I came out as pansexual in my freshman year of college. Being from a small, not very diverse country town, it was a scary thing to do. Luckily, I was surrounded by really great people, as well as other members of the LGBTQ+ community. Yes, I dealt with my fair share of "dating pots and pans" jokes, but I know that I am not the most oppressed member of the community in any sense. I think that coming out and being who you are in empowering, and I hope to show that in my goals for the future. One thing that I am very passionate about is how music is so important for children's development. There are many different aspects of music that effect a student, some that are not even related to music at all! My director always told us that the most important thing she taught us was self-control. That is only one of many examples of how music impacts students' lives. I think that sometimes, there are people who do not fully understand what music does for people or why we need to keep the arts alive. My main goal for whatever program I end up taking over in the future is recruitment and community. I want to build a program that is well-rounded and open to everyone. I am only going into my sophomore year of college now, but I already have so many plans and ambitions that I want to fulfill in my future music program. I just cannot wait to see music change the lives of my students, and it is an honor to be a part of the community that kindles determination and community. From experience, I know that musicians are some of the best people in the world. I have fully found my own community, and I want everyone to be able to experience what this feels like. I want my classroom to be a safe space for any type of person, especially the LGBTQ+ community. I want my students to not fear coming out or worry about getting harassed. In my eyes, everyone is beautiful, unique, and deserving of love and respect. I hope to emulate this in my future classroom. So, this is why I am going into music education, to be able to spread positivity and passion, and make the excluded feel included. I want to be the space for my students that I had.

As a first-generation college student, I have basically been on my own in this journey so far. My parents told me that because I have three other siblings, they would not be able to assist me in paying for my schooling. I am lucky to get a decent scholarship from the school, but I am still having to work part-time during the semesters, and overtime during the summer/any breaks. I do not regret my choices, but I do not like having to worry about money. I am also a commuter, so I drive an hour to and from school every day, which is a lot of gas and damaging to my car. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to stay in the dorms. I do love my job, though. For the past two years I have been working at a vision care office. I love everyone there and the work is challenging, but not draining. I will most likely be working here through all of my schooling. I am lucky to have a flexible work schedule, and they are very easy to work with when it comes to being part time and figuring out my scheduling. I do admit that it is difficult. I do not like that I have to worry about money all the time, and any spare moment that I have outside of school and rehearsals, I am at work. I would love the extra time to really hone in on my skills that are relevant to my major (music education) and take some time to just live. I want to enjoy my time in school without the burden of working and putting every penny into getting my degree. As a future educator, I know that the salaries for teachers are nothing spectacular. My goal for the future is not to be rich. I have accepted that this is not reality a long time ago. I do this because I love it, and I want to make an impact on my future students. As a side note, I will eventually be student teaching, and it is highly advised not to work during that time, even though tuition stays the same for that final semester. So, I would love a little support so that I do not have to waste all of my college years with only lectures and work, with no time to actually explore myself and my future.

As a first-generation college student, I have basically been on my own in this journey so far. My parents told me that because I have three other siblings, they would not be able to assist me in paying for my schooling. I am lucky to get a decent scholarship from the school, but I am still having to work part-time during the semesters, and overtime during the summer/any breaks. I do not regret my choices, but I do not like having to worry about money. I am also a commuter, so I drive an hour to and from school every day, which is a lot of gas and damaging to my car. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to stay in the dorms. So, I would love to have a little extra help with finances. The moment I knew that I wanted to go into music education was when I was watching the middle school band perform at their winter concert. At that time, I had been acting as assistant to my band director, helping her with the beginner band, even getting to conduct one of their pieces on that same concert. I was sitting in the bleachers, coincidentally next to one of my fifth-grade kids (a trombone player with a lot of potential). I watched my director conduct, listened to the results of the kids' hard work, and watched the trombone player realize that he loves band. I watched as he sat in awe of the performance. It was almost as if I could see his passion growing right in front of my eyes. I was a little overwhelmed in that moment, and ended up crying a little, fully realizing that this is going to be the rest of my life: Allowing students to find something that they are passionate about in a space where they feel comfortable and safe. One thing that I am very passionate about is how music is so important for children's development. There are many different aspects of music that effect a student, some that are not even related to music at all! My director always told us that the most important thing she taught us was self-control. That is only one of many examples of how music impacts students' lives. I think that sometimes, there are people who do not fully understand what music does for people or why we need to keep the arts alive. My main goal for whatever program I end up taking over in the future is recruitment and community. I want to build a program that is well-rounded and open to everyone. I am only going into my sophomore year of college now, but I already have so many plans and ambitions that I want to fulfill in my future music program. I just cannot wait to see music change the lives of my students, and it is an honor to be a part of the community that kindles determination and community. From experience, I know that musicians are some of the best people in the world. I have fully found my own community, and I want everyone to be able to experience what this feels like. So, this is why I am going into music education, and why any financial contribution will help me to achieve my goals.

