 Because music is so competitive, there are so many people that feel the same way I do that music is great and they want to make a part of their lives. And so what that has taught me is that if you want to do anything that you love that other people also love you have to make yourself stand apart. For me, it's the multitude of skills I've attained here at the University of my business, my education and just the work ethic that I put into my practice. That dedication, that grit, that determination to become better every single day defines a lot of departments at this university that competitiveness has pushed me to further grow myself and to make myself a better person. I got started in music in the sixth grade. My band director said, you got long arms because of Trumbo. I was in band programs throughout middle school and high school and it was something that I was able to have a friend group that I was able to have a community of people who loved making music and I loved making it. I loved to create, I loved to perform and that love just kind of grew as I went through high school and I was just like, you can make money doing this. Through that, I knew I wanted to be a musician so I came to Alabama as a music performance major. As I got to learn more and become a more skilled musician with my private teacher and all of the faculty around me, I realized that I really have a passion for teaching. So I switched my major to music education as a way to kind of give back to the people who've given me lots of gifts throughout the years of amazing musical experiences and it's just a part of me and it's something that I have to do. It's something that I want to do for the rest of my life. Through my studies here and also through my studies, when I was in high school I learned that the skills you learn as a musician apply to so many other fields. The Create MBA path gives me a lot of opportunities to let's say I want to be a manager at a company. I have the skill set and I have the degree to back that up while I still am able to pursue my passion as a musician. One thing I really enjoyed in my studies here is you will always find a place where you feel like you can express yourself. I'm involved in a lot of musical organizations. Of course I do Million Dollar Band. I'm returning for the third year as section leader this next year. I'm in quartets. I'm in a brass quintet. I'm in the school trombone choir. I'm in the wind ensemble. And of course with the Million Dollar Band I get to travel and play with the football team and follow that around so I get to do a lot of musical activities, performing and just being with a close-knit group of people. Being at Alabama in particular has made me confident in my ability to make those bonds with people. To find communities that I love, find communities that really engage me. And I think Alabama is a really special place. I think it has a lot of really, really unique attributes that make it a special place. It's definitely made me into the person I am today. Something that was very apparent to me as soon as I got here is that if you are very, very driven about what you do there is an avenue for you here. There is an avenue for you to exceed at a world-class level. You will find opportunities and you will find people to support you. You have great faculty, great organizations that just help prop students up and be the best that they can be. I definitely made the right decision to come to Alabama. As soon as I rolled in I knew that this is where I could thrive. This is where I could be what I was meant to be. And I would advise anyone else who is considering coming here that yes, there is a place for you here. Yes, there are many, many opportunities for you to become who you were meant to be as well.