As a young African-American man from a low-income family, I know much isn't expected of me. I know based on statistics that I should either end up on the streets or in jail. However, I decided I wasn't gonna be that young black kid you see on the street or the news due to some tragic incident. From what I remember, I've had a passion and drive for music and the arts from before I knew what it even was. I've been a performer since I learned how to talk and walk. Singing was my very first love and from there I grew a fondness for acting as well as dancing. Throughout elementary school, middle school, and high school I was in Chorus/Choir. Naturally, it became my favorite class as singing was the only thing that came easy to me. I found I was the best version of myself whenever I was singing and I could express my feelings and emotions through said art. Coming from a home with two younger brothers and a single Mom, I didn't have access to certain opportunities my peers had. I couldn't go on all the cool trips or participate in outside class activities because I had too many responsibilities at home I couldn't ignore. My mom did the best she could to make sure we all had food and a roof over our heads. I had to get a job to help out as much as I could. She has always been there to support me, including coming to all of my performances and doing the best she could to fund my trips for Chorus. When elementary school ended I went to a summer camp where I was given the opportunity to star in a short film series as a main character. I was ecstatic as well as nervous seeing as I'd never done anything like it. I was known for being "that kid who's always singing" but acting was a whole different ball game. I ended up enjoying it and was grateful for that wonderful experience. Entering high school was an eye-opener for me. I never knew specifically what I wanted to do with my life besides being a singer. It wasn't until my first time having a theatre class that I fell in love with the craft. However, my freshman year of high school was when covid hit and at that same time, I was supposed to be in a production of Aladdin as a Guard. My high school career wasn't back to "normal" until my junior year. Once everything got as close to normal as possible we put on Aladdin in the fall. This time around I was cast as Aladdin which brought me so much joy. I couldn't fathom the fact that I was a main character in a school production. From the end of that whole experience, I knew Musical Theatre was what I wanted to pursue. I was met with a lot of mixed responses when I told everyone what I wanted to go to college for. Some said I should pick a more "realistic" dream, something more conventional. I didn't want something more conventional, I wanted to do something that makes me happy and I could be myself doing. I was also met with backlash from certain family members saying, "You know you can't afford that" or "I don't know how you're gonna pay for that." This however never stopped me from packing everything and moving to New York to pursue a degree in Musical Theatre!