I originally conceptualized this piece as an improvised imagining of a fold in my pale blue piano folder. On the folder was a V-shaped crease over a squiggly crease, and it made me think of the seagulls flying over Pymatuning Lake. Having this thought, I started the piece with ripples as if the melody were echoing over the water. Later in the piece, I explored different aspects of the flight such as the magnificent views, winding paths, and eventually resting for the night.

For most of my young life I experienced adversity all the time, and my mother was advised to institutionalize me when I was just two years old. The adversity I faced was living everyday with Autism. I live in an Appalachian small town in Northwest Pennsylvania, where opportunities for self-advancement were often scarce. The passion that helped me to overcome my Autism was music. Music was a coping mechanism that became a doorway to my discovery of the world. Through music, I have brought joy, peace, and kindness into the lives of others in a world that is often dark and confused. Therefore, I plan to continue pursuing my passion for music so that I extend this blessing to others. I want to pursue higher education to prove that Autism is not a barrier to pursue my passion for music. Currently, I am involved in Cedarville University’s Jazz Band, acapella group called the ‘Inversions,’ and a brass ensemble that plays an original composition each semester. Through these ensembles, I can connect with others in a way that I would not otherwise and improve my musical capacity and social skills in ways that I could not outside of making music with others. I want to take this experience and offer this wonderful opportunity of making music with others through the music of many different people, including my own. Not only do I want to lead such ensembles, but I would also like to continue making music with others. Part of my passion is not just making music but creating it. I have always been improvising and playing my music by ear, but I also want to be able to use my education to compose music for other people and be able to enjoy my own music with others. Without this education, I will not be able to continue improving my compositional skills and will struggle to advance myself professionally. Through this education, I want to prove that people of all kinds can make music with others and create music for others. I also what to show that nothing should be a barrier to education. Just because one is different or otherwise challenged does not mean that they should be denied educational opportunities or others benefits that one can use to improve themselves. I want to be an example that it possible to succeed regardless of how bleak one’s situation may seem. No matter where I will be or what I will do, I will choose to commit myself to excellence in all facets of my life.

I have always had a passion for music, and within this passion is an even greater passion for singing. Thanks to my wonderful vocal coaches over the years, including Vicki Jamison, Clara Jurs, and my mother, Christine Barnes, I was able to hone this skill. Therefore, I worked hard at the District, Region, and State levels to earn this opportunity. Qualifying for All-National Chorus once is rare, but it is very rare for someone to qualify twice. According to school records, no other student from our district has qualified twice for All-National Chorus.

For most of my young life I experienced adversity all the time, and my mother was advised to institutionalize me when I was just two years old. The adversity I faced was living everyday life growing up with Autism. I was completely nonverbal, and my senses were hyper-sensitive. Any slight discomfort would easily overwhelm me. For example, if the lights in the room were too bright, or I was too cold, or either sock was slightly wrinkled within my shoe, I would have a difficult time coping with the annoyance and over-stimulation of my senses. Social skills were also not something was born with. I had to be taught each of them bluntly and verbatim for me to even grasp what most people consider to be innate and even instinctual behaviors. As I became older and learned more about typical social constructs, this fact would irritate me more than anything else. In fact, sometimes I would voice this complaint thus: "Why does everyone else seem to get it, and I don't?" I have had to work extremely hard to succeed academically while struggling socially. It normally took me two times longer than my peers to complete my assignments and tests. While that is no longer a significant problem, I still have had to work very diligently to excel in college, where I am currently earning a 4.0. I have grown to appreciate that I will never be like everyone else, especially since Jesus has proclaimed to me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God. That is a truth that no one can take away from me. One person who has helped overcome this adversity is my mother. When I was small, she put her own life on-the-shelf and worked with me long hours during the days and evenings. She had to do extensive research into Autism and all the different medical, dietary, and behavioral therapies that would help me come out of my silent shell and be aware of the world around me. My mother did continuous research over the years, trying to find the latest research on anything that might help, and conferring with others to help them with their children. My mother has given talks at many gatherings for parents with special needs children and has been an advocate for me and many others within the school system. Another element that has helped me to overcome adversity is music. Over the years, music has bridged the gap between my internal thoughts and feelings and my interactions with others. If I had not discovered music as a passion, I would have been lost in the search of what passion to pursue. It has become not only a personal outlet of emotion and expression, but it also is something in which I can involve myself in a collective conscience where members of a musical group can be of one accord even when our backgrounds and personal experiences are so vastly different. Music essentially allowed me to learn how to work and communicate with others in a meaningful way while also helping me to cope with my own feelings in a way that is constructive and builds work ethic and determination. I am pursing an education in music performance and composition. Therefore, I feel it is my duty to spread the joy of music to all who wish to take part in it and use my gifts to help other students like myself. Thank you for considering me, and I sincerely hope that all of you are doing well during this unprecedented time.