The moment I knew that I wanted to go into music education was when I was watching the middle school band perform at their winter concert. At that time, I had been acting as assistant to my band director, helping her with the beginner band, even getting to conduct one of their pieces on that same concert. I was sitting in the bleachers, coincidentally next to one of my fifth-grade kids (a trombone player with a lot of potential). I watched my director conduct, listened to the results of the kids' hard work, and watched the trombone player realize that he loves band. I watched as he sat in awe of the performance. It was almost as if I could see his passion growing right in front of my eyes. I was a little overwhelmed in that moment, and ended up crying a little, fully realizing that this is going to be the rest of my life: Allowing students to find something that they are passionate about in a space where they feel comfortable and safe. One thing that I am very passionate about is how music is so important for children's development. There are many different aspects of music that effect a student, some that are not even related to music at all! My director always told us that the most important thing she taught us was self-control. That is only one of many examples of how music impacts students' lives. I think that sometimes, there are people who do not fully understand what music does for people or why we need to keep the arts alive. My main goal for whatever program I end up taking over in the future is recruitment and community. I want to build a program that is well-rounded and open to everyone. I am only going into my sophomore year of college now, but I already have so many plans and ambitions that I want to fulfill in my future music program. I just cannot wait to see music change the lives of my students, and it is an honor to be a part of the community that kindles determination and community. From experience, I know that musicians are some of the best people in the world. I have fully found my own community, and I want everyone to be able to experience what this feels like. So, this is why I am going into music education.

The moment I knew that I wanted to go into music education was when I was watching the middle school band perform at their winter concert. At that time, I had been acting as assistant to my band director, helping her with the beginner band, even getting to conduct one of their pieces on that same concert. I was sitting in the bleachers, coincidentally next to one of my fifth-grade kids (a trombone player with a lot of potential). I watched my director conduct, listened to the results of the kids' hard work, and watched the trombone player realize that he loves band. I watched as he sat in awe of the performance. It was almost as if I could see his passion growing right in front of my eyes. I was a little overwhelmed in that moment, and ended up crying a little, fully realizing that this is going to be the rest of my life: Allowing students to find something that they are passionate about in a space where they feel comfortable and safe. One thing that I am very passionate about is how music is so important for children's development. There are many different aspects of music that effect a student, some that are not even related to music at all! My director always told us that the most important thing she taught us was self-control. That is only one of many examples of how music impacts students' lives. I think that sometimes, there are people who do not fully understand what music does for people or why we need to keep the arts alive. My main goal for whatever program I end up taking over in the future is recruitment and community. I want to build a program that is well-rounded and open to everyone. I am only going into my sophomore year of college now, but I already have so many plans and ambitions that I want to fulfill in my future music program. I am putting blood, sweat, and tears into making sure that I can become the best music educator that I can possibly be. I spend so much of my time and money to make sure that I am fluent in my secondary instruments and pull late nights studying for all of my exams. I just cannot wait to see music change the lives of my students, and it is an honor to be a part of the community that kindles determination and community. From experience, I know that musicians are some of the best people in the world. I have fully found my own community, and I want everyone to be able to experience what this feels like. So, this is why I am going into music education.

Being the first to get a college degree is scary. I basically had to do everything myself. I did tours, auditions, applications, and even finances on my own. Now, I still have my parents to support me, but no one really knows what the college life is like. My mom went for a few months, but then I was born, and she had to drop out. My dad just never decided to go. My stepdad joined the military right out of high school and never went back to get a degree after he retired. Luckily, I am now the one with experience. I have three younger siblings, so if they decide to pursue higher education, I will be right there with them. The moment I knew that I wanted to go into music education was when I was watching the middle school band perform at their winter concert. At that time, I had been acting as assistant to my band director, helping her with the beginner band, even getting to conduct one of their pieces on that same concert. I was sitting in the bleachers, coincidentally next to one of my fifth-grade kids (a trombone player with a lot of potential). I watched my director conduct, listened to the results of the kids' hard work, and watched the trombone player realize that he loves band. I watched as he sat in awe of the performance. It was almost as if I could see his passion growing right in front of my eyes. I was a little overwhelmed in that moment, and ended up crying a little, fully realizing that this is going to be the rest of my life: Allowing students to find something that they are passionate about in a space where they feel comfortable and safe. One thing that I am very passionate about is how music is so important for children's development. There are many different aspects of music that effect a student, some that are not even related to music at all! My director always told us that the most important thing she taught us was self-control. That is only one of many examples of how music impacts students' lives. I think that sometimes, there are people who do not fully understand what music does for people or why we need to keep the arts alive. My main goal for whatever program I end up taking over in the future is recruitment and community. I want to build a program that is well-rounded and open to everyone. I am only going into my sophomore year of college now, but I already have so many plans and ambitions that I want to fulfill in my future music program. I just cannot wait to see music change the lives of my students, and it is an honor to be a part of the community that kindles determination and community. From experience, I know that musicians are some of the best people in the world. I have fully found my own community, and I want everyone to be able to experience what this feels like. So, this is why I am going into music education.

