Reginald Kelley Scholarship

Picture a world devoid of melody, where the heart's rhythm remains unheard. The rhythm of your own soul is moved through music. In order to vibrate the hues of emotion, I made it my goal to be a soul mover—a musician. My first conscious experience with music was at the age of seven. Before that experience, my parents had already forced music on me my whole life: the roar of gospel music in the car radio every time we traveled, the mundane drag to every drum lesson, and the stinging pinches I received if I didn't stand up and clap during church. I don't count these as experiences with music because I was never aware of the point. Even during my lessons, I just did as I was instructed because I felt that this was the only way things could be done. Only when I secretly played music that wasn't designated for me, did I find the joy in music. My older sister had an electric keyboard next to my drumset as a child. She was always the keyboardist and I was the drummer. I didn't like the limitations I put on myself when it came to drums. "There are only 8 sounds to make," I would tell myself. "I can only play certain rhythms that make sense." So I ventured to her keyboard out of curiosity of what could be played with melodic notes, and as I got the hang of playing notes one at a time, I started to play two at a time and then with both hands. Before I knew it I was making my own music for the first time, not something I've heard before, played before, or witnessed someone else do better. I created my own song. I moved my own soul. And no one else could tell me it was wrong. Music freed me from that limitation. One thing I always thought hindered me from that freedom was ADHD. It was the reason we had to pay to see a doctor, the reason I can’t sit still and behave in elementary school, and the reason that I couldn’t pay attention. However, above all of these, it is the reason my music is unique. I spent all my time listening and making music so that I could fulfill that need to be creative, the feeling that I have to do something more. I've been a drummer for 15 years, a musician for ten years, and a producer for three years. Only within those three years did I feel I found the one thing that didn’t make me itch for more freedom. I found that I could be more than a drummer and more than even a musician. I could be an artist, one who could turn that disability into a fuel rather than a hindrance. I used to think I wanted to be an engineer or a scientist because my parents taught me to always invest in what you’re good at. I see now that what matters most is to invest in myself. I never want to let those melodies in my head go to waste doing something that has been done before. I want to spend my life creating infinite songs with the 12 notes I discovered on my sister's piano. I am a producer, one who could illustrate my song riddled with creativity, overthinking, experimentation, and ADHD. My own song is imperfect and that’s what makes it human. And production is my way of sharing that imperfection with any soul that’s willing to be moved.

I want to use the skills that I have developed throughout my life to reach God's word to a larger, younger audience. As a young Christian in a modern world that resents our biblical beliefs, I believe that the reason why many show a form of hatred or distaste towards Christianity is simply that they don't fully understand it and/or their encounters with certain people who claim to be Christian have been unpleasant or uneventful. I want to use my audio and video production knowledge to expand the Word of God to new heights. Some of that inspiration is from being a huge fan of Christian Hip Hop and artists like Lecrae, KB, Hulvey, Caleb Gordon, and others. Seeing how they use modern technology and outlets to spread the word of God in a way that is understandable and relatable. I want to reach the masses with that type of message, a message that isn't made to divide and condemn, but to unite and forge a true relationship with a living God. My interest in video production started in middle school when I got into video editing. Finding out the tricks editors and cinematographers use to keep you hooked on a scene is always a joy to figure out. In 2022, I became a part of KISDTV, a Student-led TV production crew, who has recorded and produced for multiple district and city-wide events including sports games, concerts, and graduations. I've met a whole bunch of fun and cool people who helped me refine my craft in videography. I also chose Audio/Visual Production as my main elective, and even though it was a big learning curve I had to overcome, I've grown to enjoy and appreciate it a lot more than initially. From making news broadcasts, and movie reviews, to short films and more, the course has sparked my interest in storytelling and filmmaking. This course even got me to win 1st Place in the SkillsUSA District Competition. And in late February, I passed and became Adobe Certified in Premiere Pro, something I have been wanting for years. Around the same time, I've been more involved in church duties, particularly doing voiceover and editing for announcements and a new Christian web series my friends have been building called the GAP. It stands for God Appointed People, and I have been more involved in this as I made the new intro and was even a host for a couple of episodes. But even amidst all this, I always have a feeling that God wants me to do even more and go even further beyond my limits.

Art has been a tool for many different purposes throughout my life. At first, it was a magic trick used to wow my friends. It later became a medium of self-expression. Currently, it's a combination of the two, but most importantly, it's a way to explore and reflect on my experiences and emotions. Why am I passionate about art? Few things bring me such satisfaction as creating. Even now, writing this essay I wish I were at my easel with brush in hand. I know I could so much better communicate my experience through drawing and painting than I ever could through words alone. I am often struck with inspiration while navigating the day-to-day. Whether it is the way the lights dance across the street on a rainy night, an uncanny connection between two seemingly unrelated concepts, or a moment of personal realization, I am overcome with the urge to share these experiences with others. My art teachers were some of my biggest supporters growing up and they made a huge impact on my life. I was not always the best student. In high school, I had serious mental health issues and exhibited many self-destructive behaviors. I was struggling with physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. I was lost and isolated and I didn't think I would ever amount to anything. Most of the authority figures in my life discounted me. My mom didn't know what to do with me, she had to fight to keep me in school. The only place I felt safe and unburdened was in the ceramics studio. My teacher, Ms. Ellis was the head of the art department and she saw the potential in me. She also saw the pain. She had a way of making me feel accepted and understood even when I would mess up. I could be honest with her without fear of rejection or judgment. I didn't know this at the time, but she had advocated for me to remain in school when the faculty was considering my expulsion. She taught me the principles of art and helped me to develop an artistic voice. Her class was one of the only places that I received recognition for being good at something. It is in large part due to this experience that I was able to turn my life around and ultimately decide to pursue an art career. I am studying for my BFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore Maryland. Aside from my federal work-study program at the Center for Student Engagement I also teach elementary school art classes and summer art camps. I am considering a Masters in Teaching after graduation. As an art teacher, I would help children and adults learn how to express themselves through visual media. I will look for the good in my students and help them reach their potential by creating a space where they can explore their vision and their voice. It is my hope and my intention to help my students the way that Ms. Ellis helped me.

