Changing Lives by Jill

Changing Lives by Jill - January 2023 Scholarship Essay

I believe all students should be exposed to the Arts. All students should experience a music class sometime in their life.

My dream is to be a music teacher. This dream has been being put into the works since I was 8 years old. Looking back on my childhood, I realize I have had anxiety for as far back as I can remember. Most people probably would be surprised to know that about me because I have always been high achieving. However, my need for success is in some ways related to my anxiety. I’ve often relied on achievement to feel worthy. Or I have over-scheduled myself to keep too busy to overthink. But as a child, it took me a while to find my thing. My parents put me in every sport but nothing clicked.
It took a caring teacher to light a spark in me. In 3rd grade, a teacher discovered and developed my vocal talent-a talent I did not know I had and neither did my parents. This moment changed my life forever. I found my passion. I finally found my thing. This was the day music was brought into my life. Now my hope is to take my gift and pay it forward.
I plan to go to Cal Poly to double major in Liberal Studies and Music and then get my teaching credential in Music. After college, my dream is to come back to the Central Valley and use my expertise to expose children to the importance of creating music. I want to help others find their voice and use it with confidence. Coming from my school district, in an area of lower socioeconomic status, it is even that much more important to bring exposure to the Arts. Music has a strong connection to math and it sparks creativity. Plus, music is therapeutic. With the social-emotional issues many kids deal with today, singing is a healthy outlet for stress.
My love and need for music really grew in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. Besides the fear of the pandemic, I was having to adjust from being a very busy, involved-in-everything kind of student to now having a ton of free time. I am the kind of person who enjoys school and craves structure, so this was an unwanted change. I didn't want to sit around being miserable so I had to get creative to fill my time. This was when my boredom gave me a chance to spark my creative side. I began filling my time with singing, reading sheet music, and trying to teach myself to play the piano and ukulele. This turned out to be a great outlet for me. As soon as I woke up, I wanted to create music. I also dabbled in some songwriting which turned out to be therapeutic for me. Looking back, that time to dive deeper into my music was valuable. I found that music stimulated my brain and emotions. But, even more so, music was an outlet for creativity and a strong source of stress relief for me
I cannot think of a more meaningful career than becoming a teacher with the focus of bringing the Arts back to schools, especially schools like the one where I grew up. I want to bring the gift of the Arts to students of all different backgrounds. I want to give my students the gift of using music as therapy to overcome anxiety or any other issues affecting them emotionally. I want to normalize mental illness that so many are affected by. My classroom will be a safe environment where my students can express themselves with the healthy outlet and power of music.