The moment I knew that I wanted to go into music education was when I was watching the middle school band perform at their winter concert. At that time, I had been acting as assistant to my band director, helping her with the beginner band, even getting to conduct one of their pieces on that same concert. I was sitting in the bleachers, coincidentally next to one of my fifth-grade kids (a trombone player with a lot of potential). I watched my director conduct, listened to the results of the kids' hard work, and watched the trombone player realize that he loves band. I watched as he sat in awe of the performance. It was almost as if I could see his passion growing right in front of my eyes. I was a little overwhelmed in that moment, and ended up crying a little, fully realizing that this is going to be the rest of my life: Allowing students to find something that they are passionate about in a space where they feel comfortable and safe. One thing that I am very passionate about is how music is so important for children's development. There are many different aspects of music that effect a student, some that are not even related to music at all! My director always told us that the most important thing she taught us was self-control. That is only one of many examples of how music impacts students' lives. I think that sometimes, there are people who do not fully understand what music does for people or why we need to keep the arts alive. My main goal for whatever program I end up taking over in the future is recruitment and community. I want to build a program that is well-rounded and open to everyone. I am only going into my sophomore year of college now, but I already have so many plans and ambitions that I want to fulfill in my future music program. I just cannot wait to see music change the lives of my students, and it is an honor to be a part of the community that kindles determination and community. From experience, I know that musicians are some of the best people in the world. I have fully found my own community, and I want everyone to be able to experience what this feels like. So, this is why I am going into music education.

The moment I knew that I wanted to go into music education was when I was watching the middle school band perform at their winter concert. At that time, I had been acting as assistant to my band director, helping her with the beginner band, even getting to conduct one of their pieces on that same concert. I was sitting in the bleachers, coincidentally next to one of my fifth-grade kids (a trombone player with a lot of potential). I watched my director conduct, listened to the results of the kids' hard work, and watched the trombone player realize that he loves band. I watched as he sat in awe of the performance. It was almost as if I could see his passion growing right in front of my eyes. I was a little overwhelmed in that moment, and ended up crying a little, fully realizing that this is going to be the rest of my life: Allowing students to find something that they are passionate about in a space where they feel comfortable and safe. If it's not apparent, my director is the teacher that changed my life. She was and still is my role model, and I feel as if we grew super close in my final years of high school. See, I started with her in fifth grade, and we were her first class as a teacher. In my school district, she was in charge of all levels of band, so that means I had her as a director all the way until I graduated. She gave me a head start on my music education knowledge, and truly changed my life. One thing that I am very passionate about is how music is so important for children's development. There are many different aspects of music that effect a student, some that are not even related to music at all! My director always told us that the most important thing she taught us was self-control. That is only one of many examples of how music impacts students' lives. I think that sometimes, there are people who do not fully understand what music does for people or why we need to keep the arts alive. My main goal for whatever program I end up taking over in the future is recruitment and community. I want to build a program that is well-rounded and open to everyone. I am only going into my sophomore year of college now, but I already have so many plans and ambitions that I want to fulfill in my future music program. I just cannot wait to see music change the lives of my students, and it is an honor to be a part of the community that kindles determination and community. From experience, I know that musicians are some of the best people in the world. I have fully found my own community, and I want everyone to be able to experience what this feels like. So, this is why I am going into music education.

The moment I knew that I wanted to go into music education was when I was watching the middle school band perform at their winter concert. At that time, I had been acting as assistant to my band director, helping her with the beginner band, even getting to conduct one of their pieces on that same concert. I was sitting in the bleachers, coincidentally next to one of my fifth-grade kids (a trombone player with a lot of potential). I watched my director conduct, listened to the results of the kids' hard work, and watched the trombone player realize that he loves band. I watched as he sat in awe of the performance. It was almost as if I could see his passion growing right in front of my eyes. I was a little overwhelmed in that moment, and ended up crying a little, fully realizing that this is going to be the rest of my life: Allowing students to find something that they are passionate about in a space where they feel comfortable and safe. One thing that I am very passionate about is how music is so important for children's development. There are many different aspects of music that effect a student, some that are not even related to music at all! My director always told us that the most important thing she taught us was self-control. That is only one of many examples of how music impacts students' lives. I think that sometimes, there are people who do not fully understand what music does for people or why we need to keep the arts alive. My main goal for whatever program I end up taking over in the future is recruitment and community. I want to build a program that is well-rounded and open to everyone. I am only going into my sophomore year of college now, but I already have so many plans and ambitions that I want to fulfill in my future music program. I just cannot wait to see music change the lives of my students, and it is an honor to be a part of the community that kindles determination and community. From experience, I know that musicians are some of the best people in the world. I have fully found my own community, and I want everyone to be able to experience what this feels like. So, this is why I am going into music education.