I have always loved music. Music is my anchor, music is my connection to the world. As a person with low support needs Autism, I have always struggled to communicate my feelings, and music acts as a conduit, helping me to express who I am. As a child, I spoke very early, but this was due to echolalia, which is the non-intentional repetation of sounds, a symptom of my Autism. This is also the way I learned how to sing. I would hear a sound and repeat it over and over again. I could remember tunes I had only heard once or twice, and mimic it back. As I grew up, I started finding my own voice. I would sit in my room and play with the sound until I discovered something that felt right, that soothed me. My voice got bigger and bigger, and by the time I was 10, I could be heard clearly in a chorus full of children. When I was a Freshman in High School, I attended my first Opera, La Bohéme, at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto, CA. I had never heard such beautiful, strong voices resonating through an entire concert hall without amplification before. It sents chills through me, and I needed to know how to do this! I started listening to more Opera at home, and when the opportunity presented itself, I enrolled in Opera Modesto's Summer Opera Institute. I was given voice lessons, acting lessons, and small and large group vocal instruction. I was in heaven. Through this experience, I knew what I wanted to do in life: become an Opera Singer. I began taking private lessons with Annalisa Winberg, the Artistic Director of Opera Modesto, and herself an International Opera Singer. I also joined the Opera Modesto Chorus, and have performed in Die Fledermaus, Tosca, The Marriage of Figaro, and I am currently participating in Falstaff. I attended my second Summper Opera Institute in 2024. I began taking music classes at Modesto Junior College as a dual enrolled High School Student. Because my voice is somewhat unique, it took quite a while to decipher what voice parts I should train for, and my professor and my voice teacher finally settled on Mezzo Soprano. I have taken repertoire, vocal masterclass, piano, theory, aural skills, and I recently won the role of Cherubino from The Marriage of Figaro in their Opera Scenes Workshop. After I graduate High School in May, I hope to attend California State University, Sacramento in the Fall of 2025 as a Voice Major in their School of Music. My parents instilled in me a great sense of duty to others, and I was raised to give back however I am able. I volunteer with my school, the Opera, the Ballet, and for Point Reyes National Seashore. Community is everything, and I owe my community whatever I can give. Whether I am fixing costumes, serving food, cleaning up after an event, teaching little ones ballet, educating people about endangered species, or singing for the unhoused, I believe that every piece matters, and giving back is one of the most important and powerful things I can do. My Dad is a Special Education Teacher and my Mom is a Seamstress, so financially speaking, I need help to achieve my dream of becoming a professional Opera Singer. Music is my connection to the world, and it is my dream to bring the beauty of music to others. Maybe I can spark a connection that will help someone. I hope you will consider helping me pursue this dream.

I always felt like an outsider in schooI. In Kindergarten, I struggled to connect to children my own age, but always had nice conversations with the teachers and yard duty. This feeling of otherness stays with me to some degree, even though I have made friends in High School. It is hard for others to see how much Autism affects me, since I have spent my life masking to the best of my ability. Most people just thing I am "quirky" or "odd". I have quite a bit of anxiety when it comes to communicating with others, and I have to stop myself from visibly stimming. I have always loved music. Music is my anchor, music is my connection to the world. As a person with low support needs Autism, I have always struggled to communicate my feelings, and music acts as a conduit, helping me to express who I am. As a child, I spoke very early, but this was due in part to echolalia, which is the non-intentional repetation of sounds, a symptom of my Autism. This also influenced the way I learned how to sing. I would hear a sound and repeat it over and over again. I could remember tunes I had only heard once or twice, and mimic it back. As I grew up, I started finding my own voice. I would sit in my room and play with the sound until I discovered something that felt right, that soothed me (vocally stimming). My voice got bigger and bigger, and by the time I was 10, I could be heard clearly in a chorus full of children. When I was a Freshman in High School, I attended my first Opera, La Bohéme, at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto, CA. I had never heard such beautiful, strong voices resonating through an entire concert hall without amplification before. It sents chills through me, and I needed to know how to do this! I started listening to more Opera at home, and when the opportunity presented itself, I enrolled in Opera Modesto's Summer Opera Institute. I was given voice lessons, acting lessons, and small and large group vocal instruction. I was in heaven. Through this experience, I knew what I wanted to do in life: become an Opera Singer. I began taking private lessons with Annalisa Winberg, the Artistic Director of Opera Modesto, and herself an International Opera Singer. I also joined the Opera Modesto Chorus, and have performed in Die Fledermaus, Tosca, The Marriage of Figaro, and I am currently participating in Falstaff. I attended my second Summper Opera Institute in 2024. I began taking music classes at Modesto Junior College as a dual enrolled High School Student. Because my voice is somewhat unique, it took quite a while to decipher what voice parts I should train for, and my professor and my voice teacher finally settled on Mezzo Soprano. I have taken repertoire, vocal masterclass, piano, theory, aural skills, and I recently won the role of Cherubino from The Marriage of Figaro in their Opera Scenes Workshop. After I graduate High School in May of this year, I hope to attend California State University, Sacramento in the Fall of 2025. My Dad is a Special Education Teacher and my Mom is a Seamstress, so financially speaking, I need help to achieve my dream of becoming a professional Opera Singer. Music is my connection to the world, and it is my dream to bring the beauty of music to others. I hope you will consider helping me pursue this dream

I have always loved music. Music is my anchor, music is my connection to the world. As a person with low support needs Autism, I have always struggled to communicate my feelings, and music acts as a conduit, helping me to express who I am. As a child, I spoke very early, but this was due to echolalia, which is the non-intentional repetation of sounds, a symptom of my Autism. This is also the way I learned how to sing. I would hear a sound and repeat it over and over again. I could remember tunes I had only heard once or twice, and mimic it back. As I grew up, I started finding my own voice. I would sit in my room and play with the sound until I discovered something that felt right, that soothed me. My voice got bigger and bigger, and by the time I was 10, I could be heard clearly in a chorus full of children. When I was a Freshman in High School, I attended my first Opera, La Bohéme, at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto, CA. I had never heard such beautiful, strong voices resonating through an entire concert hall without amplification before. It sents chills through me, and I needed to know how to do this! I started listening to more Opera at home, and when the opportunity presented itself, I enrolled in Opera Modesto's Summer Opera Institute. I was given voice lessons, acting lessons, and small and large group vocal instruction. I was in heaven. Through this experience, I knew what I wanted to do in life: become an Opera Singer. I began taking private lessons with Annalisa Winberg, the Artistic Director of Opera Modesto, and herself an International Opera Singer. I also joined the Opera Modesto Chorus, and have performed in Die Fledermaus, Tosca, The Marriage of Figaro, and I am currently participating in Falstaff. I attended my second Summper Opera Institute in 2024. I began taking music classes at Modesto Junior College as a dual enrolled High School Student. Because my voice is somewhat unique, it took quite a while to decipher what voice parts I should train for, and my professor and my voice teacher finally settled on Mezzo Soprano. I have taken repertoire, vocal masterclass, piano, theory, aural skills, and I recently won the role of Cherubino from The Marriage of Figaro in their Opera Scenes Workshop. After I graduate High School in May of this year, I hope to attend California State University, Sacramento in the Fall of 2025. Sacramento also has a wonderful Jazz program, and I will be taking at least one class in Jazz during my time there. Who knows what the future holds, but I always keep my ears, mind, and heart opend to new forms of music. My Dad is a Special Education Teacher and my Mom is a Seamstress, so financially speaking, I need help to achieve my dream of becoming a professional Opera Singer. Music is my connection to the world, and it is my dream to bring the beauty of music to others. I hope you will consider helping me pursue this dream.