needs to be put on promoting voices of women just as equally as we promote the voices of men. Beyond that, we need to make sure voices of all women are heard. That includes those of all races, sexualities, gender identities, backgrounds, and experiences. When we are able to hear the voices of all different types of women, change can be made for the groups they represent. Without their perspective, it’s hard to see the disparities the groups they belong to may face. With women’s voices being heard, substantial and beneficial change can be made. To ensure this, we need to make sure our environment is safe for women to be included and be able to speak freely. That will take some unlearning as a society, but it is a change that is definitely needed to empower women. This change would include treating women just as equally as men and giving what we have to say just as much weight as any other opinion. Sometimes women are included, but it is in toxic environments where their work isn’t valued and their worth is often discounted. When women are truly empowered, the only concerns fall on the work they are doing and the ideas they have, not if they will even be respected in the first place. In many ways, empowerment for women isn’t an issue that needs a flashy solution. It’s actually very simple: to empower women, we need to be shown respect. We need our voices heard and fully valued. We need to be included in all environments, and be included equally. As a society, we need to work towards treating all people’s ideas equally, no matter if they are male or female. When women are empowered, our big ideas can turn into big, positive changes for people all over the world.

My want to pursue higher education is rooted in a passion for learning. I have long enjoyed learning new subjects in school. My teachers throughout high school have helped foster this curiosity and fire for learning. They have helped push me to be the best student I can be. Because of that, I want to go to college to become an educator and help spread the passion for learning they have instilled in me. Teaching isn’t an easy profession, but I am ready to accept that challenge for the benefit it will provide. I would like to help grow the minds of the next generation, and help them find what they are most passionate about. In school, I am very involved in band, both marching band and concert band. I have long loved music, so band is an extension of that. In my ensemble, I play the euphonium, a low brass instrument similar to the tuba. I have also been the low brass section leader for two years, as well as serving as the marching band uniform manager for a year. As well as music, I am also involved in our school’s theatre productions. Every year I have been in high school, I’ve participated in our productions, whether they were musicals or plays. For me, theatre is another way of best expressing who I am, just like music. Whether I am playing a silly role or a serious one, acting with my friends is one of my favorite things. My passions stem from my want to pursue higher education, as well as what I participate in in school. As I stated earlier, learning is a big passion of mine. I want to be a lifelong learner, not just when I am a high school or college student. With that passion lies another: sharing that love of learning through education. I want to help others find what they are passionate about, and help them learn about it as best as I can. I believe wholeheartedly that education is the best way to do that. Also, I am very passionate about music. I feel that music is another way that I can help others want to grow. Learning in traditional subjects is something that should be pushed, but not all students will be passionate about those areas of study. Some students will want to learn more about art, music, acting, or many other subjects, and I think that is something that should be focused on just as much. My passion in music can help others find their passion in that way. Overall, I want to spend my life doing what I’m passionate about, and pursuing a degree to become a teacher is the best way for me to do that.

One quote that has motivated me in pursuing my education and life goals comes from the animated show “Avatar: The Last Airbender”. In this show, a character named Iroh said the line “hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength”. For me, this line has shown very true in my journey. There have been many times, especially with this year being changed by coronavirus, that I felt like there was no chance I would get to do what I loved in school. Playing in the band is a very big part of my life and my future goals, and when coronavirus hit, that became nonexistent. While I could practice alone, there is nothing like rehearsing with a group. One of my goals is to play in bands in college, and without that experience as a group, I felt like I was falling behind. Like many of us, I felt like we would never get back to ‘normal’ like we were before. In those dark moments, I had to make my own hope for a better future. I spent the time where I couldn’t play music as a band still doing what I loved. I spent time playing personal pieces and honing my skills. Through that time, I had to have the hope that I would get back to playing as a group. If I didn’t, I don’t know where I would be. By making my own hope, and holding onto it through this tough time, I’ve started to come out into the light of the other side. In my future, I know being able to make my own hope will be very important through all of the conflicts I may have. When I face problems, I’ll keep the sage advice of Iroh in mind with all I do.