Growing up in the inner city of Chicago, I have seen the impact of generational poverty, witnessed trauma, witnessed the deaths of far too many youths my age and younger and the egregious crimes committed by juveniles. The uprise in suicides among teens and young adults is an indication of the need for mental health services. I am surprised and saddened to learn that suicide is the second leading cause of death among teens and young adults in the United States of America. It is also difficult to process the number of teens and young adults who have thought about suicide or have attempted suicide. I am very fortunate to not personally know anyone who has attempted suicide or who has died from suicide. However, I do know that the alarming rate of teen and young adult suicides has caused this to be a mental health crisis. Having a younger brother with Down Syndrome has caused me to see life through different lenses. Making this adjustment required time, and a lot of understanding and education about his diagnosis. This was not always easy. I’ve grown to understand that when a person has a disability it’s not the end of the world. Disabilities do not define who a person is or what they will become. A disability simply means a person might need additional resources, support, patience, advocacy, and understanding. Depending on a person’s disability, they can achieve goals and have a meaningful life when given a fair opportunity. A disability does not mean a person should be counted out or cast aside. These things have caused me to be passionate about helping youth and families who are in situations beyond their control and advocating for people with disabilities and those who are not empowered to advocate for themselves. As I watched my mom advocate on my brother’s behalf, I learned that advocating is needed in this world and how it can and should be done. These things have inspired me to pursue my bachelor’s degree in psychology at Morehouse College. After graduating from Morehouse, I will continue my education to become a licensed clinical psychologist. I will then return to my community to provide trauma-sensitive counseling to youth and families. After college, my immediate goal is to return to my community, provide trauma-sensitive counseling to youth and families, and advocate for those in need. My long-term goal is to ultimately, open a Christian-based youth center. The center will emphasize violence prevention and provide mentoring, tutoring, counseling, sports, and other character-building activities. It will have a healthcare component that will provide dietary and mental health services. The center will also provide educational and supportive services to people with disabilities, along with resources and advocacy. I believe that public service is very important. Through public service, the community can work together, and we can create and impact change. There is strength in numbers and when public servants work with the community, we can empower and support one another. I want my legacy to be that through public service and community building, I impacted positive change, growth, and development. I believe leadership and service go hand in hand. To whom much is given, much is required. I have goals to accomplish and service to give. I am committed to beginning and graduating from college. I am committed to being dedicated to my studies and staying focused and engaged.

I grew up in a world of my own, rich with mythical creatures, daring heroines, and cunning villains. This was a metaphorical world, of course, the result of having spent my childhood enraptured by whimsical fairy tales, thrilling novels, and curious folktales. For a while, I preferred my literary world to the natural one, believing that the creativity and wonder I derived from reading could only be found in fiction. Throughout my sophomore year, however, I became enamored by molecular biology, and chose to enroll in external science programs and my school’s most rigorous biology courses. I soon realized that scientific discovery complements literature, for science breathes life into fictitious ideas–and with fields like genetics–can significantly alter human life. The very basis of genetic engineering, DNA sequencing, utilizes the order, frequency, and placement of just four letters to predispose disease, the same letters that appear hundreds of times in my favorite novels. Literature and science are inextricably connected–both harnessing the power of language to change the world physically, socially, and politically–and in many ways, literature was my muse for deciding to pursue science. Engrossed in the boundless world of biology, I then searched beyond my school for opportunities to explore the breadth and potential of Genetics. This exploration manifested as a Personalized Medicine course at the University of Rochester, a three-week Biological Research summer camp, and hours spent pouring over my dad’s old biology textbooks, remnants of his own time as a student. Genetics, in my eyes, has an unparalleled potential when compared to other branches of science, holding the power to eradicate disease, modify dangerous alleles, and engineer organisms that can solve a variety of national issues, including climate change. Within the field, Clinical Genetics and Personalized Medicine in particular caught my fascination, both of which use a patient’s genome to tailor treatment. Imagine my utter surprise to learn that by reading the billions of bases in each of our cells–to read like a book, if you will–diseases could be detected and wrought out of existence, and once “incurable” conditions could be rendered ailments of the past. With my unbridled passion for molecular biology, then, I aim to be a Clinical Geneticist, someone who can wield genetic therapy and engineering to treat patients with a multitude of genetic conditions. I seek to bridge the gap between patients and doctors, and serve as a translator between the patients and their genome, providing effective, honest, and compassionate communication. I want to truly understand the molecular and chemical basis of life, and then use that knowledge to target malignant cells, dangerous alleles, and sporadic, awry gene expression. I hope to be at the forefront of genetic innovation and discovery, inspiring future generations of female scientists in the way Rosalind Franklin and Jennifer Doudna did for me. Genetics is my ever growing fascination, the evolution of my childhood love of literature, and the shining beacon of my future career and life. I seek to understand, manipulate, and heal with it, revolutionizing how science approaches diagnosis and treatment, and adding to the centuries-long collaboration that makes up science.