A Song of Your Own by Hannah

A Song of Your Own by Hannah - July 2025 Scholarship Essay

Growing up, I spent a lot of time watching life pass me by. I shaped myself around the expectations of others, diminishing parts of who I was to be palatable to others. I was agreeable, reliable, and careful. I got straight As, said the right things, and avoided making waves that could possibly be tsunamis. It was not until recently that I realized I was surviving by editing myself in case I got the whole life thing “wrong.”
Learning to live fully did not magically happen. It arose in the moments I chose to step outside the “safe” version of myself I thought I had to be, and I found the best outlet to be travel. On my first solo trip, I found peace in my own company and realized that I did not need anyone’s approval to enjoy the world. My first time I traveled outside the country was to Spain with my academic program to not just learn about history, but to live it. I walked cobblestone streets, speaking a new language and ordering food entirely on my own. If I would have told younger me of these experiences, she would have shrank away into a corner. Now, and because of these experiences, my worldview has changed, and the way I see myself has grown.
Most importantly, there is music. Being a musician taught me how to take up space without apology. When I perform, I am not attempting to be anyone else; I am grounded in who I am, flaws and all. As a leader, concertmaster in music and president of volunteer organizations, I have learned how to guide others not by shrinking myself, but by encouraging them to step forward too.
So, to my younger self: take the leap. Get a little turned around and lost. Say yes, especially when it scares you. I would rather regret something I did do rather than regret something I did not do. Never let fear of anything hold you back, whether it be fear of judgement or fear of abandonment. Be you, do what you want, and don’t worry about what anyone else has to say about it. Life is not a puzzle you need to solve perfectly. It is a song you get to play: boldly, imperfectly, and entirely your own.