One of the greatest moments of my life: a stage that Broadway artists performed on, an audience of 2,000 people, and connections with people from all over Texas. This summer, I participated in a competitive audition-based program for high school students at the state level, where I performed "Les Miserables." This captivating show, filled with grief and injustice, was a pleasure to bring to life. Pursuing the arts has also unlocked doors to various opportunities, like being offered to work as an intern for Spark Theatre and Playhouse 1960, where I taught children between the ages of 6-13 choreography through student direction. My favorite opportunity has been volunteering at the River, an organization that emphasizes accessible fine arts education for those with disabilities. Volunteering at the river has allowed me to combine my passion for theater and love for special needs education. Whether it be directing, mentoring, teaching, or becoming their friend, I have learned so much about leadership and empathy. Whether we’re learning choreography for a gala or singing for our enjoyment, I enjoy participating in my community. This opportunity has also granted me the ability to work with individuals, fostering close relationships and uniting members of my community. As a performer, I always feel complete on stage, but I feel even more complete when I can share the stage with my River students. Their enthusiasm and willingness to put in the hard work have inspired me in so many ways. I’m especially proud of this experience, as combining my passion for performing and volunteering have taught me invaluable lessons about determination, confidence, communication skills, and empathy. Working in my community has broadened my perspective of society, helping me to understand social issues like bullying. Assisting children with special needs has exposed me to various instances involving bullying. Unfortunately, society has created false ideals leading individuals to bully others- whether it be from a lack of awareness, projected insecurities, or a lack of empathy. These ideals can be prevented among youth and special needs individuals. To ensure the prevention of bullying, it is vital to educate children and raise awareness. For example, schools should institutionalize programs that teach students about disabilities and the impact of bullying. These programs could also encourage open conversations! Implementing safe spaces would allow students to freely communicate, which would reduce any misunderstandings and build connections with one another. On the other hand, cyberbullying is also becoming increasingly common. The programs at school should also touch on digital responsibility. Educating children about responsible internet usage helps students understand privacy and the impact a singular negative comment can have on someone. Schools need to encourage reporting bullies, because many victims do not speak up. By implementing programs that educate about bullying, students could make positive choices to uplift one another rather than harm. As someone eager to further their education in various subjects such as business and biomedical sciences, I am fighting financial barriers. The wide array of classes I want to take are immensely costly, so winning this scholarship would ease the financial burden- allowing me to further my education and raise awareness about bullying!

My hand clutched a weathered ten dollar bill that smelled of inky cotton and leather. It was the usual tangible ten dollar bill my dad had tucked into his wallet to give me. Every sunday my dad would give me a ten dollar bill to spend at Five Below, a discounted retail chain for modern items. At the time, I usually splurged on sparkly nail polish or the latest doll, but after several trips I realized that money needed to be used sparingly. Eventually, I’d walk away with a couple of musty coins and a receipt detailing all that I had purchased. I’d also walk away learning a lesson: managing money isn’t easy, mostly because expenditure is fulfilling. My dad’s lessons went beyond budgeting; he taught me how to make smart choices that balanced enjoyment and financial planning. This mindset has shaped how I view money and plan for my future. By not spending the ten dollars each week, I could watch my money increase while helping me work toward bigger financial goals, like buying a car in high school and saving for college. His monetary lessons provided the framework for my financial mindset that I would love to expand at McCombs School of Business. I enjoyed the process of allocating money to make strategic decisions that encouraged financial growth. Although my passion for business started with just ten dollars, my dad’s teachings evoked a prevailing appreciation for fiscal strategy, which I hope to strengthen at one of the top universities in the nation, the University of Texas.

One of the greatest moments of my life: a stage that Broadway artists performed on, an audience of 2,000 people, and connections with people from all over Texas. This summer, I participated in a competitive audition-based program for high school students at the state level, where I performed "Les Miserables." This captivating show, filled with grief and injustice, was a pleasure to bring to life. At age 8, I started at The Humphrey’s School of Musical Theatre, where I honed my skills in singing, dancing, and acting each week in a very rigorous and competitive program. My passion has allowed me to meet new people, work with others in my community, and perform. Throughout my professional training at Theatre Under the Stars, theatre profoundly shaped me, improving my skills as an artist and an individual. Pursuing the arts has also unlocked doors to various opportunities, like being offered to work as an intern for Spark Theatre and Playhouse 1960, where I taught children between the ages of 6-13 choreography through student direction. My favorite opportunity has been volunteering at the River, an organization that emphasizes accessible fine arts education for those with disabilities. Volunteering at the river has allowed me to combine my passion for theater and love for special needs education. Whether it be directing, mentoring, teaching, or becoming their friend, I have learned so much about leadership and empathy. Whether we’re learning choreography for a gala or singing for our enjoyment, I enjoy participating in my community. This opportunity has also granted me the ability to work with individuals, fostering close relationships and uniting members of my community. As a performer, I always feel complete on stage, but I feel even more complete when I can share the stage with my River students. Their enthusiasm and willingness to put in the hard work have inspired me in so many ways. I’m especially proud of this experience, as combining my passion for performing and volunteering have taught me invaluable lessons about determination, confidence, communication skills, and empathy. Music has taught me invaluable lessons, allowing me to connect with members in my community and make a change. It has granted me the greatest gift of all: happiness. No matter how short the drive is, my music is turned on. Whether it be Broadway soundtracks, the Bee Gees, or ABBA- music has greatly contributed to the person I am, enveloping everything I do.

One of the greatest moments of my life: a stage that Broadway artists performed on, an audience of 2,000 people, and connections with people from all over Texas. This summer, I participated in a competitive audition-based program for high school students at the state level, where I performed "Les Miserables." This captivating show, filled with grief and injustice, was a pleasure to bring to life. At age 8, I started at The Humphrey’s School of Musical Theatre, where I honed my skills in singing, dancing, and acting each week in a very rigorous and competitive program. My passion has allowed me to meet new people, work with others in my community, and perform. Throughout my professional training at Theatre Under the Stars, theatre profoundly shaped me, improving my skills as an artist and an individual. Pursuing the arts has also unlocked doors to various opportunities, like being offered to work as an intern for Spark Theatre and volunteering at Playhouse 1960, my local community theatre. These experiences allowed me to teach children between the ages of 6-13 how to sing, dance, and act, through student direction. My favorite opportunity has been volunteering at the River, an organization that emphasizes accessible fine arts education for those with disabilities. Volunteering at the river has allowed me to combine my passion for theater and love for special needs education. Whether it be directing, mentoring, teaching, or becoming their friend, I have learned so much about leadership and empathy. Whether we’re learning choreography for a gala or singing for our enjoyment, I am overwhelmed with joy. Not only do I feel fulfilled volunteering as a student director, but getting to see my students work with one another grants me inexplicable happiness. These various volunteer opportunities have allowed me to work with individuals, fostering close relationships and uniting members in my community. Seeing each student arrive to class, eager to learn new choreography felt beyond gratifying. As a performer, I always feel complete on stage, but I feel even more complete when I can share the stage with my River students. Their enthusiasm and willingness to put in the hard work have inspired me in so many ways. I’m especially proud of this experience, as combining my passion for performing and volunteering have taught me invaluable lessons about determination, confidence, communication skills, and empathy. Volunteering has allowed me to develop friends out of strangers in my community and for that- I am forever grateful.