1. All my life, I've been handed things for free and with absolutely no struggle! My parents are rich, my friends love me, and I have never been bullied ever. I should automatically get this scholarship. TBH, I don't even know why I'm applying. [Insert eye roll emoji] 2. Goals? Never heard of her! I plan on living off my rich parents for the rest of my life. The world literally revolves around me. That's what my parents tell me anyways, and they're always right. 3. One time my parents wouldn't get me the newest iPhone model and I frowned at them :( But then they got sad seeing me sad and bought me it anyways! :) That's the hardest obstacle I've ever faced. I know, tough one to read, right? I bet you're crying just by reading it! My life is such a tragedy sometimes.

Finding ways to incorporate the two loves of my life, performing arts and psychology, would be the ideal career for me in the future. It's not a common intersection you'd find, either. Musicians and instructors alike rarely talk about mental health in the performing arts world, but the issue has always been there. Burnout, low self-esteem, and depression are just a few of the issues harming musicians all around the world, but how do we combat these problems if no one's talking about them? I've had my fair share of aggressive, overly critical instructors in my six years as a marching percussionist. Performers are expected to suck it up and handle mental abuse, otherwise they get deemed as "weak" or "not meant for this activity". For those that struggle with mental health or mental illnesses, this can feel like an impossible barrier to overcome. Negative self-talk infiltrates their minds; "Am I really not supposed to be a musician?" "Maybe I am too weak." However, that's the opposite mindset we should have when it comes to mental health issues in the performing arts. In my future profession, I plan on openly and widely discussing the importance of mental health in musicians. In a world that can seem so cutthroat and draining, it is imperative that educators keep mental health in mind and emphasize its significance with their students. At the same time, it's also crucial that musicians are equipped with the right tools to cope with their emotions and deal with any mental health issues that do arise. Because mental health and the performing arts aren't often talked about or looked into, it will be an uphill battle for me to branch out into this new niche field. This scholarship will help me afford the education I need in psychology. In order to disseminate correct information to musicians around the world, I need to know what I'm talking about! The money from this scholarship will go directly to my tuition in pursuit of a bachelor's degree in psychology, and it will also help out with my student loans. As everyone knows, university tuition can be expensive, and I have had to take out student loans to help with costs of tuition. This scholarship will immensely help me pay for the education I'm pursuing, and it will help me in the long run by giving me the credentials I need to accurately provide psychology information to musicians everywhere.